Word: softener
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...Afghanistan, Thursday, heralding an approaching moment of truth for the opposition Northern Alliance. The heavy bombers, not used since the first days of bombing, have joined an American air armada pounding frontlines north of Kabul and all around Mazar-i-Sharif, as part of a U.S. effort to soften Taliban defenses for a ground offensive by the Alliance on both fronts. The bombing may continue for days yet, but when it ends, it will be up to the anti-Taliban armies of the north to go in and recapture territory from a battle-hardened enemy for whom surrender...
...they remain stuck in their trenches, waiting impatiently for the U.S. to heavily bomb the front-line Taliban assets--tanks, artillery and troop positions--that stand between the alliance and Kabul. Without U.S. air strikes to soften Taliban positions, the estimated 5,000 alliance troops north of the capital may not be strong enough to break through. "They're simply not ready for any big ground attack," notes a Western analyst who has made extensive visits to the front in the past two weeks. But the attack could come just the same...
...they remain stuck in their trenches, waiting impatiently for the U.S. to heavily bomb the front-line Taliban assets?tanks, artillery and troop positions?that stand between the alliance and Kabul. Without U.S. air strikes to soften Taliban positions, the estimated 5,000 alliance troops north of the capital may not be strong enough to break through. "They're simply not ready for any big ground attack," notes a Western analyst who has made extensive visits to the front in the past two weeks. But the attack could come just the same...
...says it will need to ship in 372,000 tons over the course of the winter. But since the middle of September, foreign aid workers have been forced out of the country, and supervising the distribution of food aid is becoming more difficult. The Bush Administration is anxious to soften any military attack on Afghanistan with humanitarian aid to civilians?there are even plans to air-drop food supplies to people who cannot be reached by road...
...Bombing attacks may be used to "soften up" a target area before U.S. forces move in. Among the favored techniques: parachuting soldiers in, an approach that allows for more operational flexibility and safety...