Defense chief reveals US ground forces in Afghan capital
( 2001-11-14 09:14 ) (8 )

NORTHERN ALLIANCE: Entering Kabul THE TALIBAN: A narrow way now OPPOSITION: The victory

US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Tuesday that a small number of US troops are inside Kabul, advising the Afghan opposition Northern Alliance leaders.

"There are a very small number of US forces inside the city of Kabul," Rumsfeld said at a press conference at Pentagon.

"There are not sufficient forces to monitor or police the entire city" to ensure retribution killings by the rebels, he said.

Clearly emboldened by the fast-breaking successes of rebel forces and US bombs, Rumsfeld said fleeing Taliban troops and terrorists will be hunted down wherever they hide.

"We're going to get them," he said. "I doubt that they'll find peace, wherever they select."

Still, he warned that the war against terrorism is not near its final chapter.

"This effort against terrorism and terrorists is far from over, " Rumsfeld said. "The war is not about one man or one terrorist network or even one country."

Rumsfeld said that US special forces teams are also on the ground in north Afghanistan and helped the Northern Alliance to occupy wide swaths of territory, but that teams were also operating in the south.

He said the US-led coalition was focused on destroying the al- Qaeda network run by Osama bin Laden, Washington's top suspect in the September 11 terror attacks on the United States.