It was the second straight morning of daylight raids on the Taliban stronghold. Fighting between Afghanistan's opposition northern alliance and the ruling Taliban intensified Tuesday as the U.S. continued its airstrikes. As bombs crash and anti-aircraft guns roar in the night, Mohammed Quasi and his wife huddle with their seven children, praying for safety while the walls tremble and the door shakes. He is a mine clearer, with plenty of dangerous explosives left to uncover. Dust clouds reduce visibility to zero.
Anxious soldiers stop vehicles for hours, even days, at a time.
Soviet-style red tape and money hungry guards raise obstacles at every turn. Thousands of Arab militants, unable to return to their homelands where they are considered enemies of the state, will choose to fight to the death against the U.S.-led offensive, according former Afghan fighters. A British journalist freed after being held by the Taliban militia described in an article published Tuesday how she went on a hunger strike during her 10 days in detention and huddled in her cell as military strikes pounded the city of Kabul. Almost immediately they turned their guns on each other, killing an estimated 50,000 people and destroying entire neighborhoods of Kabul. They took Kabul, the capital, in 1996, and declared themselves the legitimate government of Afghanistan.