All Blog Posts from World Watch

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.

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Only a small number of Iraqi and Coalition forces are based at the southern port city of Um Qasr, but they're guarding about 90 percent of Iraq’s oil wealth. British and American troops are helping them tackle the huge responsibility.

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A very important test launch of the naval-based Bulava intercontinental missile failed Monday night. The test was to become the final exam before the missile would have been commissioned by the Russian Navy. Regrettably for the military, the third stage of the missile misfired and the missile self-destructed. The failure calls into question the future of one of the newest and advanced Russian ICBMs – Bulava has had quite a long record of faulty launches which has made it impossible to put it into service even despite the support of such Russian political heavyweights as vice premier and former defense minister Sergei Ivanov. More tests will be held in 2009.

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Russia has had quite enough of the U.S. and its allies beating a steady path toward its borders, and now, they've come calling in our direction. One of the Russian Navy's flagship is now docked in our neighborhood.

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Russia has had quite enough of the U.S. and its allies beating a steady path toward its borders, and now, they've come calling in our direction. A flagship Russian battleship is now docked in our neighborhood.

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