Lt Colonel Christian Cabassis addresses Marines before the offensive
Posted on 07/01/2009 9:01:57 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
Thousands of U.S. Marines stormed into an Afghan river valley by helicopter and land early today, launching the biggest military offensive of Barack Obama's presidency with an assault deep into Taliban territory.
Operation River Liberty, which the Marines call simply "the decisive op", is intended to seize virtually the entire lower Helmand River valley, heartland of the Taliban insurgency and the world's biggest heroin producing region.
Lt Colonel Christian Cabassis addresses Marines before the offensive
In swiftly seizing the valley, commanders hope to accomplish within hours what NATO troops had failed to achieve over several years, and by doing so turn the tide of a stale-mated war in time for an Afghan presidential election on August 20.
"Where we go we will stay, and where we stay, we will hold, build and work toward transition of all security responsibilities to Afghan forces," Marine Corps Brigadier General Larry Nicholson, commander of the Marines in southern Afghanistan said in a statement.
He told his staff before the operation: "The intent is to go big, go strong and go fast, and by doing so we are going to save lives on both sides."
The operation would have an initial highly aggressive stage lasting 36 hours, AFP reported.
Wave upon wave of helicopters landed Marines in the early morning darkness at locations throughout the valley, a crescent of opium and wheat fields criss-crossed by canals and dotted with mud-brick homes, where firmly entrenched fighters defied NATO forces for years.
Hundreds more Marines raced by ground in convoys through a barren area known as the Desert of Death.
In all, about 4,000 Marines surged forward and thousands more were mobilised to assist them along with 650 Afghan forces, an operation by foreign ground troops on a scale unseen in
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
God bless our Marines!
They’re going to go invade some opium poppy fields. I hope they can resist temptation.
Now you need is to get those lazy Europeans over there.
Sometimes I wish that I would have been a marine instead of a bubblehead!
It's axiomatic.
They are, by far, the best fighting force in the world man-for-man. Each and every one an accomplished rifleman. 1/3 the support troops of the US Army. The perfect light infantry force for Afghanistan.
I get the UN and NATO hanging out in Hotels, but stale-mated? I don't think so.
I saw this on the news yesterday. I wonder whay the US announced this rather than try and make it a surprise.
Great pr for July the 4th.Hail to the flake!
I thought a “massive” offensive might be on the order of ten times this size. Then again, these are Marines...
I assume they are all carrying a copy of the “Miranda Rights” to read to any of the Towlheadban terrorists they might capture....
It appears that it's all about "zero".
A big Oorah for the USMC.
Regarding your tag line - try the chicken at Pollo Campero (a Guatemalan chain that recently has opened franchises in a few US cities). It outdoes both the Col and the General’s versions.
I guess Goomer Obama was in charge of the platoon.
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS in tangible ways
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