Armed Taliban militants gather in an undisclosed location in Afghanistan on Jan. 16. Insurgents' tactics have grown more shrewd, including using civilians as human shields. ReutersFrom USA Today:
BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan — Afghan insurgents have learned to attack U.S. troops and scatter before they can be hit by airstrikes, a change in tactics that creates new pressure on coalition ground forces, say defense officials and military experts.
Insurgents "have a pretty good idea of how long it takes for close-air support to arrive," Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said. "We've seen some indications that they will fight for as long as they believe they have until close-air support will likely arrive on the scene."
Military records show U.S. aircraft conducted a record number of aerial raids over Afghanistan in 2008 but dropped fewer bombs and missiles than they did in 2007.
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My Comment: Like Iraq, the Taliban will quickly learn that using human shields will only make the locals plot against you.
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