Ousted former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani (L) salutes as he inspects a training camp of the Northern Alliance, near Dashti Kola, in Afghanistan, October 20, 2001. Under blistering US attack from the skies, the ruling Taliban said on Saturday it had made gains  on the ground by repulsing the first American commando raid near their southern stronghold of Kandahar. —REUTERS