Posted on 03/06/2007 7:30:11 PM PST by do the dhue
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, March 6 -- NATO and Afghan forces on Tuesday launched what commanders described as a major operation in a key province of southern Afghanistan, part of a bid to win back territory that has become a haven for insurgents.
The operation, the international force's largest to date in the country, was centered in the northern part of Helmand province, where Afghan government authorities have little control and insurgents move with relative impunity. The province's governor said Tuesday that 700 al-Qaeda fighters had moved into the region, and were believed to be planning more of the suicide bombings and other attacks that have besieged Afghanistan for the past year and a half.
Both sides have said this is likely to be a bloody spring, and Tuesday's operation seemed to mark a significant escalation. NATO forces said that they began the operation at 5 a.m. and that it would ultimately involve 4,500 NATO troops from several nations, including the United States, Britain, Canada and the Netherlands, plus 1,000 Afghan soldiers.
More than 1,000 U.S. troops from the 82nd Airborne Division were part of the offensive, which was dubbed Operation Achilles. The United States has 27,000 troops in Afghanistan, 15,000 of whom are under NATO command.
The U.S. airborne unit had only recently moved into southern Afghanistan, and was able to slip into position in Helmand beginning Monday evening and continuing overnight, according to Col. Tom Collins, a spokesman for NATO forces. "We think we have achieved some tactical surprise by moving into the area in the way that we did," Collins said.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Hmmm. Prayers for them all. And is one of them Dr. Laura's recently deployed paratrooper son?
BUMP!
If I were him, it would be just fine if the world believed I was dead.
If I were him, it would be just fine if the world believed I was dead.
That is a good point.
I think if he could show his people that he has dodged America, they can too and this might encourage them.
Of course, he is probably yeller and only wants other people to die for Jihad.
Get out the hanging ropes.
http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/index.php?menuID=2&subID=942&WT.srch=1
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Interesting that this comes up now,,,mmmmmmm...;0)
Yep,,,that's the point,,,LOL,,,Why now again ??
Too Close to somebody ??...;0)
OOsama is supposed to be up north Wazoostan(sp),,
Kyber Pass area,,,We went 17mi. over the border the other day on a raid,,,high value target...they all pissed off,,,
As usual we get combat support from the Brits, Canadians, and the Dutch, but no one else in NATO is willing to help.
What a strange name for the operation - Operation Achilles. Makes it sound unlucky. Achilles was brought down by his one fault.
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Hopefully, we are talking about the terrorist's Achilles.
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