US Raids Have Captured, Killed 900 Taliban Leaders

Military says insurgency is having trouble finding replacements
By Nick McMaster,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 8, 2011 4:42 PM CST
US Raids Have Captured, Killed 900 Taliban Leaders
In this Jan. 11, 2007, file photo, a shadow of a British Royal Air Force Chinook helicopter is seen on the Kajaki Dam reservoir as it carries the supplies for the forward operating base at Kajaki, in southern Afghanistan.   (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

If the body count is any indication, coalition forces are making progress in Afghanistan: US-led military forces have captured or killed more than 900 Taliban leaders over the past 10 months, say military leaders. Special forces stepped up operations to decapitate the insurgent force by focusing on leadership as part of an overall shift in strategy over the last few years, USA Today reports.

"We are getting indications that the insurgency is struggling to find replacements for leaders," says one military official. "In several cases, insurgents have actually refused to take over the leadership positions, have had difficulty finding technical experts, such as IED (improvised explosive devices) facilitators, gun runners and bomb trainers." (More Taliban stories.)

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