Marines Commence Counter-Insurgency Push In Southern Afghanistan

By: Ken Millstone
Topics: Afghanistan

(CBS)

U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan have launched a major counter-insurgency mission in the country's Helmand Province, according to information released today by the Marines.

The operation is being conducted by about 4,000 Marines and U.S. Navy sailors along with 650 Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police forces. Two aviation brigades are also supporting the mission.

The goal of the operation, dubbed Operation Khanjar ("Strike of the Sword") is "to provide security for population centers along the Helmand River valley and connect local citizens with their legitimate government while establishing stable and secure conditions for national elections scheduled for August," according to a Marines press release.

"This is the start of the first big counter-insurgency operation launched by the Marines since they went into the south as part of the buildup ordered by President Obama," noted CBS News Pentagon correspondent David Martin. "It's not a search-and-destroy operation designed to clear out Taliban strongholds. Instead, it's a push into the villages and towns of Helmand province to protect the local population from the Taliban."

"The commanding general of the Marines says what makes this different from previous operations is its size and the fact that the Marines intend to stay," Martin said.

Ken Millstone
Ken Millstone is an assignment editor at CBSNews.com

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by nofoolling July 2, 2009 2:43 AM EDT: How many more folks will we slaughter and how many more billions of dollars will we waste before we realize that just like Iraq, fighting in Afghanistan will accomplish absolutely nothing except obscene profits for the folks that make weapons of war and death?

For every enemy combatant, some freedom fighters, some the annointed bad guys, we'll probably exterminate 500 innocents and call it collateral damage.

Cause the same bloodthirsty killers that Darth the Cheney, God of Invented War enabled, are still around, ready and eager to sacrifice our children on the altar of greed.

What an embarassment, what a tragedy; warring for bloodmoney dollars!

Stop the war, start the war crime trials!; Reply to this comment


by ajjaxtheleast July 2, 2009 2:07 AM EDT: The article starts out with 10-year-old Ricky Wilson's
winning entry of the "Name This Week's Marine Military
Operation" of "Strike Of The Sword"

(Ricky also won in Iraq with "Arrowhead striker".

The commanding general, name unpublished in the article,
possibly speaking on terms of anonimity not authorized
to speak to the press:,,,

"I forget where was headed but we made us this bad turn,,
,,,since we're here though, what, Arfghanistine? I'm sure
that before long we'll find somebody that doesn't have
an airforce, tanks, drones, anti-aircraft batteries,
night goggles, enough food to think straight and runs
around in their BVD's trying to shoot a 30-year-0ld
Russian-made rifle for us to kill."."; Reply to this comment


by mysteriousjz July 2, 2009 1:16 AM EDT: Also,

The following link is a must read; it has comments from other users, well-thought and educated.

http://community.nytimes.com/comments/www.nytimes.com/2009/06/23/opinion/23tue1.html?sort=recommended; Reply to this comment


by mysteriousjz July 2, 2009 1:06 AM EDT: There has been so much resentment built among the populace from years of brutal and barbaric attacks on their villages that yours is a lost cause. One "militant/insurgent" killed as reported represents dozens of civilian casualties-maiming, burning, mutilating- that do not make any report. "Taliban" is now a loosely defined word. Any force or government erected under the present cirumstances would never earn the trust of the "common man"-need I say "Taliban" or perhaps not forgotten term "Freedom Fighters."

They resent the fact that you have occupied their land and lives with arms on their heads. "You" humiliate them, their women, and intrude into their privacy and homes. They distrust the government and rudimentary security forces who have delivered nothing but added miseries to them under the blessing of "angels of peace." Providing one security man to each inhabitant is unrealistic. You train the local forces, forces will most likely be corrupt and brutal or would have no will, and the "common man" will ambush them and the cycle will continue.

Ignoring "Taliban" is ignoring the common man. Therefore, any strategy is simply a "forcing it down the throat." I have found striking similarities between the two worlds. We/They do not like to be forced what to do, and we all certainly get angry by just "suck it up."

They are no different from what you are. As much as you would dislike Soviet forces invading your neighborhood up in arms, they dislike their mudhouses being bombed from the sky and land. They live in fear and terror not knowing when the next assualt on their mudhouses is going to take place. It makes little difference wether their sufferring is bestowed upon them by "those who use civilian shields" or by "Angels of Peace." Therefore, their hatred is well-called for. That was no rocket science. A common man there would tell you, "you are welcome with a passport, but not with arms and uniforms."

American policymakers, their supporters, and Zionists, their sympathizers, are in ceaseless quest for enemy to destroy. "You" are all over from Korea to South America because of your "enemy"? Wrong!!!! You have enemy because you are "there." You do not have to look for enemy anywhere or everywhere; you will find it in the mirror.

Finally,

"You are fighting in dark, though with flashlights, but against invisible men."; Reply to this comment


by trapbreaking July 1, 2009 11:36 PM EDT: Obama's first military expedition. Nation building?; Reply to this comment


by cbsantispin July 1, 2009 9:47 PM EDT: Let no mans ghost say if only his training had done its job.

From a Sign on a U.S. Marines advanced infantry training site.; Reply to this comment

by debinok1 July 1, 2009 8:22 PM EDT

How about we send some of those marines to Israel with the demand for release of the 21 people(some Americans) that they arrested. Arresting people for delivering humanitarian aid, this is how Israel treats its allies?

Reply to this comment


by rhs648 July 2, 2009 12:55 AM EDT: Are these the people you say were delivering humanitarian aid. They don't appear to be delivering humanitarian aid. It appears that they are trying to stop Israel from building a protective wall.

"Israel arrests peace activists in West Bank

The International Solidarity Movement said on Wednesday that the Israeli army arrested a number of foreign and Palestinian peace activists near Balien village in West Bank city of Jenin.

The movement said in a statement that foreign peace activists and Palestinian residents in a nearby village in Jenin closed the road, where Israeli bulldozers will work for building the separation wall in Balien.

The protestors tied themselves to iron boxes and blocked the way before bulldozers, the statement said.

The Israeli army attacked the human chain, it said.

Source: Xinhua"


by xlib July 1, 2009 8:01 PM EDT: Guess this is the messiah's SURGE!!; Reply to this comment