World News 17-10-2001 Gunships Take Campaign To A Lower Level who: The Pentagon what: Says Taliban stronghold Mazar-i Sharif is about to fall as AC130 gunships unleash hell where: Afghanistan when: Yesterday snippet: "American-led coalition forces last night unleashed an awesome increase in firepower to step up pressure on the Taliban government," reports The Mirror this morning. "They sent in low-flying, hugely powerful Special Forces AC-130 Spectre gunships to wreak havoc on enemy positions." "The Pentagon said the strategic town of Mazar-i Sharif was within a day or two of being captured by Northern Alliance forces," reports The Times, "after one of the heaviest nights of bombing in the 11-day campaign over Afghanistan." Michael Evans, defence editor of The Times, describes the gunship, which has two varieties - the AC130H Spectre and the newer AC130U Spooky - as "an airborne killing machine" with "deadly array of weaponry which can devastate an area the size of a football pitch". The Sun`s George Pascoe-Watson reckons the aircraft has been dubbed "Puff The Magic Dragon because of the fire and smoke that pour from its guns." On the diplomatic front, The Independent reports that US secretary of state Colin Powell has hinted that Taliban moderates might be offered a role in a new post-war Afghan government. The Scotsman reports on claims by the Red Cross that one of its warehouses in Kabul - which hard a large red cross on its roof - was hit by two US bombs yesterday, destroying votal food, medical supplies and other equipment such as tents. [... more]

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