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.
Posted on 02/13/2010 9:05:04 AM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
Interesting write up at this link. http://coloradopols.com/diary/11567/operation-mushtarak-has-begun-in-afghanistan
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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.
Q+A-NATO 'Operation Mushtarak' in Afghanistan's Helmand
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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.
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WHO IS TAKING PART?
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HOW MANY TALIBAN FIGHTERS ARE THERE?
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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)
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.
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.
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.
Thanks for that link.
I have been bothered by that.....BUT
But many following all of this are really bothered by how this is being DONE!
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.
Yes, prayers for them all. My niece’s fiancee is serving with the 1st. Battalion , 6th. Marines. May God keep him safe.
I have a grandson heading for Afghanistan in a month of so...definitely have concerns...
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.
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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.
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.
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"I think Marjah will be the scene of fighting for one year or more."
Prayers up for your niece’s fiancee with the 1st Battalion, 6 Marines.
Thank you very much.
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