Marines in ‘hell of a fight’ in Afghanistan: commander (2)
GARMSIR, Afghanistan — U.S. Marines are in a “hell of a fight” as they storm into Taliban strongholds in a major assault in Afghanistan, their commanding officer said Friday.
Nearly 4,000 Marines launched the operation Thursday in parts of the southern province of Helmand, suffering their first fatality in a pivotal test of President Barack Obama’s aggressive new strategy against the Taliban.
The 1/5 Infantry Battalion met only light resistance in their push south and had already been able to meet locals at shuras [councils], Brigadier General Larry Nicholson said, speaking to a convoy with which AFP was travelling.
But “for 2/8 there is a hell of a fight going on in the southern quarter of the sector,” the top Marine said on arrival at Garmsir, a town along the Helmand River that was a key objective for the offensive.
“2/8 are going to face some challenges,” he said. The Marines were in an area called Toshtay about 25 kilometres (16 miles) south of Garmsir.
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Mac Says:
I wonder if Obama’s “Surge” will be as effective as the one ordered by Bush?
Posted on July 3rd, 2009 at 2:40 pm
Jack Says:
Bush tried to move to fast and failed to secure the ground. I’m certain that he was warned about it and I will say this. He and Cheney were right when they said that Afghanistan was one battle in a long war.
Much longer than it needed to be.
Had US troops forgot about restoring Iraq and made a hard right turn into Iran while they were at it we wouldn’t be here fighting this mess now. In WW2, allied troops rolled through one country after another and destroyed the ability of the enemy to make war.
When that was achieved they THEN started to repair the damage.
You can’t do that stuff on the fly.
It only results in more deaths and Obama is left trying to clean up the mess this very day. It would have been better for everyone had Bush listened to his generals and forgot about the newspapers.
We wouldn’t be here now.
We are because “he did”.
Posted on July 3rd, 2009 at 3:00 pm
nomdeblog Says:
Funny how Obama voted against the surge in Iraq, now he’s doing it.
“wonder if Obama’s “Surge” will be as effective as the one ordered by Bush”
It is impossible to know. Because my understanding of the Iraqi surge is that the key to it was the Iraqis finally policing themselves, fighting back. The US provided some more boots on the ground in Iraq but the bigger success was what the Iraqis did for themselves.
Now the question is: will the Afghans fight hard enough? For example, do they understand Canada is not spending more blood and treasure beyond 2011and that they have to start defending themselves or backslide to tribalism.
But then even if the surge starts to succeed, the real issue is economics, it always is. Can they switch from opium production to something sustainable?
Posted on July 3rd, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Jack Says:
I think they can but before that happens Iran has to be taken out of play. Much mischief going on there and their abilty to make war must be addressed.
Posted on July 3rd, 2009 at 3:08 pm
nomdeblog Says:
“they said that Afghanistan was one battle in a long war”
Actually I still believe that was correct then and is still true.
The locals have to fight this themselves. The Iraqis have shown the way. Will Afghans do the same? Will the Iranians?
There are many more battles to be fought in this long regional war which is confused by the fact that we are dealing with pretend countries. These pretend countries are just battlefields in the regional war on Islamofascism which the locals will have to decide sooner or later that they will not put up with it.
Posted on July 3rd, 2009 at 3:15 pm
debt help Says:
i hope that obamas surge is better than bushes
Posted on July 9th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Anna Keightley Says:
Hey Cynapse — Would this be the ‘one percent doctrine’ with which Obama’s apparently dealing? People are paying with their lives in this current surge. Afghanistan has roughly the same population of Canada if not the equivalent in land mass. The main assist the surge requires is to loose packs of wild dogs throughout Kandahar and the Kyber Pass. There’d be great cost savings there and it might expedite things. Or would ‘peaceniks’ do the job? The forces would tell you different.
Posted on September 1st, 2009 at 12:30 am
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Posted on April 3rd, 2010 at 4:39 pm