Special forces to target bin Laden's strongholds

President Bush hinted yesterday that covert special forces will play a lead fighting role against the Afghan regime as the first scant details emerged of the closely-guarded United States war plans.

With the war expected to be the first waged mainly by small elite forces, President Bush told Congress that some operations may remain "secret even in success".

Pentagon officials have indicated its war plan involves a mix of special forces, which numbers more than 30,000 troops, and air power during an extended military campaign.

The special forces are expected to target the strongholds of Osama bin Laden during a series of fast strike operations from a couple of bases in and around Afghanistan. They would then pull out to allow air strikes against Mr bin Laden's troops if the Afghans are forced into less well-defended areas.

Pentagon officials have also hinted at military action in countries other than Afghanistan. In his speech, Mr Bush mentioned links between Mr bin Laden's organisation to groups such as Egyptian Islamic Jihad and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.

The plan for rapid strikes comes after Soviet forces failed in Afghanistan during the 1980s. The Soviets tried to exert control by spreading troops across the country, but became easy targets for the mujahedin.

"If there are any ambushes to take place, it's going to be the Americans doing the ambushing, not the Americans being ambushed" said John Pike, the director of the US defence and intelligence policy organisation Globalsecurity.org.

During the Soviet invasion, Afghan forces also had the advantage of support from other countries, including Pakistan, where the mujahedin returned to camps for training and rest.

But Mr bin Laden is now, in effect, isolated and the special forces, likely to dominate any Allied operation, could outnumber his guerrillas by up to 20 to one, analysts say.

The forces will include the elite Rangers regiment, the navy commando Seals and possibly its Delta Force, the specialist counter-hijacking and hostage rescue team. Britain's SAS could also be involved.

Mr Pike said: "It's basically going to turn Afghanistan into a hunting park. Despite all the reasons why the situation is much more favourable, one has to accept the very real possibility that you are going to have a lot of dead Americans and not many dead Jihadis."

In the nearest comparison to the current situation, special forces were widely used in counter-guerrilla operations during the Vietnam War where the threat ranged from small Vietcong units of six men to whole regiments.

However, in Afghanistan, the whole focus of a US war effort would be to counter the threat from small units drawn from a few thousand men.