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Allied fighters in for the long haul, U.S. says

SUMMARY:

As Operation Anaconda neared the one-week mark, a U.S. Army spokesman said Thursday the U.S.-led coalition has no timetable for the battle against al Qaeda and Taliban fighters in eastern Afghanistan.

"It'll go as long as the Taliban don't surrender, or until they're all dead," said Maj. Bryan Hilferty.

Some 2,000 U.S., allied and Afghan fighters are taking part in the operation, which began late Friday. Hilferty said 11 allied service members, including eight from the United States, have been killed and about 70 have been wounded. Allied forces have killed an estimated 450 al Qaeda and Taliban fighters. (Full story)

In the Afghan capital, Kabul, five peacekeepers serving with the International Security Assistance Force were killed Wednesday in an accident during an operation to defuse anti-aircraft missiles. (Full story)

Summary Update Key questions Who's who  CNN.COM SPECIAL REPORT  CNN NewsPass Video  Agencies reportedly got hijack tips in 1998  MORE STORIES Intelligence intercept led to Buffalo suspects Report cites warnings before 9/11  EXTRA INFORMATION Timeline: Who Knew What and When? Interactive: Terror Investigation Terror Warnings System Most wanted terrorists What looks suspicious? In-Depth: America Remembers In-Depth: Terror on Tape In-Depth: How prepared is your city?  RESOURCES On the Scene: Barbara Starr: Al Qaeda hunt expands? On the Scene: Peter Bergen: Getting al Qaeda to talk

UPDATE:

CNN has learned that a color-coded threat warning system the Office of Homeland Security expects to unveil shortly will be geographically specific when possible, meaning only states or cities affected would be put on a higher state of alert. (Full story)

U.S. military officials in charge of Afghan war detainees in Cuba say a hunger strike that began last week has virtually ended. The protest began after guards burst into a prisoner's cell following his refusal to remove a homemade turban during prayers. (Full story)

Police in the Philippines are holding three men they suspect are part of an al Qaeda sleeper cell, intelligence sources said Thursday. According to top-secret documents obtained by CNN, the men -- two Palestinians and a Jordanian -- were connected to a 1995 terrorist cell busted in Manila. The group was linked to Osama bin Laden's brother-in-law, Mohammed Jamal Khalifa, and Ramzi Yousef, who masterminded the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center. (Full story)

The first new pictures of a U.S. missionary couple being held hostage by rebels in the Philippines surfaced Thursday after several months. The video obtained by Reuters news service shows Martin and Gracia Burnham apparently in good health, flanked by hooded, heavily armed rebels, and reading a statement from their captors. (Full story)

Top U.S. military officials said Wednesday that details were sketchy on the death of a Navy SEAL who fell from a helicopter Monday in Afghanistan and was apparently dragged away and executed by al Qaeda fighters. (Full story)

Officials in New York said Wednesday that the cleanup efforts at the site of the World Trade Center -- known as Ground Zero -- were going much faster than expected. Mayor Michael Bloomberg said 83 percent of the debris has been removed, and the cleanup -- predicted to take more than a year -- will be finished "roughly" by May. (Full story)

KEY QUESTIONS:

Do al Qaeda and Taliban fighters remain a significant force in Afghanistan?

Will the United States need to send more troops into eastern Afghanistan?

How long will the Afghan war detainees be held at Guantanamo Bay?

WHO'S WHO:

Osama bin Laden: Saudi Arabian-born leader of the al Qaeda terrorist network who is accused of masterminding the September 11 strikes on the United States.

George W. Bush: U.S. president