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Article: Air power seen as pivotal factor in Afghan conflict.(The Dallas Morning News)
- Article from:
- Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service
- Article date:
- November 7, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The outcome appeared certain.
Fractious and poorly armed Afghans opposed a world superpower that could field overwhelming air strength, state-of-the-art technology, and elite commandos.
But after nearly a decade of frustration and failure, the former Soviet Union withdrew from Afghanistan. A painful lesson in unconventional warfare cost the lives of roughly 15,000 Soviet soldiers and littered the Afghan countryside with the charred wreckage of downed helicopters and airplanes.
Now it's the United States' turn to face off against Afghan troops as it fights an unprecedented war against terrorism. Once again, a superpower confronts a guerrilla ...