New Afghan operation could involve up to 2,000 U.S. troops

WASHINGTON -- In the largest ground operation in Afghanistan in six months, up to 2,000 U.S. Army troops are searching the mountains of southeastern Afghanistan for Taliban and al-Qaida holdouts.

The troops from the 82nd Airborne are part of a new strategy that puts more regular soldiers into the hunt for enemy fighters while lessening the strain on special forces units that could be needed for a war in Iraq.

The Army soldiers are combing an area of Afghanistan's Paktia province that borders Pakistan and has long been a focus of U.S. efforts to rid the country of members of the terrorist network and its Taliban allies. The region has been the scene of clashes between rival warlords and scattered attacks on U.S. soldiers.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai suggested during a visit to Qatar over the weekend that deposed Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar might be hiding along the Pakistani border.

"We believe it's a target-rich environment," said Lt. Col. Martin Schweitzer, the operation's commander.

Army soldiers have questioned six suspects and uncovered several small caches of weapons during searches so far. The operation, dubbed "Alamo Sweep," is the largest since Operation Anaconda in March and is expected to continue for several weeks at least. The new operation is the most visible part of a shift in tactics for the U.S. military in Afghanistan. The large number of conventional troops replace smaller, more clandestine special forces units.

Moving in quickly

Military commanders say the show of force means larger numbers of troops can move in more quickly if Taliban or al-Qaida fighters are found. The 82nd Airborne units are using Apache helicopter gunships and Black Hawk helicopters carrying troops to swoop into remote areas where enemy activity is suspected.

Special forces units are still in Afghanistan and searching for the enemy; one such unit -- acting on a tip from a local governor -- uncovered more than 500,000 rounds of small-arms ammunition in central Afghanistan on Tuesday.

Top military commanders and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld met in August to discuss possible changes to special operations forces' role in the war on terrorism. Besides being the main ground force in Afghanistan, special operations units also have trained anti-terrorism forces in the Philippines, Yemen and the former Soviet republic of Georgia.