The top U-S general says the war against Afghanistan's ruling Taleban is going according to plan, and that the number of U-S troops on the ground has increased.
In a television interview (NBC), the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Richard Myers, said U-S and anti-Taleban forces retain the initiative.
General Myers said more U-S special operations teams have entered Afghanistan to work with opposition leaders, but he did not give any details.
The general also said the U-S military will continue to fight through the harsh Afghan winter. He said the United States will re-supply the opposition Northern Alliance and he predicted anti-Taleban forces will be better prepared for the winter than the Taleban.
Meanwhile, U-S jets continued to pound Taleban front lines near the key northern town of Mazar-e Sharif Sunday, as U-S forces began a fifth week of air-strikes against Taleban and suspected terrorist targets. The Northern Alliance says its forces are advancing toward the strategic city, but Taleban officials insist their fighters have stopped the offensive.