Forces 'close in like snake on Taliban stronghold'

Various Afghan forces were slowly closing in on the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar and US troops could ‘‘potentially’’ play a role, a US Marine officer said at a desert base in Afghanistan today.

‘‘You have a lot of forces at play,’’ said Major James ‘‘Beau’’ Higgins, an intelligence officer with the US task force.

‘‘The opposition groups coming from the north down, the southeast up and us potentially coming from where we are.’’

The forward base that Marines have set up since seizing the sand airfield a week ago is within striking distance of Kandahar, the last major city in Taliban hands.

Reports from Washington have said the base is about 70 miles southwest of Kandahar.

Higgins said the Taliban were facing ‘‘a lot of pressure, a kind of snake closing in on them. Hopefully we can get them out of there in the pretty near future’’.

He said it was impossible to say when.

‘‘About a week ago - I lost a lot of beers on this - I thought Kandahar would fall in about a week. obviously it hasn’t,’’ Higgins said. ‘‘Things have kind of slowed down. The Taliban folks are still in control.’’

A military source said the Taliban were known to be moving forces and weapons to Kandahar from Lashkargah, a town 80 miles west of the city.

Captain Stewart Upton, spokesman for the Marine task force in Afghanistan, declined to say what role US forces would play in an assault on Kandahar or give any idea of their mission plans.

A mile-and-a-half column of US military vehicles, including light armour, left the base on Saturday in a plume of dust. Its mission was not disclosed.

Today Higgins, 34, of New Orleans, held an improvised Catholic mass on the airfield as a layman.

A Protestant service followed, led by a US Navy chaplain. The pulpit consisted of stacks of neatly cut lumber topped by the green lid of a military supply box.

The Marines confirmed for the first time that several non-American liaison officers were at the base, whose buildings and runway were built by a private individual.

‘‘There are British. There are Germans. There are Australians and there are more to come,’’ Upton said.

‘‘The British have been here since the beginning,’’ he added. ‘‘They have been very valuable.’’

The presence of the liaison officers and the fact that more allies were expected could mark the start of a shift toward a broader coalition.

The campaign so far has been overwhelmingly American, although British warplanes have taken part in the airstrikes and about 100 Royal Marines have secured air base north of Kabul, the Afghan capital.

Marine spokesman Capt David Romley said helicopters from ships in the Arabian Sea have been arriving at the base to beef up the task force’s air power.

He said the helicopters included the potent AH-1W Super Cobra gunships, as well as UH-1N Huey, CH46E Seanite and CH-53E Super Stallions helicopters.

One of the helicopter pilots was blunt when asked about the challenges of this operation.

‘‘Dust. Our biggest problem is dust,’’ said Capt Nevin Marr, 28, of Denison, Texas, who flies a Super Stallion.

When a helicopter lands, clouds of dust churn up and envelop the aircraft, making it impossible for the pilot to see the ground. Marr calls it ‘‘brown-out’’.

The US flags that flew from every point at this base in the first days have now been removed.

Romley said the flags were raised as a symbol of a successful mission and have been taken down to avoid the impression that the United States intends to stay as an occupation force.