LWJ: Assault on Taliban stronghold of Marja begins

Long War Journal ^ | February 13, 2010 11:00 AM | Bill Roggio

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

An Afghan soldier fires a rocket-propelled grenade at Taliban fighers firing on their position at the “Five Points” intersection in Marja in Afghanistan's Helmand province, Feb. 9, 2010. Afghan soldiers joined US Marines assigned to Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, as they conducted an assault earlier that morning to seize the key intersection linking the northern area of the insurgent stronghold of Marja with the rest of Helmand province. US Marine Corps photo by Sergeant Brian A. Tuthill.

Coalition and Afghan forces have launched the long-awaited assault on the Taliban stronghold of Marja in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province.

More than 6,000 US Marines, Afghan soldier, and British troops kicked off the operation during an air and ground assault in and around the city of Marja in central Helmand province after midnight yesterday. Hundreds of troops were inserted into Marja by helicopter to seize key points within the city.

Coalition aircraft conducted airstrikes on suspected Taliban and al Qaeda positions on the outskirts of the town as the operation began. The Afghan government and the Coalition have assembled more than 15,000 troops to take on the Taliban in Marja (see list below).

Five Taliban fighters were reported killing in the initial attack. No Coalition or Afghan casualties have been reported during the opening phase.

US intelligence believes Marja and the outlying areas have been heavily mined with improvised explosive devices. Coalition forces have deployed specialized mine-clearing vehicles and mine-resistance armored vehicles to move forces into the city. Troops are moving in on foot or via helicopters to avoid the dangerous traps.

While the forces assaulted inside Marja, other troops established blocking positions to the north, south, and west in an attempt to fix and kill any Taliban fighters fleeing the fight. The Taliban may seek to take shelter in the district of Washer, to the west of Marja, and neighboring Farah and Nimroz provinces, where Afghan and Coalition forces are thin, US military and intelligence officials told The Long War Journal.

Preparation for the Marja offensive, which is called Operation Mushtarak, or "Together," has been underway for months.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

This is an Excerpt...see Source for more.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

From :

Operation Moshtarak

ISAF Joint Command

Courtesy Story

Date: 02.12.2010
Posted: 02.12.2010 11:11

KABUL, Afghanistan -

The operation

Operation Moshtarak is an Afghan-led initiative to assert government authority in the centre of Helmand province. Afghan and ISAF partners are engaging in this counter-insurgency operation at the request of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Helmand provincial government.

Moshtarak is a Dari word for "together". The security forces that make up the combined force are serving side-by-side, representing partnership in strength.

Insurgents who do not accept the government's offer to reintegrate and join the political process will be met with overwhelming force. However, the strongest of measures will be taken to protect the civilian population.

Military operations in central Helmand will be followed by the swift establishment of an Afghan government presence in cleared areas. This will be supported by stabilization activity led by the Helmand Provincial Reconstruction Team.

The participants

A combined force of 15,000 is involved in Operation Moshtarak. This combined force includes:

Approximately five brigades of Afghan forces, including members of the Afghan National Army, Afghan National Police, Afghan Border Police and Afghan Gendarmerie (formerly Afghan National Civil Order Police).

ISAF Regional Command (South) elements, with forces drawn from the United States, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Estonia and Canada. These elements include:

1st Battalion, 3rd Marines (US)
1st Battalion, 6th Marines (US)
3rd Battalion, 6th Marines (US)
4th Battalion, 23rd IN Stryker (US)
Combat Engineer Battalion (US)
Light Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment (US)
1 Coldstream Guards Battle Group (UK)
1 Grenadier Guards Battle Group (UK)
1 Royal Welsh Battle Group (UK)
Helmand Provincial Reconstruction Team (UK)
Operational Mentor and Liaison Team (UK)
Task Force Pegasus
Task Force Kandahar

[amom]

Interesting write up at this link. http://coloradopols.com/diary/11567/operation-mushtarak-has-begun-in-afghanistan

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

IJC Operational Update, Feb. 13

ISAF Joint Command

Courtesy Story

Date: 02.13.2010
Posted: 02.13.2010 02:08

KABUL, Afghanistan – An Afghan-international joint force searched a building west of Kandahar City, in the Arghandab district after intelligence information indicated militant activity. During the search the security force captured a Taliban sub-commander, an IED and high explosives expert and another suspected insurgent.

In Khowst last night, a joint security force searched on a compound outside of the town of Zambar, in the Sabari district after intelligence information confirmed militant activity. During the search the joint force captured a Haqqani commander accused of arranging the movement of supplies and weapons to insurgent networks and coordinating attacks on coalition and Afghan troops. The combined force also detained several other insurgents and recovered grenades.

In Nimroz last night, an Afghan-international security force searched a compound in a rural area in the Kah Rod district after intelligence information confirmed militant activity and detained several insurgents. The joint force also found an automatic rifle, grenades and dozens of rocket propelled grenade fuses.

In operations yesterday, an Afghan civilian led an ISAF team to an explosives cache in the Shindand district of Herat province. The cache contained a rocket and 14 artillery projectiles. The cache will be destroyed by an explosive ordnance disposal team.

An ISAF patrol in Kandahar found a cache containing 50 kg of heroin yesterday. The cache was turned over to Afghan authorities.

No shots were fired and no Afghan civilians were harmed during these operations.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks for adding that,...very good overview of prior operations and this one.

*********************************The closing EXCERPTED*******************************

4) The long, long lead-up to the attack. This had two main objectives:

*get as many civilians to leave the city as possible, including any $10 Taliban that decided that the pay was not worth the risk anymore, and
*play into the cultural mores of extended negotiation.

Using the word "Arab" in this context is misguided, but a part of Arabic Culture is negotiation. (I'd call it haggling, but whatever.) The lead-up to this operation had to have lots of time built into it for extended negotiations with tribal elders, city leaders, Taliban leaders, and other interested parties (drug lords.) The terms were set, threats were made, deals were cut, and after the Taliban are driven/retreat/bled in from Marjah, things will probably come back to normal pretty quickly in the city.

I have no doubt that there's going to be some gruesome casualties from this operation - mostly by the Taliban, and probably more than a few civilians.

But the Taliban could not back down from this fight, having repeatedly postured that this was the town they would defend to the death, so they'll suffer a a very public defeat at the hands of the coalition.

THAT might be more valuable than the actual military victory.  

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

From link at bootom of the article....see link post #3:

Q+A-NATO 'Operation Mushtarak' in Afghanistan's Helmand

************************EXCERPTS*****************************

12 Feb 2010 20:53:56 GMT

Source: Reuters

(For more on Afghanistan, click [ID:nAFPAK])

By C. Bryson Hull

KABUL, Feb 13 (Reuters) - A U.S.-led NATO force of thousands of troops began a long-awaited assault on the last big Taliban stronghold in Afghanistan's violent Helmand province on Saturday.

Here are some questions and answers about what has been billed as one of the largest offensives in eight years of war:

The assault is the first since U.S. President Barack Obama announced a "surge" of 30,000 troops to pacify Afghanistan, in anticipation of a troop withdrawal in 2011 as Afghan forces take over.

*********************** snip*******************************

WHO IS TAKING PART?

**********************snip************************

HOW MANY TALIBAN FIGHTERS ARE THERE?

*********************snip*********************

WHY HAS NATO NOT KEPT THE OPERATION SECRET?

The assault has been flagged for months to persuade militants to leave the area without digging in for a fight that could lead to their mass destruction, on the scale seen in Iraq's Fallujah in 2004 [ID:nSGE61A0AK]. NATO is also keen to avoid civilian casualties and has advised civilians not to leave their homes. Some have fled, but many have stayed.

WHAT ARE THE DANGERS?

Before the battle, U.S. commanders said they expected troops to face one of the largest-ever concentrations of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and other booby traps as they advance. [ID:nSGE61A0KE] The wider risk would be a prolonged fight or one that causes major civilian casualties or damage. That would undermine the important goal of putting Afghan forces back in charge, because it would give residents a reason to distrust or despise the U.S.-backed government. (For more Reuters coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan, see: http://www.reuters.com/news/globalcoverage/afghanistanpakistan) (Editing by Michael Georgy and Tim Pearce)

[Marine_Uncle]

Good posts. Looks like based on the second article all the western provinces are being shaken down a bit. I would surmise the Taliban did not expect any force this large to go against them in coordinated attacks during the cold of winter. They may end up so disrupted they will not be able to pull off any effective spring movement. Of course I have been known to be wrong before in predictions.

[Sarajevo]

As much as this operation has been advertised over the past few days, it would be a wonder if anything more than a detachment left in contact will be in the target area.

[Marine_Uncle]

It sure looks like this operation is going to go along the lines of some of the bigger battles that took place in al-Anbar and within Sadr City. The Taliban and al-Qaeda forces will not be given any breathing room. Forced into their bunkers, wired buildings and tunnels, they will all die.

[amom]

Thanks for that link.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

As much as this operation has been advertised over the past few days,

I have been bothered by that.....BUT

The Totality of the articles

pretty well explains what they are doing....

But many following all of this are really bothered by how this is being DONE!

[hstacey]

I have to sons in the army and one is serving in Iraq. May God protect our service men and women and bring them back home.

[John-Irish]

Yes, prayers for them all. My niece’s fiancee is serving with the 1st. Battalion , 6th. Marines. May God keep him safe.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I have a grandson heading for Afghanistan in a month of so...definitely have concerns...

[amom]

Five Taliban fighters were killed during fighting in the last major Taliban stronghold in Helmand province on Saturday, after thousands of British and American troops attacked in the early hours.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/7227871/Taliban-killed-in-Helmand-during-fighting-in-massive-Operation-Moshtarak.html

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

From the link at post #3:

*****************************EXCERPT************************************

2) Supply Drops.

Hidden very well on the www.defense.gov website are several articles about the massive supply buildup implemented since GEN McSpook took over in AFPAK. (All of them are gone at them moment.) For those of not skilled in Operations, Logistics is far more important to an operation than the type of troopsk used. Based on the three press releases I've saved off,

Operation Mushtarak is well-supplied for at least 4 months of sustained, high-tempo operations.

[STARWISE]

NATO-TV Video 2-13-10 - Securing Central Helmand

Video - 2-13-10: NATO Offensive Under Way

Video - 2-13-10: US Marines take Marjah

Video - 2-13-10: Armored Vehicle-Launched Bridge, which offers troops passage through Afghanistan's difficult terrain (amazing!)

CNN Video 2-13-10 Afghanistan

Video - 2-13-10: (US Marines) Major Afghan assault claims first Taliban casualties

Video - 2-12-10: Troops Mass Ahead of Afghanistan Onslaught

U.S. Marines from Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, protect an Afghan man and his child after Taliban fighters opened fire in the town of Marjah.

PLEASE .. keep all our brave warriors in your prayers.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

The last line of that article:

*****************************EXCERPT*******************************

"I think Marjah will be the scene of fighting for one year or more."

[amom]

Prayers up for your niece’s fiancee with the 1st Battalion, 6 Marines.

[John-Irish]

Thank you very much.