Post by cammy on Jul 2, 2009 6:34:05 GMT 1
Almost 4,000 US forces joined 650 Afghan police and soldiers in the pre-dawn launch into southern Helmand province, the Marine Expeditionary Brigade said.
Operation Khanjar (Strike of the Sword) deployed 50 aircraft as President Barack Obama's new war plan swung into action.
Officers said the aim of the air and land assault was to push troops into insurgent strongholds.
"What makes Operation Khanjar different from those that have occurred before is the massive size of the force introduced, the speed at which it will insert," MEB commander Brigadier General Larry Nicholson said in a statement.
US troops would hold taken areas until they could transfer security responsibilities to Afghan forces, he added.
We are going to have a limited opportunity to gain their trust ... a lot of tea is going to be drunk.
MEB commander Brigadier General Larry Nicholson
Military commanders said Operation Khanjar would convince local people that the Afghan security forces - backed by international troops - offered them a better long-term future than the Islamist hardliners.
Set to last 36 hours in its first highly aggressive phase, the offensive aims to bring security to the Helmand valley ahead of presidential elections on August 20.
At a pre-launch briefing, Nicholson told his men "this is a big, risky plan".
He added: "It involves great risks and amazing opportunities. These are days of immense change for Helmand province.
Troops must put residents first
"We're going down there, and we're going to stay - that's what is different this time."
Reflecting the new US strategy, he stressed that the security needs of Helmand's residents came before killing Taliban.
That involved "telling people why we're there", Nicholson said, adding "we are going to have a limited opportunity to gain their trust ... a lot of tea is going to be drunk".
Key targets of the assault include the districts of Garmsir and Nawa, which are towards the southern border with Pakistan.
Many of the insurgents are said to take refuge in those locations, and are involved in the opium trade funding the Taliban.
Operation Khanjar (Strike of the Sword) deployed 50 aircraft as President Barack Obama's new war plan swung into action.
Officers said the aim of the air and land assault was to push troops into insurgent strongholds.
"What makes Operation Khanjar different from those that have occurred before is the massive size of the force introduced, the speed at which it will insert," MEB commander Brigadier General Larry Nicholson said in a statement.
US troops would hold taken areas until they could transfer security responsibilities to Afghan forces, he added.
We are going to have a limited opportunity to gain their trust ... a lot of tea is going to be drunk.
MEB commander Brigadier General Larry Nicholson
Military commanders said Operation Khanjar would convince local people that the Afghan security forces - backed by international troops - offered them a better long-term future than the Islamist hardliners.
Set to last 36 hours in its first highly aggressive phase, the offensive aims to bring security to the Helmand valley ahead of presidential elections on August 20.
At a pre-launch briefing, Nicholson told his men "this is a big, risky plan".
He added: "It involves great risks and amazing opportunities. These are days of immense change for Helmand province.
Troops must put residents first
"We're going down there, and we're going to stay - that's what is different this time."
Reflecting the new US strategy, he stressed that the security needs of Helmand's residents came before killing Taliban.
That involved "telling people why we're there", Nicholson said, adding "we are going to have a limited opportunity to gain their trust ... a lot of tea is going to be drunk".
Key targets of the assault include the districts of Garmsir and Nawa, which are towards the southern border with Pakistan.
Many of the insurgents are said to take refuge in those locations, and are involved in the opium trade funding the Taliban.