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US won't stop bombs during Ramadan, says Rumsfield
( 2001-10-30 11:49 ) (7 )

US MARINES: It's a long way to Afghanistan THE BUSH CABINET: Touching on national security

American airstrikes on Afghanistan have killed some leaders of the Taliban military and the al-Qaida network, but not the top ones, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Monday.

Three weeks of bombing have taken a toll on the supporters of Osama bin Laden, who the Bush administration believes was behind the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Rumsfeld said.

``There's no question but that the Taliban and al-Qaida people, military, have been killed,'' Rumsfeld said at a Pentagon news conference. ``To our knowledge, none of the very top six, eight, 10 people have been included in that.''

Asked about reports that the Taliban had arrested Americans in Afghanistan, Rumsfeld said, ``There have been no American military captured. Whether someone else may have been ... I don't think so.''

Queried about appeals from some quarters that Washington halt its bombing during the Muslim holiday of Ramadan, the Pentagon chief replied, ``The Taliban and al-Qaida are unlikely to take a holiday.''

``Given the fact that they have killed thousands of Americans and people from 50 or 60 other countries, and given the fact that they have sworn to continue such attacks, we have an obligation to defend the American people, and we intend to work diligently to do that,'' Rumsfeld said.

Responding to suggestions that the military effort may have bogged down, Rumsfeld repeated warnings that the anti-terrorism effort would not be a short one.

``This will not happen overnight,'' he said. ``It is a marathon, not a sprint. It will be years, not weeks or months.''

Rumsfeld also addressed charges that the US bombing was killing civilians. ``We know victory will not come without a cost,'' he said. ``Let us be clear, no nation in human history has done more to avoid civilian casualties'' than the United States.

Residents of the Afghan capital of Kabul said US bombing killed at least 13 civilians Sunday, and warplanes returned for a second wave of attacks later.

Pakistan's president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, warned last week against ``excessive collateral damage'' to civilians -- a concern also voiced by the leaders of China, Malaysia and others.

Rumsfeld was joined by Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who reported that the airstrikes on Sunday used about 65 carrier-based aircraft. The four-star Air Force general said there were fewer targets left and the bombing is now focused on six areas, mostly in northern Afghanistan.

Earlier Monday, Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke told reporters the military had extended its bombing of Afghanistan northward toward the border with Tajikistan. She said the objectives for Monday's bombing included the Taliban military's armor and troop concentrations, and that bombers were trying to work systematically through the complex system of caves.

Rumsfeld said that airdrops of ammunition have been made to the Afghan forces opposing the Taliban. He said the ammunition drops were relatively few but should increase.