WASHINGTON, Oct 21: After two weeks of air attacks, the US military won a first victory by destabilizing Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban forces, but remains a long way from the goals of capturing terror suspect Osama bin Laden and smashing his al-Qaeda network.

Faced with an unpredictable and shrewd enemy, US President George W. Bush and the Pentagon planners have opted for a military strategy based on a cross between police-type operations and traditional warfare in a country notorious for its hostile terrain.

Rather than launch an massive invasion as the Soviet troops did, Washington opted for a largely unprecedented type of campaign, which started in a classic manner but remains limited and covert.

Two weeks of relentless bombing appear to have fulfilled the initial aim of achieving control of Afghan skies. The air operations seriously damaged the military capability of the Taliban militia.

With about 100 sorties a day and more than 2,000 bombs dropped on command centres, anti-aircraft installations, airfields and other strategic installations, as well as ground troops, the US forces have crippled the Taliban’s military capability, according to the Pentagon.

“The combat power of the Taliban has been eviscerated,” Lieutenant General Gregory Newbold, director of operations of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff said recently.

“We bombed all that could be bombed,” said Bill Taylor, former colonel of the US Army, military expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

“But is there any objective sign that we have made some progress towards the objectives: get Osama bin Laden and break down Al-Qaeda? I don’t think so,” he said.

Nevertheless, the spectacular parachuting of elite troops in hit-and-run raids over the weekend demonstrated the determination of US generals to seek the enemy wherever he is, even if this entails US losses.

For several days, the Pentagon underlined the use of ground forces would be unavoidable.

“Aircraft can’t crawl on the ground and find people,” Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said recently.

The response was adapted to the threat and the terrain: no massive deployment of troops, but targeted commando operations to find the enemy.

That second phase of operations could be more delicate, more deadly and uncertain, as winter is about to set in.

“In any case, air strikes should be pretty much over by mid-November and the beginning of Ramazan, on the 17th, but I don’t see any problems with special forces carrying on their operations, especially by all-weather commandos,” said Taylor.

Up to now the campaign has been “nearly faultless,” said a Washington-based European diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The first two objectives — the destruction of the Taliban’s anti-aircraft defences and military infrastructure were reached, the diplomat noted.

However to capture bin Laden and the al-Qaeda leaders, “it will take time as well as good intelligence.” The goal can be met, especially if there are defections among Taliban members, the diplomat said.

$500M PROMISED: The official Iranian news agency IRNA said on Sunday the United States has offered a large aid package to the anti-Taliban forces of Afghanistan.