Marjah was a 'success', now on to hyping Kandahar

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from Gregg Carlstrom at the Majlis: http://www.themajlis.org/2010/02/27/marja-was-a-success-now-on-to-kandahar

February 27, 2010

I'm trying to figure out the logic behind NATO's latest rhetorical pivot.

I expected the Marja triumphalism -- the arrival of NATO's hand-picked governor, Haji Zahir, and the well-publicized flag-raising ceremony. Commanders said today that they've finished the "clear" phase of "clear-hold-build-transfer"; a press release from ISAF said NATO and Afghan soldiers have "cleared the last major pocket of resistance," though -- as with past Helmand surges -- the definition of "cleared" isn't necessarily what you think: (http://www.aawsat.com/english/news.asp?section=1&id=20021)

The joint force encountered almost no hostile fire, indicating that the militants have either fled or blended in with the local population, perhaps to stage attacks later if the Afghan government fails to hold the town. Some Taliban operatives are believed to remain west of Marjah.

Capt. Abe Sipe, a spokesman for the Marines, warned that coalition forces will face "intermittent attacks" for at least the next two weeks (seems a slightly arbitrary timeframe, but at least he's a little more honest).

Anyway, none of this is surprising. Gen. Stanley McChrystal wants to show results, quickly, or at least the illusion of results, and we always knew Marja would be declared a success after a matter of days. Nevermind the fact that tens of thousands of people have been displaced, or that folks on the ground in Marja paint a far less optimistic picture of conditions in their town.

I am surprised, though, at how quickly the Obama administration has pivoted to hyping its next major offensive in southern Afghanistan: the battle for Kandahar. Here's Helene Cooper in the New York Times: (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/27/world/asia/27prexy.html)

"I think the way to look at Marja, it's the tactical prelude to larger, more comprehensive operations later this year in Kandahar city," the official said at a background news briefing arranged by the White House under ground rules of anonymity. "If our overall goal for 2010 is to reverse the momentum and gain time and space for the Afghan capacity, we have to get to Kandahar this year."


read more: http://www.themajlis.org/2010/02/27/marja-was-a-success-now-on-to-kandahar

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1. .

[EFerrari]

2. They had nothing to say about casualites that I could find.