MOSCOW. Nov 6 (Interfax-AVN) - The anti-terrorist operation of the U.S. and its allies in Afghanistan against the Taliban movement is not developing in the way that it has been planned, former airborne chief-of-staff Valery Belyayev told Interfax-Military News Agency on Tuesday.
In general, the four-week bombing and operations of special service units have had no feasible effect, Belyayev said.
According to him, there are several reasons for the failure such as rushed planning, lack of intelligence sources in Afghanistan and the fact that the strikes were inflicted from a long distance. At the same time the combat experience of Soviet troops in the country proves that aerial attacks on mujahedeen positions are quite ineffective.
The aerial and ground operation in Afghanistan might be a success if aeromobile units of the U.S. and its allies follow the special service units. The aeromobile units might be established around the 75th ranger regiment, formations of the 82nd airborne and 101st airborne assault divisions and 720th task force of the U.S. Special Operations Command. Some of those units are already deployed in Pakistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan and may soon move to Tajikistan.
The engagement of aeromobile forces became possible only after aviation strikes destroyed the air defense means and major part of the Taliban's military equipment which were capable to put up resistance to the landing party.
The main aim of the aeromobile units is to capture and maintain several aviation bases in Afghanistan. The U.S. will use bridgeheads such as airfields near Bagram, Mazar-e Sharif and Lashkar Gah.
The success of the operation is mainly defined by efficiency of U.S. cooperation with the Northern Alliance troops which could be characterized as unsatisfactory until now.
"The establishment of powerful military infrastructure in Afghanistan will mark the beginning of a new stage in the anti-terrorist retaliatory operation," Belyayev added.