US forces launch S. Afghan operation 48 hours after withdrawal from Iraqi cities
Marines take the fight to the Taliban
Straight from the Debka File: “Operation Strike of the Sword was launched in the small hours of Thursday, July 2, against Taliban strongholds in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan, by 4,000 US Marines and 650 Afghan troops, thereby underscoring US president Barack Obama’s switch of military emphasis from Iraq to Afghanistan. On June 20, more than 130,000 US troops pulled out of Iraq’s cities.
The US-Afghan force, backed by armor and helicopters, faced little resistance in the first stage of its advance on the important Taliban stronghold, which is located in the world’s largest opium poppy growing area. DEBKAfile’s military sources report that the Taliban, forewarned of the coming offensive, used the tactics it employs against the Pakistani army, which is to avoid pitched battles with large US or Pakistan forces. They prefer to hit and run where least expected and incur minimal casualties.
This tactic has denied the Pakistani army, albeit aided by US spy drones, victory in the second month of its campaign to root the Taliban out of the northern Swat Valley. It will make the coming Pakistani offensives with US military support against two more fronts, the Taliban warlord Baitullah Mehsud’s stronghold in South Waziristan and Pakistani Kashmir, even more complicated.
A statement on the Helmand operation by Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Larry Nicholson stressed the difference between the Pakistan and Afghan warfronts:
“Where we go we will stay, and where we stay, we will hold, build and work toward transition of all security responsibilities to Afghan forces.”
The American force, in other words, has not embarked on an in-and-out operation before moving on to other fronts, but intends to stay put until the province is purged of insurgents and rehabilitated before handing it over to the central Afghan government in Kabul.
DEBKAfile’s sources point to only two of the difficulties facing the planned handover: Afghanistan is short of troops for taking and holding the province, and Afghan security forces have a propensity for squabbling amongst themselves over territory and influence. Three days ago, a clash between rival Afghan security forces in the town of Kandahar left eight men dead including the local police chief.”
