US: Americans are getting used to the idea of living in time of war, Elaine Lafferty reports from New York
The largest US military ground operation in Afghanistan, which began last weekend, has resulted in the largest number of American casualties so far.
The Secretary of Defence, Mr Donald Rumsfeld, has been telling Americans on television almost daily that this war will be sustained, American soldiers will be killed, and the war on terror is unlikely to end soon.
While Mr Rumsfeld has been trying to accustom Americans to the idea of battlefield casualities, much of the European press has been focused on the human rights issues associated with the US detention of Taliban prisoners in Guantanamo Bay.
On the other hand, the US media were saturated with details of the kidnapping, torturing and beheading of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl by Pakistan and al-Qaeda operatives. Instead of leading to calls for disengagement, the details of the gruesome killing seemed to inflame demands for revenge.
Coupled with regular updates and speculation about when the US will invade Iraq to topple President Saddam Hussein, one realises that Americans are getting used to the idea of living in time of war.
The traditional view that Americans were too squeamish and soft and would abandon support for President Bush at the sight of the first soldier coming home in a body bag has been proven wrong as public support for Mr Bush has soared.
In light of the latest ground assault, public discussion is far more focused on military tactics and timing. Were the US soldiers who participated in the assault in eastern Afghanistan which began on Saturday adequately armed and prepared? Did they have all the arms and support they needed at their disposal?
The new US military offensive near Gardez is being called "Anaconda" after the snake that wraps itself around prey and crushes it. Instead of relying exclusively on Afghan fighters as it did during the December assault on the caves of Tora Bora, the US is deploying more than 1,000 troops to fight alongside 800 Afghan men.
Defence Department sources say the US military learned a great deal during the battle over Tora Bora, which uncovered lots of caves and ammunition but little else.
They learned that many Afghan soldiers were happy to take bribes from al-Qaeda fighters in return for allowing them to escape.
The going rate was $5,000 per fighter. This time, US and coalition soldiers, including troops from France, Australia, Germany, and Norway, are in charge of the areas where Taliban fighters could escape.
Both Gen Richard Myers, US chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, and Mr Rumsfeld described the situation at Gardez and the Shahi-Kot Valley as one which had been building up for several weeks. Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters began trickling back into the area in November.
Some paid villagers to leave their homes. Mr Rumsfeld indicated that the al-Qaeda network was regrouping stealthily .
The US has been monitoring the area for some time. The details of the current military offensive were outlined two weeks ago in a briefing he received at Bagram air base outside Kabul, Gen Myers said.
"So any suggestion that they weren't prepared is just wrong," he said. He described the al-Qaeda fighters as determined and prepared to die for their cause. "We will give them the opportunity to do so," he added.
The general conceded, however, that the US helicopters were "operating right against their operational capabilities" at 8,000 to 11,000 feet above sea level in icy mountain conditions.
Both he and Mr Rumsfeld extended their condolences to the families of the nine US servicemen killed in the last 48 hours, while also communicating clearly that they expected more deaths in the weeks and month ahead..
"This is not al-Qaeda's last stand," said Mr Rumsfeld. "This will not be our last operation in Afghanistan. Some actions will be seen, and some will not be seen."
And on that point at least, it seems everyone here believes him.