AFGHANISTAN: British Royal Marine commandos have been deployed in force in the rugged, snow-covered Afghan mountains for the first time, joining US and Afghan forces in a new hunt for Taliban and al-Qaeda rebels.
In the first major operation by the multinational force since a big ground battle last month, the commandos were dropped by helicopters in areas of east Afghanistan near the Pakistan border.
British Lieut Col Paul Harradine said the commandos were deployed several days ago in a sweep code-named "Operation Ptarmigan", named after a mountain bird. "They are up in the mountains at about 9,500 feet to 10,000 feet. The terrain and environmental conditions up there should not be underestimated," he said.
"They're going to sweep through, destroy any al-Qaeda and Taliban that are there and then deny the group control of that area," They would also search for and destroy ammunition, caves and any other places that could be used as future al Qaeda or Taliban bases, he said. he added.
Maj Bryan Hilferty said on Sunday a joint US and Afghan military patrol was fired on during the hunt for remnants of the Taliban and their allies of al-Qaeda, blamed for the September 11th attacks on the United States.
He said a helicopter gunship was called in and killed five of the attackers. There were no casualties among US or Afghan troops, although some of their vehicles were left with bullet holes.
The Royal Marines have not been involved in a major combat operation since the Falklands War against Argentina 20 years ago.
In London, Britain's Armed Forces Minister, Mr Adam Ingram, said: "This is a very specific mission - of which there will be more - to achieve that overall broad objective of dealing with residual Taliban and al-Qaeda forces which remain in Afghanistan." Mr Ingram said the hunt for Osama bin Laden "remains one of the prime objectives".
"We have got to operate on the basis that he is still alive and that he may well still be in country." But he stressed: "We have no certainty. We must make that clear. If we knew he was alive and if we knew where he was, we would be after him." - (Reuters)
Derek Scally reports from Berlin :
Five Algerian men suspected of having links to al-Qaeda went on trial in Frankfurt yesterday, accused of planning to bomb a Christmas market in Strasbourg in December 2000.
The trial was adjourned after five minutes when one of the accused began swearing in Arabic and called the judge "the Devil".
"These people are Jews, they want to fool me. But I don't need a lawyer, God will defend me," shouted Mr Lamine Maroni (31).
He was removed from the chamber and the case continued with the other four accused, identified as Mr Aeurobui Beandali, Mr Salim Boukhari, Mr Fouhad Sabour and Mr Samir Karimou.
All men are charged with memberhip of a terrorist organisation and are believed to have studied with al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. Prosecutors allege the men founded a terrorist cell in Frankfurt after their training and, with the exception of Mr Karimou, planned to bomb the Strausbourg Christmas market.
German investigators arrested the men shortly after Christmas and found materials for a nail bomb in their apartment as well as machine guns and ammunition.
German authorities received criticism that the September 11th attacks were planned in Hamburg under their nose. They hope that the trial, expected to last at least a year, will expose the workings of the al-Qaeda network.
The trial opened under some of the most stringent security measures ever seen in a German court.