Kabul town's by Kabul River - Blow the bugle, draw the sword
Some people of the nostalgic imperial persuasion consider Kipling the greatest poet of the imperial age. He could certainly make vivid word pictures occasionally, but this writer is no expert on nostalgia or poetry.
Confusing statements about the attack priorities of Kabul and Mazar-i-Sharif are probably intended to keep the Taliban guessing. Disinformation is a weapon of war.
As people of a small country we cannot be easy about the daily bombing reports and pictures of the "rubbelised", unrecognisable ruins which were once . . . what? So any pause in the bombing or change of tactics is a relief.
The slow, inexorable American pressure on the Taliban went up a notch over the weekend with two ground raids - one by US Rangers and the other by Delta Force troops. The first may have been a diversion for the second, on a compound belonging to Mullah Omar, the Taliban leader.
There was a command and control centre there also. The mission was to gather intelligence, especially maps, computer discs, operations orders, names and locations, frequency lists, etc.
The basic "building block" of the Delta Force troops is a 14-man team called "Operational Detachment Alpha", which can be split into two matched detachments. Much training has been invested in these teams. Their capabilities include engineering, medical skills, languages and communications.
Whatever about the intelligence gathered, these raids must be unnerving for the Taliban. The special troops will be capable of sustained raiding. Afghanistan is nearly the size of Texas. Speed is a partial answer. The ability to concentrate swiftly against airborne raids is vital. The raiders cannot bring heavy weapons such as tanks and artillery at this stage. If hit quickly, and their extraction point covered quickly the raiding troops may be hampered and their extracting helicopters threatened.
However, concentrating Taliban will be under sustained air attack, as will their firing positions. Night movement will only partially protect them - strike aircraft will be able to find and hit them in the dark. Maintenance is not a Taliban forte - working vehicles may be scarce. The atrocious roads will slow movement.
The Taliban capability to concentrate quickly and then fight highly trained and air-supported special troops has yet to be seen. It will need men and vehicles on 24-hour standby.
There is some irony in the fact that the US forces, when faced with conditions which preclude conventional warfare, have immediately adopted forms of guerrilla war. They admit surprise at Taliban fighting morale.
Money may be bin Laden's greatest danger. Rewards for information are high.
The British had a smooth system. Political officers identified the "purchasable" people and disbursed the money.
Sometimes it was used to stir up tribal jealousies for "divide and rule".