Posted 6:00 p.m. Oct. 8
By Zeb Eckert
U-WIRE Washington Bureau
American and British forces launched air strikes in Afghanistan Sunday, clearing the way for what President Bush said would be a long and sustained campaign against the al Qaeda terrorist network and the Taliban regime.
In a televised address Sunday afternoon shortly after the strikes began, Bush said the Taliban would "pay a price."
"These carefully targeted local actions are designed to disrupt the use of Afghanistan as a terrorist base of operations and to attack the military capability of the Taliban regime," he said.
By 9 p.m. local time, explosions and anti-aircraft fire rocked the capital city of Kabul and the southern city of Kandahar, a base for the Taliban.
The Pentagon confirmed that a series of fighter jets and U.S. and British vessels in the Arabian Sea launched 50 Tomahawk missiles intended to destroy training camps used by Osama bin Laden and to cripple the Taliban's ability to fight back.
The strikes Sunday came two weeks after President Bush issued an ultimatum for the Taliban to hand over al Qaeda leaders and return all foreign nationals unjustly held in Afghanistan.
Bush said the United States would be joined by more than 40 nations in what he expects to be a broad and "patient" campaign.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair said from London Sunday his country would fully support the United States in its response.
"We have set the objectives to eradicate Osama bin Laden's network of terror and to take action against the Taliban regime that is sponsoring him," Blair said.
He said the United States asked Britain last Wednesday to contribute specific resources to the effort, dubbed operation Enduring Freedom by the White House.
Britain will offer the use of its base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, reconnaissance and other aircraft, and missile-firing submarines, some of which were used on Sunday.
By Zeb Eckert
U-WIRE Washington Bureau
American and British forces launched air strikes in Afghanistan Sunday, clearing the way for what President Bush said would be a long and sustained campaign against the al Qaeda terrorist network and the Taliban regime.
In a televised address Sunday afternoon shortly after the strikes began, Bush said the Taliban would "pay a price."
"These carefully targeted local actions are designed to disrupt the use of Afghanistan as a terrorist base of operations and to attack the military capability of the Taliban regime," he said.
By 9 p.m. local time, explosions and anti-aircraft fire rocked the capital city of Kabul and the southern city of Kandahar, a base for the Taliban.
The Pentagon confirmed that a series of fighter jets and U.S. and British vessels in the Arabian Sea launched 50 Tomahawk missiles intended to destroy training camps used by Osama bin Laden and to cripple the Taliban's ability to fight back.
The strikes Sunday came two weeks after President Bush issued an ultimatum for the Taliban to hand over al Qaeda leaders and return all foreign nationals unjustly held in Afghanistan.
Bush said the United States would be joined by more than 40 nations in what he expects to be a broad and "patient" campaign.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair said from London Sunday his country would fully support the United States in its response.
"We have set the objectives to eradicate Osama bin Laden's network of terror and to take action against the Taliban regime that is sponsoring him," Blair said.
He said the United States asked Britain last Wednesday to contribute specific resources to the effort, dubbed operation Enduring Freedom by the White House.
Britain will offer the use of its base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, reconnaissance and other aircraft, and missile-firing submarines, some of which were used on Sunday.
