Search Results for: "Marines+In+Afghan"
Military Alone Is Not An Appropriate Solution To Afghan Problem.
Relevance Score: 4.096 2009-08-06 02:57:36
The new Secretary General of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Wednesday ruled out the military alone as solution to Afghan imbroglio. "We have to realize that there is no military solution solely to the situation in Afghanistan and we need a broader perspective and comprehensive approach," NATO's top man told a joint press conference with President Hamid Karzai here. He further stressed that military efforts, hand in hand with a strong commitment from the international community to reconstruction in Afghanistan, is crucial for having solution. Meanwhile, NATO's chief said that peace talks would be held with "those who lay down their arms." He also ststed that more than 40 countries are present in Afghanistan and "I can assure you to remain in Afghanistan as long as needed." This is the first visit of Rasmussen to Afghanistan as NATO chief since assuming office on Aug. 1. The former Danish Prime Minister over the rebuilding of Afghan national security forces said that the alliance would continue to train Afghan army and Afghan police until they take charge of the security of their country from the international troops.
In Afghan Desert Marines Confront An Invisible Enemy.
Relevance Score: 3.973 2009-07-08 01:08:12
A scorching desert littered with bombs, little contact, an invisible enemy: the Marines that descended on Taliban bastions in southern Afghanistan will have to confront guerrilla tactics proven against the Soviets, an analyst informed. "Nawa is quiet, too quiet," commanding officer of the operation, Brigadier General Larry Nicholson, claimed of the town where some of the 4,000 Marines involved had deployed Thursday at the start of the assault in Helmand province. "The enemy has gone to ground," he said. By Sunday, four days into the first military test of President Barack Obama's new strategy for Afghanistan, the Marines had confronted resistance except in Mian Poshteh where a US officer said 200 battled about 40 Taliban. This was even though they had pushed into locations where the government in Kabul had little or no control, and where the Taliban had in some cases established a parallel administration. Dutch Major General Mart de Kruif, commander of about 30,000 NATO-led troops in the region, estimates there are 10,000 to 18,000 Taliban fighters in volatile southern Afghanistan. "When guerrilla fighters see that the enemy is bigger in number and facilities, have an upper hand on the ground and in the air, all they do is let the enemy take over," said Afghan analyst Waheed Mujda. "The tactic behind guerrilla war is simply to exhaust the powerful enemy, make it time-consuming and expensive for them to carry on." The Taliban militia itself said that it cannot take on so many men in direct combat. "We are trying not to engage with them too soon because there are a lot of them and they would use air force in which case there will be civilian casualties," spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi told AFP. The fighters were using "guerrilla clashes," he said. "Our men are among the people." "Significant resistance is not being seen," interior ministry spokesman Zemarai Bashary told reporters in Kabul Sunday. However, mines were a threat and had already killed two policemen on Saturday, he said. Homemade bombs -- improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in security jargon -- have killed three British soldiers in a similar operation further north since Wednesday. A U.S. Marine and another British soldier were killed in insurgent fire, the military said. None of the forces involved in the massive operation issued casualty tolls for the insurgents. "We don't know," Bashary said. "The Taliban do not have the ability to face such a big force and power," defence ministry spokesman General Mohammad Zahir Azimi told AFP, adding the security forces were being slowed down by the militants' roadside bombs and mines. Azimi said there was always the risk that militants would merely hide their weapons and melt into the community as ordinary villagers, while resorting to bomb attacks and other guerrilla tactics. But by taking control of their strongholds, "we basically break their chain of command and control, we disrupt their supply routes, we deny them the opportunity to gather and group together," Azimi said. "The bottom line is we will take the secure ground they have from them and break their network." The joint forces had a three-phase security plan to keep insurgents out of areas they take, he said. International troops would help the Afghan forces hold these areas; they would withdraw when the Afghan army and police were strong enough; and the army would gradually pull out, leaving police in place. "This will take some five to six months after the end of the operation," Azimi said. Anlayst Mujda believed the Tailban still would be able to continue with their guerrilla methods which have been seen in previous Afghan conflicts. "They attack the isolated security posts, the district headquarters and others, take control of them briefly, take weapons and money and food, and whatever they can," the analyst said. "They basically feed off the expenses of the enemy and go away." The Afghan mujahideen who fought off the Soviet invaders in the 1980s did the same, he said. "They only resisted and fought when they were surprised by the enemy and they had no choice and most of the time they were carrying out attack-and-escape tactics," he said. But even before the Marines are able to hold these militant areas, they will have a difficult time in Helmand, Mujda said. "It is terribly hot, the foreign soldiers move heavily, they carry food, water, heavy uniform and protection. They cannot survive in that heat for long." At least two Marines have been evacuated suffering chronic heat exhaustion, the force has said.
Military: 2 NC-based Marines Killed In Afghanistan
Relevance Score: 3.815 2009-07-15 02:32:06
Two North Carolina-based Marines were killed last week during combat in Afghanistan's Helmand province, the Department of Defense said Tuesday. The Marines were identified Tuesday as Lance Cpl. Pedro A. Barbozaflores, 27, of Glendale, Calif., and Master Sgt. Jerome D. Hatfield, 36, of Axton, Va. The Marines died Saturday. They were assigned to the 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 3, 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune. Hatfield was the company operations chief for the battalion's Delta Company. He stared service in the Marines in June 1991 and was promoted to the rank of master sergeant in Sept. 2007. Previous deployments for Hatfield included tours in Iraq in 2006 and 2008 and operations in the Adriatic Sea in 1992 and 2000. Hatfield was a former drill instructor and is survived by a wife and three children, ages 4 to 19, the Marine Corps said. Barbozaflores was a crew member of a light armored vehicle crewman. He joined the Marines in March 2008, was promoted to lance corporal in December and deployed to Afghanistan in June.
Soldiers Killed in Afghanistan
Relevance Score: 3.621 2009-07-15 02:39:34
An Italian soldier was killed and three were injured by a roadside bomb in the Bala Boluk district in Afghanistan's western province of Farah, the Italian army and provincial governor said. Two U.S. Marines were killed in the southern province of Helmand, where the Marines have launched a massive attack this month, the U.S. military said.
Afghan Militants Boast Deadlier Bombs
Relevance Score: 3.239 2010-02-17 23:19:56
Afghan militants now have the ability to detonate roadside bombs from as far as two-thirds of a mile away using new technology impervious to military signal jammers, according to England's Sky News. The news station gained access to underground bomb-manufacturing cells and saw "a stockpile of bombs, primed and ready for use, whilst peace talks with the Taliban-led insurgency remain in their infancy." Afghanistan The new, advanced bombs are triggered by devices similar to those that scan radio frequencies, a change from the use of cell phones to activate the bombs, the station informed. An Afghan commander told the news station that this development makes the bombs more accurate and no longer susceptible to military jamming equipment, which is used to disable cell phones. A commander who gave the name Kamran to the news station informed: "The bombs are very cheap. They only cost about $100, but they are very effective. And we can use the scanner again and again." Sky admitted it was difficult to verify the militants' claims but reported the "mentality and attitude of the bomb-makers do not suggest an insurgency on the brink of collapse."
2nd Afghanistan Aviation and Defense Summit in March 25 and 26, 2010
Relevance Score: 2.997 2010-01-28 11:37:13
2nd Afghanistan Aviation and Defense Summit is the event where you will get to aid in the recovery process of Afghanistan and to help in the effective implementation of the country’s development programs. Afghanistan, a promising country that could connect the East and West Asia, has been hit by numerous setbacks as security across the country deteriorated in the face of insurgents’ advances. Who Will You Meet The important people who you will meet at the conference include: High-ranking military commanders from Afghanistan Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Interior Officials from internationa governmentl security and defense agencies Senior industry executives from defense companies Prime contractors for Afghan projects Senior directors Government advisors Exclusive One-to-One Meetings with Afghan officials and panel presenters will provide you with insights and analysis of the current challenges facing Afghanistan’s aviation, security and defense. This early, we have received attendance confirmation from speakers and delegates coming from the United States and member countries of North Atlantic Treaty Organization. What Will Be Discussed Under one roof and for two straight days, speakers and delegates will discuss the strategic challenges in Afghanistan, how to win Afghans’ hearts and minds, as well as building security and stability across the nation. Key topics in the summit include: Afghan Security & Regional Stability Strategic Challenges in Defense and Aviation Building Stability and National Reconciliation Border Control Challenges Counter-Narcotics, Terrorism and Insurgency Rebuilding Afghanistan: Winning Afghan Hearts and Minds Managing Alliances and Partnerships
Report Card Shows Improvements In Afghan Training.
Relevance Score: 2.860 2009-07-15 02:29:14
Lt Col Gabriel informed the Afghan forces' development won't happen overnight. (Defence Force: Corporal Hamish Paterson ) The first Australian training team to be sent to Afghanistan has wrapped up its mission there and AM has been given the first progress report on the readiness of the Afghan troops. They are still years away from being able to run complicated operations on their own, but the man who led the mission says they have made significant progress. After eight months in command of the Australian training team Lieutenant Colonel Shane Gabriel is in Canberra briefing his superiors on the progress of the Afghan soldier in what is officially known as the Second Battalion, 4th Brigade, 205 Hero Corp. Lt Col Gabriel says the battalion has made significant progress. "When we assumed that task back in October, the Second Battalion was at relatively early stages of its development and here we were at the end of an eight-month period conducting fairly complex mentored company-level operations [with] the Afghan battalion," he said. "I think that's a good measure of success." The skills of Afghan troops are measured by what the military calls "capability milestones". The Second Battalion started off down at capability milestone four. It has progressed up to level three - which means that, while it is, "partially able to conduct primary missions" it is still "reliant on" outside help. It has to make it all the way up to level one, when it will usually be able to work on its own, before the Australians can leave. Lt Col Gabriel says this means there is a lot of work to do. "It is a very large step, because what we're talking about here is now the overall objective which is having a fully independent Afghan national army," he said. "That's also in the context of the fact we are in the middle of a very difficult fight with a very dangerous insurgency. "So we're talking all of those factors together; that takes time." 'No timetable' He says it is hard to say exactly how long the mission will take. "I wouldn't like to put a timetable on it, I don't think it's reasonable to put a line in the sand. There's a lot of work to be done but it's very pleasing progress," he said. "Think about it in our own context. It takes a long time to develop people within our own army, to develop specialist positions and leadership roles. "So here we are with another country's army assisting them with that development. "I think we need to be patient and understand that these things don't happen overnight." A new mentoring team has been in Afghanistan for a few weeks now, continuing the work Lt Col Gabriel started. The extra team announced by the Federal Government in April is about to go in to start training another Afghan battalion devoted to combat support, which involves skills like firing artillery. But the overall enterprise is beset by manpower shortages and uncertainty. The Dutch battle group which is in charge of the province is still planning to pull out next year. Troop shortage A third of the Afghan combat troops who were supposed to be deployed in Uruzgan province were sent into neighbouring Helmand province more than a year ago. But they still have not been replaced by the Afghan Ministry of Defence. Lt Col Gabriel says there is always a need for more soldiers. 'It's a fact of life I suppose, that in a counter insurgency the great mass you have means that you can help to dominate a greater area of the province," he said. "So if you have more Afghan soldiers you can obviously do more." Lt Col Gabriel claims the troops he worked with were devastated by the loss of four Australian troops during his tour of duty. But he says they can be proud they have continued on the commitment they made. "The loss of any of our soldiers of course is a difficult thing to deal with at the time," he said. "It's a tragedy of course for us but of course for the families. "I remember particularly our loss of Corporal Matthew Hopkins from our battle group, which hit us all very hard, but importantly we went back out there and continued our mission in exactly the way that Corporal Hopkins would have expected his mates to do. "I think that is the key of our commitment, is that we understand how important our role, our commitment is to this coalition in Afghanistan and we're going to make sure that we are successful."
7 US Troops Dead Throughout Afghanistan
Relevance Score: 2.774 2009-07-09 23:19:27
Bombs and bullets killed seven American soldiers on Monday, the deadliest day for U.S. forces in Afghanistan in nearly a year — and a sign that the war being fought in the Taliban heartland of the south and east could now be expanding north. Separately, Taliban militants claimed on a militant Web site that they were holding an American soldier whom the U.S. military says insurgents might have captured last week. The Taliban information, however, did not include any proof, such as a picture or the soldier's identity. Four of the deaths Monday came in an attack on a team of U.S. military trainers in the relatively peaceful north, considering the question of whether the U.S. is committing enough troops to secure a country larger than Iraq in both population and land mass. On a visit to Moscow, President Barack Obama said it's too soon to measure the success of his new strategy in Afghanistan. He said the U.S. can take another look at the situation after the country's presidential elections on Aug. 20. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said in some respects, progress has been "insignificant" in Afghanistan. He said it's hard to say how quickly the situation will improve. Obama has ordered 21,000 additional American troops to this country, mainly in the south where Taliban militants have made a violent comeback after a U.S.-led coalition topped them from power in late 2001. The U.S. expects 68,000 troops here by year's end, double last year's total but still half as many as now in Iraq. The four American soldiers killed in the north died in a roadside bombing of their vehicle in Kunduz province, said Navy Chief Petty Officer Brian Naranjo, a U.S. military spokesman. The soldiers were training Afghan forces, he said. Two Americans were killed in a roadside blast in southern Afghanistan, Naranjo said. And another American soldier died of wounds in a Monday firefight with militants in the east, a U.S. military spokesman said. There were no further details on the incidents in the south and the east. It was the deadliest day for American troops in Afghanistan since July 13, 2008, when 10 soldiers were killed — nine of them when militants using small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades attacked a remote outpost in the village of Wanat near the Pakistani border. The Taliban claim about holding a captured U.S. soldier came six days after a soldier was noticed missing during a routine check of his unit June 30. His body armor and weapon were found on the base. Two U.S. defense sources have said the soldier "just walked off" post with three Afghans after he finished working. They had no explanation for why he left. In southern Afghanistan, meanwhile, thousands of U.S. Marines continued with their anti-Taliban offensive in Helmand province. Some 500 Marines out of 4,000 participating in the operation moved into the Khan Neshin area, a Marine statement said Monday. "This is the first time coalition forces have had a sustained presence so far south in the Helmand River valley. Khan Neshin had been a Taliban stronghold for several years before Afghan, and coalition forces arrived and began discussions with local leaders several days ago," the statement added. In the southern province of Kandahar, meanwhile, a suicide car full of bombs blew up outside the outer gate of the main NATO base in the region, killing two civilians and wounding 14 other people. Those wounded near the gates of Kandahar Airfield included 12 civilians and two Afghan soldiers, said Gen. Sher Mohammad Zazai, the top military commander for southern Afghanistan. As the conflict intensifies, U.S. forces are under pressure to minimize civilian deaths in military operations. In an effort to reduce civilian losses, the new commander of U.S. and NATO forces, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, issued guidelines ordering troops to "scrutinize and limit" the use of airstrikes against residential compounds, which Taliban fighters often use as hideouts. McChrystal says he hopes to produce a cultural shift in the military so that his troops' first priority will be protecting Afghan civilians, not using massive fire power. McChrystal's guidelines went into effect last week, and officials released a declassified version Monday. The three directives are that airstrikes must be authorized and very limited but can be used in self-defense if troops' lives are at risk; troops must be accompanied by Afghan forces before they enter residences; and troops cannot go into or fire upon mosques or other religious sites, though this is already U.S. policy. "We must avoid the trap of winning tactical victories — but suffering strategic defeats — by causing civilian casualties or excessive damage and thus alienating the people," McChrystal said in the statement. Civilian deaths caused by U.S. and NATO military operations have long been a source of friction between President Hamid Karzai and the West. Such deaths have deeply angered Afghan villagers, eroding support for the Afghan government and international mission. In the latest accusation, Daud Ahmadi, the spokesman for the governor of Helmand province, said a rocket hit a civilian house in Nad Ali district Sunday, killing four civilians and wounding four others. Noor Mohammad, from Khoshal Keli village where the rocket hit, alleged that the rocket was launched by foreign forces. NATO was not immediately available to comment on the report. British troops have been operating in the area. A NATO helicopter, meanwhile, made an emergency landing in the southern Zabul province, a spokesman for the military alliance said. There were casualties among those on board, but Lt. Commander Chris Hall did not have details. The incident was not caused by insurgent fire, Hall said.
Keeping communications strong
Relevance Score: 2.734 2010-03-01 17:01:35
Wars could not be fought without communication. It's rumored that one of the downfalls of Napoleon Bonaparte was his terrible handwriting; his officers misunderstood the written orders and failed to execute them properly. Imagine what the battle of Iwo Jima would have been like without communication. The Tet offensive? Fallujah? Ever since the inception of the Marine Corps, Marines have been known for their ability to receive and carry out orders efficiently and effectively. To keep this warfighting practice alive, Marines of Communication Company, Combat Logistics Regiment 27, 2nd Marine Logistics Group stay busy keeping the lines communication open. The Marines trained aboard Camp Lejeune, N.C., Feb. 24 with the Support Wide Area Network and Wireless Point to Point Link to ensure proficiency with the systems that keep commanders connected to their units with internet, e-mail and telephone services while deployed. Cpl. Kenneth V. Holvenstot, one of the training instructors with Comm. Co., said he's seen the problems that occur with a lack of training and tries to ensure all the Marines are proficient with both systems. Both systems can be used for all three communication services, but there are pro and cons to both. Both the SWAN and WPPL act as a sort of wireless internet router. In the same way that multiple computers can access the internet by connecting to the same router, multiple SWANs receive services by connecting to the Master Reference Terminal which connects to satellites. With the Marine Corps presence in so many different theaters of operation, the SWAN and WPPL remain invaluable assets.
DoD Announces Units for Upcoming Afghanistan Rotation
Relevance Score: 2.547 2009-07-15 17:52:38
The Department of Defense announced today the deployment of two units to Afghanistan. The 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, from Fort Campbell, Ky., and the 173rd Airborne Brigade, Vicenza, Italy, have been alerted to replace forces currently deployed in Afghanistan, in order to maintain the capabilities of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). The 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, will deploy with approximately 3,800 troops to Afghanistan in late fall 2009. The 173rd Brigade Combat Team, with approximately 3,700 troops, will deploy to Afghanistan in the winter of 2009-2010. Both units will conduct the full spectrum of combat operations. The United States continues to be NATO-ISAF’s largest troop contributor, and remains committed to leading the offensive in counter-terrorism operations in Afghanistan, training and equipping the Afghan national security forces and assisting with reconstruction. Force levels in Afghanistan are conditions-based and will be determined in consultation with the Afghan government and NATO.