Taliban gaining in firepower and confidence in Afghanistan

Kabul, Oct.6 (ANI): As U.S. military forces continues to fight in Afghanistan, an in-depth look at the covert operations of the Taliban, suggests that they are continuing to gain in firepower and confidence.

According to a CBS News team that was in Afghanistan recently, they recalled one incident where the Taliban captured a vehicle with an Afghan policeman inside.

Taliban fighters swarmed his police car, and then drove it straight into the local town, parading their victory - masters in the art of propaganda.

Their commander, Amir Hamza, boasted that they've seized many hostages from the main road.

"I can show you if you want," he added casually.

And show us they did. One captured policeman's hand was shaking with fear as he was forced to hold up his ID card, the U.S. flag clearly visible. We don't know what happened to him but the Taliban have executed many policemen.

According to the CBS team, one main highway is fertile ground for their attacks. Supply convoys don't make it through. Seven fuel trucks torched - a massive blaze - and another show of Taliban force.

These days not even the Afghan capital is safe. Taliban fighters are able to blend easily with the local population here, moving in and out of Kabul at will. They're able to carry out spectacular al Qaeda-style attacks with sophisticated military backing that many here believe comes from Pakistan.

Commander Hamza told us his Taliban had only a few small guns when they started to fight back against the U.S.

"Now we control the main road, close enough to see the American base," Hamza said.

Hamza is part of what's known here as "old Taliban," one of those who grew up during the Russian occupation in the 1980's, when the U.S. was arming Afghanistan's holy warriors to defeat the Soviets.

The fight against the Taliban has become inseparable from the war against al Qaeda.

The momentum now is on the side of the insurgents and terrorists. They're watching anti-war feeling in the U.S. grow and they smell victory. (ANI)