U-S Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says U-S forces are doing everything possible to get suspected terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden, who is hiding in Afghanistan under the protection of the country's Taleban rulers.
Mr. Rumsfeld said Washington is also going after other leaders of Mr. bin Laden's al-Qaida network and the Taleban, whom he described as determined.
At the Pentagon today (Thursday), the defense secretary showed reporters video tapes of U-S air strikes against military targets in Afghanistan.
U-S warplanes have been attacking Taleban positions along the front line, north of the capital, Kabul. They also carried out another series of intense bombing raids in the area of the southern Afghan city of Kandahar -- the headquarters of the Taleban.
U-S Joint Chiefs of Staff Richard Myers disputed Taleban claims that hundreds of people have died as a result of the bombing. He said U-S planes are trying to avoid harming civilians, and the U-S military campaign will go forward.
The Taleban has expelled most foreign journalists from Afghanistan, making it difficult for the outside world to examine and confirm casualty claims.
U-S forces have dropped leaflets and more than 800-thousand food packets inside the country since they launched their bombing campaign on October seventh.