Rumsfield calls them 'Large puddles of enemies"

http://thecodewarrior.com/

KABUL, Afghanistan - President Hamid Karzai on Tuesday challenged the need for major foreign military operations in Afghanistan, saying airstrikes are no longer effective and that U.S.-led coalition forces should focus on rooting out terror bases and support networks.

Karzai demanded an immediate end to foreign troops searching people's homes without his government's authorization. He also said foreign governments should "concentrate on where terrorists are trained, on their bases, on the supply to them, on the money coming to them" — a veiled reference to support that militants allegedly get from neighboring Pakistan.

"No coalition forces should go to Afghan homes without the authorization of the Afghan government. ... The use of air power is something that may not be very effective now. ... That's what I mean by a change in strategy."

At a news conference in Washington, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld appeared to agree that airstrikes in Afghanistan might not be as useful as they once were.

"When you don't have a massed army on the ground or large puddles of enemies, then airstrikes are less effective than when you do have that type of a situation," he said.

But Karzai played down the militant threat, saying, "We do not think a serious terrorist challenge is emanating from Afghanistan." He did not specify whether he was referring to a threat from al-Qaida terrorists, Taliban rebels — or both.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050921/ap_on_re_as/afghanistan;_ylt=AhYwHCBh2TULMv9gR23iUAis0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3b3JuZGZhBHNlYwM3MjE-

Demanding that the occupation troops quit rousting people out of their homes, and denying that there is a serious terrorist presence in Afghanistan? What, does he think he's in charge of the country or something? And now Rumsfeld is going limp! Airstrikes were never very effective or useful except in blowing up wedding parties and murdering a bunch of people who couldn't fight back, and couldn't get away from the bombs. Unless that's the "usefulness" that Rumsfeld is alluding to.