| Heavy bombers and AC-130 gunships struck the area around Tora Bora, while Afghan troops traded machine-gun fire with al Qaeda. Afghan tanks also pounded al Qaeda positions in the mountains. Afghan commander Hazrat Ali said the Eastern Alliance are cutting down the area in which al Qaeda forces can operate. Ali said al Qaeda has suffered heavy casualties and is essentially finished. He said bin Laden is probably in a "special place," such as a bunker or a cave. Afghan sources said that 70 to 80 U.S. troops were aiding their effort, with especially intense activities taking place during nighttime hours. British special forces were also reported in the area. Surrender negotiations which were expected to take generations having failed, al-Qaeda has been reduced to "Hazrat, your shoe's untied" and "We'll be back in a half hour or so. We left something on the stove." |