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Cheney hints at additional U.S. ground operations

From John King
CNN Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Hinting at additional ground operations in Afghanistan, Vice President Dick Cheney said Thursday night that the air campaign had "cleared the way" for additional operations and that al Qaeda and Taliban forces and facilities "can expect to see and hear more from the American military."

One senior official described a developing strategy to "shrink the circle" or territory where it was possible for Osama bin Laden to hide.

In a speech to Republican governors, Cheney also spoke of what he called "the new normalcy" -- long-term, permanent new security measures and precautions because he said "the enemy has shown a capacity to inflict great damage on the United States and the only safe way to proceed is to assume there will be more attacks. In this conflict, for the first time in our history, we will probably suffer more casualties here at home than will our troops overseas."

Cheney said "on the military front of this war, we've entered a new stage." He said the air campaign had destroyed military training facilities, airfields, air defenses, ammunition storage depots, command and control facilities and terrorist camps throughout Afghanistan. "What comes next the Taliban and al Qaeda terrorists will discover only when it is upon them, but I can tell you that they can expect to see and hear more from the American military."

British commandos are prepared to launch operations in Afghanistan in conjunction with the United States.

And a senior US official said a major goal of recent U.S. operations has been to "shrink the circle where he (bin Laden) can find and take refuge." The official went on to say, "I wouldn't say we have the circle just right yet, but we think we are making progress. No one thinks this is going to be easy. But the smaller the circle the smaller the area we have to keep the tightest watch on."

This official and a second senior official voiced frustration with recent accounts suggesting the military campaign was losing steam or failing to accomplish its objectives.

"We have said from the beginning this would be difficult and different. Some people appear to be having a hard time processing that," the second official said.