Taliban capture 'peace deal' town

NATO vows to recapture Afghan town
POSTED: 7:49 a.m. EST, February 3, 2007

KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- The commander of NATO's International Security Assistance
Forces on Saturday said troops will "kick the Taliban out and defeat them" after Taliban
forces took control in the southern Afghan district of Musa Qala overnight, shouldering
out a locally raised force of auxiliary police loyal to the Afghan government.

"We will put the tribal elders back in control of Musa Qala," British Gen. David Richards
said, adding that British troops will make up the bulk of the offensive.

His statement comes nearly 24 hours after what some reports say was a 300-strong group
of Taliban militants who stormed the Musa Qala district center in Helmand province,
pressuring the tribal elders and taking down the Afghan national flag.

The invasion destroys the fragile British-backed truce negotiated with the tribal elders
of the town -- a deal that has been received poorly by Western officials who see it as a
NATO retreat -- and threatens a wider series of local peace agreements being negotiated
in the Helmand province.

-snip-