Page 22 - Tom Aspell News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Canals. they report their troops have discovered several -- away from the combat area, three american servicemen were reported killed when a roadside bomb struck their vehicle. >> with regard to this particular strategy and this military push, no kuz yulties is excellent, but they have other ways of measuring success. have they gotten that word out? >> they have. this is a four-phase battle. phase one is to shape the battlefield. phase two, which we're seeing now is to attack and clear the battlefield. phase three is to hold it and phase four is is to rebuild the infrastructure of the area and...

Leaving the battlefield rather than engage the superior forces, backed up with air power, helicopters, fast jets and overhead surveillance drones, so i think the taliban saw the writing on the wall there. but let's not forget that this is a four-phase operation. phase one is to shake the battlefield. phase two, to attack and clear it, phase three to hold it and phase four perhaps the most important to win the hearts and minds of civilians in the area, to make sure the taliban can't come back by rebuilding the infrastructure of that area. alex? >> tom aspell in london, thank you. former presi...

Enemy lines. the coordinated effort with afghan forces is to latest attempt to break the taliban's grip on a key area in the southern region. joining us now, tom aspell in london. >> good morning. there are 15,000 american, british, canadian and afghan troops taking part in the operation to drive the taliban out of majah. now resistance from the taliban is reported to be light although they have mine, roads and bridges on the outskirts of town. this is the first major combat operation since president obama ordered an extra 30,000 reenforcements to turn the tide against the taliban. more than 1...

The latest attempt to break the taliban's grip on a key area of the southern region, and we're also getting word from the associated press right now, two nato troops have been killed in this coalition offensive there in southern afghanistan. up until now we've had no reports of deaths related to this particular military offensive. joining us right now, nbc's tom aspell in london. good morning to you and the sobering report the two nato troops, what is the latest there in terms of gauging the success of this operation? >> well, alex, there are 15,000 american british, canadian and afghan troo...

Calculate. whether they would take that overt step and tear up the treaty is a calculation they would have to make. but certainly the haerts -- in their hearts heart, they don't want that peace treaty. >> richard engel, thank you very much. per if he can spif from the streets. and the first charter flight out of cairo has arrived in athens with about 177 evacuees on board. >> in our hotel which is well guarded, we heard all the gunfire and it was very terrifying. >> there was essential. we were concerned. but we did not didn't fear for our lives. the firing was in t he air. >> over the next tw...