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| Afghanistan |
| US Urges Extra Afghan Troops in Helmand Offensive |
| 2009-07-10 |
| [Quqnoos] A US commander asks more Afghan troops to contribute the major US offensive in southern Helmand province. Brig Gen Lawrence Nicholson, commander of 4,000 US Marines who are carrying out an extensive operation against militants in the Taliban stronghold province of Helmand, said little Afghan forces are supporting the offensive. "We're still very early into this operation. ... [I'm] very cautiously optimistic that things have gone well," Gen Nicholson said in a statement. There are about 600 Afghan soldiers backing the massive US-led counter-insurgency offensive in Helmand's districts, the heartland of the Taliban-led insurgency. Gen Nicholson said Afghan forces understand intuitively the situation and the area. "They can see guys on the street, and they can tell you that this guy's not a local, that he's not even an Afghan," he added. "So it takes away the enemy's ability to hide, which is just one more of a series of compelling reasons why we've been so insistent for more Afghans." The US Marines have been fighting the Taliban in the outskirts of Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital for the past seven days. Only two districts have been recaptured from the Taliban so far. According to reports, Taliban militants still control three district of Helmand where are termed safe havens for key Taliban leaders and foreign terrorists. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 I never understood the concept of fighting for someone else harder than they are willing to fight themselves. |
| Posted by: ed 2009-07-10 20:15 |