Taking Away Enemy Sanctuaries in Afghanistan

After a week in which about 178 insurgents were killed, the US is now focusing on taking key areas in the Khakeran Valley in southern Afghanistan. It is suspected that there are about 300 insurgents holed up in the area. Mangal Khan, the main village in the valley was the first. A police station had been taken over by the insurgents in March. The following from the Jerusalem Post sums up the strategy:

American spokesman Lt. Col. Jerry O'Hara said troops were operating across the whole region, "taking away enemy sanctuaries."

"The enemy forces are not dumb. So when they get a sense that we're doing an operation in area 'X,' they will move onto area 'Y,"' he said. "It is our goal to be in area 'Y' before they set anything up."

The Miana Shien district of Kandahar province, the site of last weeks action is said to still have about 80 insurgents and 2 Taliban leaders in the area. Dozens of others are suspected to have fled to the Khakeran Valley.

Good, deny them sanctuary, squeeze them out of all their little holes and get rid of the vermin for good.