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| Afghanistan |
| US Special Forces step up operations in Afghanistan |
| 2009-12-27 |
| [Dawn] US special forces have stepped up counterterrorism missions against some of the most lethal groups in Afghanistan and plan an even bigger expansion next year, The New York Times reported late Saturday. Citing unnamed US military commanders, the newspaper said the commandos from the Army's Delta Force and the Navy's classified Seals units have had success weakening the network of Sirajuddin Haqqani, the strongest Taliban fighter in eastern Afghanistan. Haqqani's group has used its bases in neighboring Pakistan to carry out deadly strikes in and around Kabul, the Afghan capital, according to the report. Guided by intercepted cellphone communications, the US commandos have also killed some important Taliban operatives in Marja, a Taliban stronghold in Helmand Province in the south, the paper noted. Marine commanders say they believe that there are some 1,000 fighters holed up in the town, according to the report. Although US President Barack Obama and his aides have not publicly discussed these highly classified missions as part of the administration's new strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, the counterterrorism operations are expected to increase along with the deployment of 30,000 more US troops next year, The Times said. The increased counterterrorism operations over the past three or four months reflect growth in every part of the Afghanistan campaign, including conventional forces securing the population, other troops training and partnering with Afghan security forces, and more civilians to complement and capitalize on security gains, the paper noted. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #3 Lest we forget, democrats are sometimes a good fulcrum for national defense as they are not challenged in their methods as harshly as Republicans are in such matters. |
| Posted by: newc 2009-12-27 14:53 |
| #2 This article obliquely refers to an advantage we have in Afghanistan versus Vietnam. The Phoenix program was villified for conducting a similarly effective assassination program (despite it being less wide-scale, long-lasting, and brutal than Viet Cong tactics), but there is barely a peep about us doing it now. I think there are two main factors. First, the Communists had a worldwide propaganda machine including reporters imbedded in the West. The Islamicists lack that and get only weaker echos of support from the former Communist network. Second, deaths in Viet Nam were localized, so the public could feel withdrawal would stop the killing and turn an apathetic blind eye to what would happen to South Vietnamese after we left. But even a lethargic public is aware that Islamacists are targeting us and will continue to target us on our own soil. Therefore, there is very little ruckus about us using tough and effective tactics. |
| Posted by: Odysseus 2009-12-27 09:41 |
| #1 commandos from the Army's Delta Force Mission creep? I hope we've got enough JSOC resources within the stockade to react to extremis requirements both domestic and overseas. The original intent, etc. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2009-12-27 08:38 |