Front Lines: Northern Alliance says troops capture new towns

SUMMARY:

The opposition Northern Alliance claimed significant victories Sunday in northern and central Afghanistan, saying it had encircled Taliban forces in the northeast town of Konduz and captured the city of Taloqan. These advances could not be independently confirmed. (Full story)

UPDATE:

Northern Alliance Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah said opposition forces in the northeast were "slowly, gradually" moving toward the city of Konduz, the last major Taliban stronghold in the region. "Hopefully, we will manage Konduz tonight or tomorrow," he said. "They are fully encircled. They have no escape." (Full story)

The U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan has created friction between members of the al Qaeda terrorist network and leaders of the ruling Taliban, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Sunday. "It appears that there is at least some reason to believe that there is a difference of view, competition, between [Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed] Omar and his immediate lieutenants and Osama bin Laden and his lieutenants," Rumsfeld told CBS. (Full story)

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said Sunday that he is "not at all worried" that he or his government may be in danger because of his support for the U.S.-led campaign against terrorism, which has triggered sometimes violent protests in his homeland. (Full story)

A delegation of international aid officials will meet this weekend to begin planning overland delivery of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, the State Department said. (Full story)

The rapid Northern Alliance advances reported Sunday are encouraging for the U.S. effort in Afghanistan, but CNN military analyst Don Shepperd says they could also leave the opposition forces vulnerable to a counterattack by the ruling Taliban. (Full story)

VIDEO

Refugees in Pakistan are allowed to receive an education, something strictly forbidden by the Taliban. CNN's Rebecca MacKinnon reports (November 8) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)

Overrun by casualties and lacking in equipment, Afghan medical facilities are getting stretched to their limits. CNN's Nic Robertson reports (November 8) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)



		• Summary • Update • Key questions • Who's who • Impact



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RESOURCES

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KEY QUESTIONS:

What kind of government will replace the Taliban if the religious group is removed as the country's government? (Click here for more)

Where are the Taliban positioning troops and equipment in civilian areas? Does this factor into where the U.S. decides to strike? (Click here for more)

What effect will the support and opposition within Pakistan of the U.S.-led military strikes have on the war against terrorism?

When will the Northern Alliance, the anti-Taliban group that controls up to 10 percent of Afghanistan, begin a ground offensive to take the capital of Kabul? Are they making any progress? (Click here for more.)

What is life like in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, with increasingly intense U.S. airstrikes overhead? (Click here for more.)

How long will the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan last? (Click here for more.)

What is the goal of the U.S. airstrikes over Afghanistan? What is the key to the mission's success? (Click here for more.)

What is the White House doing to prevent al Qaeda from airing what it calls "propaganda" on U.S. media outlets? (Click here for more.)

Who are the key players in the political landscape of Afghanistan, and how could U.S. military intervention affect the balance of power there? (Click here for more.)

WHO'S WHO:

George W. Bush: U.S. president (Click here for more.)

Osama bin Laden: A wealthy Saudi expatriate living in Afghanistan who U.S. authorities cite as one of the primary suspects in masterminding the attacks. (Click here for more.)

Condoleezza Rice: U.S. national security adviser. (Click here for more.)

Colin Powell: U.S. secretary of state. A former Army general, Powell also served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Click here for more. (Click here for more.)

Gen. Richard B. Myers: Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff. (Click here for more.)

Gen. Tommy Franks: Head of U.S. Central Command. (Click here for more.)

Donald Rumsfeld: U.S. secretary of defense. (Click here for more.)

George Tenet: CIA director. (Click here for more.)

Northern Alliance: A group of former mujahedeen fighters, mainly from minority ethnic groups that oppose the Taliban. The group controls about five percent of northern Afghanistan.

George Robertson: Secretary-General of NATO (and former British defense minister) (Click here for more.)

IMPACT:

The military attacks that began October 7 mark the start of what the Bush administration says will be a lengthy struggle against terrorist organizations worldwide -- one that could take years.