Approaching Fight for Kandahar May Be Crucial Stage in Afghanistan War

[tekisui]

Source: Guardian

Kandahar is the likely arena for what is being billed as the decisive clash between Nato forces and the Taliban in Afghanistan this summer, with the current high-profile operation in Helmand province just a preparation for the showdown to come, officials have said.

Nato officials told the Guardian that the focus of international forces will shift from Helmand to Kandahar, which, with a population of more than a million, is the big prize for both the Taliban and the coalition. A senior Nato official said: "This moves to Kandahar. That's the next main objective."

Captain Scott Costen, a spokesman for the coalition's command in the south, confirmed that an operation for Kandahar was being designed. "The scale of what you will see in the Kandahar operation will be comparable to the scale you see in Helmand," said Costen. "We're still in the planning stages."

Coalition officers describe the offensive in Helmand centred on the town of Marjah as a "confidence builder" for Kandahar and other battles to come, now that extra troops have been committed.

The US general who oversees the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq confirmed today that Marjah was the opening battle in a long campaign.

General David Petraeus told NBC's Meet the Press that the campaign probably will last 12 months to 18 months and is part of the revised US strategy for fighting insurgents in Afghanistan.

(snip)

Some experts believe that the Kandahar offensive would need to be even bigger than the current operation in Helmand.

The Taliban is more dispersed in Kandahar and more integrated into the community – unlike Marjah, where the fighters are concentrated in one spot – so the operation will have to be targeted over a much bigger area.

There is likely to be fighting across much of the province and out in extending into the militant hideouts in the neighbouring province of Uruzgan.

Thousands more troops are expected to be deployed to begin a major offensive by early summer.

"Kandahar is imminent," said Khalid Pashtoon, a member of parliament for the city. "If they don't come to Kandahar, all the operations mean nothing.

"The Taliban are so proud of being from Kandahar. Once you demoralise them there, then automatically the Taliban will be compelled to reconcile."

Unlike Marjah, which was almost entirely in the hands of the Taliban, the situation in Kandahar is more complicated. Kandahar city is ostensibly in government hands but the Taliban are running a campaign of assassination and intimidation and periodically stage attacks.

(snip)

The extremists include the 23-year shadow district governor of Zhari, Mullah Esmat, also known as Mullah Zerghai, and the 22-year-old shadow district police chief of Zhari, Mullah Gul Mohammad..

"The younger generation are very ruthless people," said Hajji Mohammad Khan, a tribal elder from Zhari district. "The Americans don't recognise them. They just stand there when the Americans pass."

more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/feb/21/kandahar-arena-showdown-afghanistan-war?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

[asdjrocky]

1. Fuck war.

[The_Casual_Observer]

2. This is the most futile war since Vietnam.

[peacebird]

3. after all - must keep defense contractors and mercenaries employed....

:eyes:

just like Vietnam - once one "decisive clash" is completed, another one *always* pops up. I believe it is an elaborate (and useless) game of "whack-a-mole"

[leftstreet]

4. Occupation is Hell n/t