Thousands of times last year long after night fell over Afghanistan, U.S. and Afghan troops stormed houses in hot pursuit of the Taliban and al Qaeda. Yet, despite a staggering success rate, rarely did they fire a single shot.
[See a collection of political cartoons on Afghanistan.]
Pentagon officials and top military analysts say night raids are crucial to their efforts to dismantle and defeat the Taliban and the terrorist group. U.S. officials are scurrying to keep the nighttime hours in the commanders' toolkit. They are in high-level talks with Afghan leaders, who believe the raids trample on Muslim culture and traditions--and Afghan sovereignty.
For Washington, an Afghan government ban would be "a very clear red line," says John Nagl, a former Army officer who served in the Iraq war, meaning a reason to end the decade-long war. Read more here.
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