US to Launch Massive Helmand Offensive ‘Within Days’
Invasion of Marjah Region to Prop Up Karzai Appointee
After spending nearly a month threatening such an action, officials say that the US Marines’ invasion of the Marjah region of Afghanistan’s Helmand Province could begin “within days.”
“We are going to go with the Afghan national security forces to clear, hold and build, and deliver alternatives for all the Afghans,” insisted NATO spokesman Eric Tremblay. It is expected to be the largest US military operation since President Obama announced his December escalation.
But vague pledges of “alternatives” aside, the invasion’s key goal is to prop up Haji Zair, who was appointed as the Marjah governor but hasn’t been able to actually travel there, let alone set up residence.
Marjah has been a key hub for the opium industry since America’s 2001 invasion, and has never actually been under control of the Karzai government. The attack on the largely Taliban-dominated town comes as the Afghan government is looking for rapprochement with the Taliban.
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Andy
February 4th, 2010 at 6:14 am
The Taliban will just go to ground and pop up somewhere else.
Thursday blog round up « Rosa's Ghost
February 4th, 2010 at 3:20 am
[...] AntiWar.com: US to begin massive Helmand offensive “within days” [...]
At Meeting, Pentagon Officials Threatened China With Sneak Attack « Culture of Life News
February 4th, 2010 at 8:53 am
[...] US to Launch Massive Helmand Offensive ‘Within Days’ — News from Antiwar.com “We are going to go with the Afghan national security forces to clear, hold and build, and deliver alternatives for all the Afghans,” insisted NATO spokesman Eric Tremblay. It is expected to be the largest US military operation since President Obama announced his December escalation. [...]
Robert Fisher
February 4th, 2010 at 5:13 pm
USA Troops endanger anybody by their mere presence. in Germany, the Crime wave surrounding the US Military Bases are out of control as local Police is not allowed to even approach Americans. US Soldiers there are using this as a privledge to go and plunder the neighborhood. in Ramstein we used to wait for them till they were drunk, returned to the Base and then beat the Cr ap out of them. Americans are like scavengers. their strength is in numbers. one Soldier will always run. this is not a very good image as American Troops stationed there make the daily News. Hogans Heroes exactly describes this Situation.
fedupandsick
February 4th, 2010 at 11:56 pm
I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict a rousing victory will be the outcome of this massive offensive. This will be the start of the massive propaganda game that will have the Afghan security force on the equivalent of the green beret's. Clear, hold and build. God I think I'm going to fucking wretch.
screeeeeeeaaaaaaaam
February 5th, 2010 at 4:14 am
So, let me make sure I've got this right. In a guerrilla war, where the biggest problem is identifying an enemy that can just blend back in with the local population, we've been announcing loudly for a month an upcoming offensive.
Wonder how well that's going to work?
We might gain some 'ground' as the guerrillas melt away in front of us. Probably some heroic videos of our Humvees rolling triumphantly in to liberate villages that we never officially lost. But we won't harm our enemy in any significant fashion. And, now they've already had a month to plan and prepare for an eventual response.
screeeeeeeaaaaaaaam
February 5th, 2010 at 4:15 am
And, did anyone notice that what we are essentially doing is fighting to transfer one of the key opium producing provinces from one warlord to another? Wow, I'm so glad they are spending billions of my tax dollars on such a noble mission.
KSB29
February 5th, 2010 at 4:51 am
"US Soldiers there are using this as a privledge to go and plunder the neighborhood. in Ramstein we used to wait for them till they were drunk, returned to the Base and then beat the Cr ap out of them."
There was a quiet little news item in 2005 that slipped under most people's radar. And that was the US military taking over security for bases in Germany from local law enforcement and the German military.
It was six months later that I learned why. A person I call pooled with had just finished speaking to a friend who was an "Army Wife" stationed in Germany. She had left her husband and was coming back to the states because life around the base was much too dangerous due to both drunken soldiers and attacks by very angry locals. German police were pretty much indifferent (and in some cases turning a blind eye) to such violence.
Oddly, none of this was ever mentioned in the US media.
» US-NATO Aggression to ‘Win Hearts and Minds’ Daniel
February 15th, 2010 at 12:08 pm
[...] alone set up residence”? [Jason Ditz, "US to Launch Massive Helmand Offensive 'Within Days,'" AntiWar.com, [...]