Posted on 03/11/2011 5:12:22 AM PST by Kaslin
HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan -- Until five months ago, Forward Operating Base Jackson in Sangin was an island in a Taliban sea. Patrol bases were ringed by Taliban flags, about 100 to 200 meters out, to dramatize the state of siege. Everywhere beyond the main road was enemy sanctuary. Each spring the fertile land along the Helmand River bloomed red with poppies from horizon to horizon. Thirty-five drug processing labs helped fund the Taliban.
In October about 1,500 Marines arrived, took the offensive, pushed into the territory -- and sustained the highest casualties of the Afghan War. During the first three months of operations in Sangin, more than two dozen Marines died; another 150 were wounded.
But the Marines, as usual, got the better of the killing -- counting more than 400 insurgent dead. In the end they owned the ground. War-weary locals have begun cooperating and providing information. Morale of Afghan army and police has improved. Farmers are being given other seeds to replace poppies. Though the region is not fully pacified, the Marines have quickly established themselves as the toughest tribe in this part of the Taliban homeland.
The Afghan surge -- involving about 40,000 additional coalition forces and more than 70,000 new recruits to the Afghan army and police -- has made swift progress. And these advances are accumulating into a strategy. Coalition forces are moving north up the Helmand River valley, connecting their gains to Kandahar next door, hoping to expand the security bubble toward Kabul.
(Excerpt) Read more at townhall.com ...
As my nephews would say, “3/5 Kilo. Get some!”
The political strategy of "winning the war, without civilians being hurt" is insane.
We'd have won this thing years ago, but are so sensitive that our troops are fighting with one hand and under ROE that make you want to scream.
Well, one of them maybe. The other would wreck his bike and say “I had a dream this would happen”
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