Operation Moshtarak Thread: Afghan flag hoisted over Marjah

[fawwaxs]

NATO, Afghan Troops in Second Day of Operation in Taliban Stronghold

A 15,000-troop NATO operation continued Sunday to press deeper into a Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan.

The massive military offensive is concentrated on the farming community of Marjah in Helmand province.

U.S. officials say General Stanley McChrystal, commander of the U.S. troops in Afghanistan, will update President Barack Obama Sunday about the military operation.

U.S. helicopters and armored vehicles began the operation Saturday when they descended on Marjah.

As many as 1,000 insurgents are thought to be entrenched in the area. U.S. troops say they encountered sporadic but "intense" resistance Saturday.

U.S. forces say they are working deliberately and slowly to clear roads of dozens of makeshift bombs as the troops advance into the area.

The offensive -- called Operation Moshtarak, which means "together" in the Dari language -- is the largest since the Taliban government was ousted in late 2001.

Afghan army officials say at least 20 Taliban militants were killed during the initial fighting.

NATO says one American and one British soldier were killed.

Afghan, British and U.S. troops are taking part in the operation, designed to oust the Taliban from an area considered to be at the heart of the insurgency.

The United Nations reported Saturday that there has been no increase in Afghans leaving the area as a result of of the operation.

The offensive is the first since Mr. Obama ordered 30,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan in December.

http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/usa/Five-Militants-Killed-in-Afghan-Offensive--84291507.html

 

[S-2]

News as reported for February 14-

Troops Face Gunfights And Minefields In Offensive Against Taliban In Afghanistan-WAPO Feb. 14, 2010

Marines Secure Key Areas In Marjah In Major Assault On Taliban-L.A. Times Feb. 14, 2010

British Spearhead Allied Offensive In Afghanistan-London Times Feb. 14, 2010

A Test For The Meaning Of Victory In Afghanistan-NYT Feb. 14, 2010

Two Allied Deaths In Marjah Highlight Risks-WSJ Feb. 14, 2010

Lots of photos and embedded video for those who don't like to read.

Thanks.

 

[fawwaxs]

Thank you. S-2

 

[qsaark]

It is not that difficult to get rid of the poppy fields at once, GoA have always resisted the call for forcefully eradication of poppy as in these areas poppy production is the sole source of income for the poor farmers, removing the poppy will be equal to removing their livlihood. Otherwise it is not that difficult or costy to get rid of them by poisonign them from air.

I know its about the so called 'sole source' of income but than why hue and cry? On one hand the occupation forces/puppet Kabul regime allow the poppy (based on 'humanitarian' reason), on the other hand they complaint that Taliban/insurgents are benefiting from this. On one hand the poppy farmers are called 'poor farmers', on the other hand, they are also called the 'Taliban working in poppy fields'.

Lets assume for a short period of time that the occupation forces/puppet Kabul regime is letting the 'poor farmers' grow poppy because that is the only source of their 'livelihood', why the poppy harvest is simply not bought out by the 'poor farmers' and destroyed by the occupation forces/puppet Kabul regime? That way, the trafficking of poppy harvest will be controlled through which (by imposing tax) the Taliban/insurgents are claimed to make money.

None of this is happening because cash starved occupation forces are not in a position to throw more cash in the black hole called 'corrupt Kabul regime'. Hence its not only Taliban/insurgents who are benefiting from poppy, but the puppet Kabul regime as much, in fact more. There were several reports on the extremely shady role of the Government officials in particularly Ahmed Wali Karzai (brother of Puppet President Karza) in the drug business.

If you look at the poppy production in Afghanistan, the central and Northern(with the exception of badakhshan) have no or negligible poppy production, much of Western and Eastern Afghanistan are free of poppy, while in the south where the taliban have influecen there is poppy production in great deal.

Its because like every other crop, poppy does not give quality harvest in every part of the world. Some regions of Afghanistan are simply not suitable to grow poppy because of the soil and/or climate.

 

[fatman17]

Marine commander says it could take weeks to fully reclaim Taliban haven

ALFRED de MONTESQUIOU

Associated Press Writer

7:05 a.m. CST, February 14, 2010

MARJAH, Afghanistan (AP) — It could take weeks to reclaim the Taliban stronghold of Marjah, a top Marine commander said Sunday as thousands of U.S. troops and Afghan soldiers fought for a second day in NATO's most ambitious effort yet to break the militants' grip on Afghanistan's dangerous south.

"That doesn't necessarily mean an intense gun battle, but it probably will be 30 days of clearing," Brig. Gen. Larry Nicholson said. "I am more than cautiously optimistic that we will get it done before that."

Squads of Marines and Afghan soldiers occupied a majority of Marjah, but sporadic gun battles erupted as pockets of militants dug in and fought. Sniper fire forced Nicholson to duck behind an earthen bank in the northern part of the city where he toured the tip of the Marines' front line held by Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines.

"The fire we just took reflects how I think this will go — small pockets of sporadic fighting by small groups of very mobile individuals," he said.

Afghan officials said Sunday that at least 27 insurgents have been killed in the operation. NATO reported two troop casualties from the first day of the offensive — an American and a Briton. Seven civilians have been wounded but there were no reports of deaths, Helmand provincial spokesman Daoud Ahmadi said.

The offensive, called "Moshtarak," or "Together," is the biggest joint operation since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan, with 15,000 troops involved, including some 7,500 in Marjah itself.

Between 400 and 1,000 insurgents — including more than 100 foreign fighters — were believed to be holed up in Marjah, a town of 80,000 people that is the linchpin of the militants' logistical and opium-smuggling network in the south.

The second day of the massive NATO offensive was marked by painstaking searches from compound to compound as Marines and Afghan troops used metal detectors and sniffer dogs to locate explosives rigged to blow.

They also encountered pockets of resistance, fighting off sniper attacks, as they moved deeper into the town.

"We're in the majority of the city at this point," said Lt. Josh Diddams, a Marine spokesman. He said the nature of the resistance has changed from the initial assault, with insurgents now holding ground in some neighborhoods.

"We're starting to come across areas where the insurgents have actually taken up defensive positions," he said. "Initially it was more hit and run."

Meanwhile, thousands of other British, Afghan and U.S. troops fanned out across the Nad Ali district to the north of the mud-brick town.

Explosions from controlled detonations of bombs and other explosives were being heard about every 10 minutes in the area.

"There's really a massive amount of improvised explosive devices," Nicholson said. "We thought there would be a lot, but we are finding even more than expected."

NATO forces uncovered 250 kilograms (550 pounds) of ammonium nitrate and other bomb-making materials while clearing a compound in Marjah, a coalition statement said. They also found a weapons cache in Nad Ali that included artillery rounds, pressure plates and blasting caps.

NATO said it hoped to secure Marjah, the largest town under Taliban control, set up a local government and rush in development aid in a first test of the new U.S. strategy for turning the tide of the 8-year-old war.

The United Nations said an estimated 900 families had fled the Marjah area and were registered for emergency assistance in the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) away.

At least two shuras, or council meetings, have already been held with local residents — one in Nad Ali and the other in Marjah itself, NATO said in a statement. Discussions have been "good," and more are planned in coming days as part of a larger strategy to enlist community support for the NATO mission, it said.

President Barack Obama was keeping a close watch on combat operations, White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan was to brief Obama on Sunday.

In Marjah, most of the Marines said they would have preferred a straight-up gunbattle to the "death at every corner" crawl they faced as they made their way through the town.

"Basically, if you hear the boom, it's good. It means you're still alive after the thing goes off," said Lance Corp. Justin Hennes, 22, of Lakeland, Florida.

Local Marjah residents crept out from hiding after dawn Sunday, some reaching out to Afghan troops partnered with Marine platoons.

"Could you please take the mines out?" Mohammad Kazeem, a local pharmacist, asked the Marines through an interpreter. The entrance to his shop had been completely booby-trapped, without any way for him to re-enter his home, he said.

___

Associated Press writers Noor Khan in Kandahar, Rahim Faiez and Heidi Vogt in Kabul, and Robert Burns in Washington contributed to this report.

 

[fatman17]

Coalition troops find 'minimal interference' in assault on Taliban

From Atia Abawi, CNN

February 14, 2010 3:09

Afghanistan offensive details

President Obama was to be briefed by national security adviser on Saturday
Afghan president urges "absolute caution," but two civilians were injured
One Briton and one American killed in Operation Moshtarak
15,000 multinational troops take part in effort to attack Taliban in area

Marjah, Afghanistan (CNN) -- The major coalition assault against the Taliban in southern Afghanistan claimed the lives of two coalition troops, but military officials regard the hours-old push in war-ravaged Helmand province as very promising.

"So far, so good," said British military spokesman Maj. Gen. Gordon Messenger, who told reporters in London that commanders are "very pleased" with the siege in the Marjah region, a Taliban-dominated agricultural area dotted with villages.

He said key objectives such as securing key bridges and roads were being reached with "minimal interference" by Taliban militants unable to put up a "coherent response."

"The Taliban appear confused and disoriented," Messenger said, but tempered his optimism with the reminder that the operation is not yet done.

A U.S. military official confirmed one U.S. Marine was killed in small arms fire, and a British soldier was killed in an explosion.

President Obama was following the progress of the operation and was to speak to National Security Adviser Gen. Jim Jones about it later in the day, said White House spokesman Tommy Vietor.

Jones recently completed a five-day trip to Pakistan and Afghanistan, where he met with senior Afghan, U.S., and International Security Assistance Force-Afghanistan leadership and traveled to Kabul, Kandahar, Jalalabad, and Panjshir.



Coalition forces carry out Operation Moshtarak The terrain is so tough that four lightly wounded troops whose injuries normally wouldn't need medical evacuation had to be airlifted for treatment.

One NATO official, Flight Commander Wendy Wheadon, said forces have discovered large amounts of explosives, such as 155-mm artillery shells, 10 improvised explosive devices and bullets from a Soviet-made antiaircraft weapon. They also discovered 2 kilograms of heroin.

Peter Bergen: Kandahar, not Marjah, is game-changer

Maj. Gen. Messenger said a number of improvised explosive devices have been identified by the population.

In an effort to avoid civilian casualties, NATO forces announced the offensive before it started to alert citizens to take cover. In the past few days, forces from Afghanistan, Britain and other nations conducted air and ground operations to prepare for the assault. They also dropped leaflets in and around Marjah warning residents not to allow the Taliban to enter their homes. And meetings with local leaders, or shuras, have been held as NATO forces tried to get Afghans on their side, the British military official told CNN.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Saturday urged Afghan and international troops to exercise "absolute caution" and ensure there were no civilian casualties. However, there were at least two civilian injuries -- two teens whose house was taken over by the Taliban and used to attack U.S. troops, the Marines said. Four coalition troops were injured.

More on Operation Moshtarak from Afghanistan

The coalition said its troops expected to confront up to 1,000 entrenched Taliban fighters. It expects foreign Taliban fighters to battle to the death, and is preparing for local Taliban members in Marjah to try to escape. Roads, bridges and marketplaces are being secured while compounds are being searched, the British military official said.

Key challenges to the offensive now is determining the strength of the insurgency left in the area and whether after the offensive Afghans will stick with their government.

Officials hope Afghan forces and the government will be able to maintain control and generate the allegiance of the citizenry and provide farmers an alternative to growing the poppy that pervades the region.

Wheadon said forces have already begun working with local leaders to begin the transition of authority as troops move into Marjah, a place thought to be the last Taliban stronghold in the southern Afghanistan province of Helmand.

Messenger said tribal councils have been set up welcoming the operations. He cited one of the shuras in one area where 150 tribal elders gathered.

"NATO sees this as a success," Messenger said. "The elders believe ISAF is here to stay."

Journalist Mati Matiullah and Correspondents Nic Robertson,Frederik Pleitgen and Barbara Starr contributed to this report

 

[Ahmad]

I know its about the so called 'sole source' of income but than why hue and cry?

It is because poppy production causes all sort of problems for Afganistan. It is the sole income for some people and gov is trying to replace with it something legal.

On one hand the occupation forces/puppet Kabul regime allow the poppy (based on 'humanitarian' reason), on the other hand they complaint that Taliban/insurgents are benefiting from this.

Look, if I dont say anything bad about your gov, you dont have the right to badmouth my gov and call it puppet. Hope the admins see this and warn you about it. Secondly, GoA is not allowing people to grow poppy, but they are trying hard to replace it with something else by giving people more choices. We had high rate of poppy prodution in the north before, but by successfully applying specific programmes ,the north is now free of opium, especially Balkh province. and yes the taliban are benefiting from this illegal trade thats why the gov and international community want to put an end to it, but they dont want this to happen in a revolutionary way.


On one hand the poppy farmers are called 'poor farmers', on the other hand, they are also called the 'Taliban working in poppy fields'.

Nobody is mixing up the farmers with the talibn, it is only your notion.


Lets assume for a short period of time that the occupation forces/puppet Kabul regime is letting the 'poor farmers' grow poppy because that is the only source of their 'livelihood', why the poppy harvest is simply not bought out by the 'poor farmers' and destroyed by the occupation forces/puppet Kabul regime? That way, the trafficking of poppy harvest will be controlled through which (by imposing tax) the Taliban/insurgents are claimed to make money.

Nobody is letting anyone by choice to grow poppy, they grow it and the gov dont like it and that does not mean that the gov should get rid of it at once and leave the farmers with nothing to survive on, instead they are applying programmes to give the farmers more choice, Gulab Mangal a successful(compare to the previouse ones) gov of Helmand has managed to reduce poppy in helmand by 30 percent this year, it wasnt by force, but giving the farmers more choice to switch from poppy to other things.

Its because like every other crop, poppy does not give quality harvest in every part of the world. Some regions of Afghanistan are simply not feasible to grow poppy because of the soil and/or climate.

in the whole north we had the history of poppy fields, so this theory does not apply there or west/east of the country which are also almost poppy free. in some other places of the world you might be right.

 

[waraich66]

US Marines under fire in Marjah operation

Sunday, 14 Feb, 2010
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A US Marine from Bravo Company of the 1st Battalion, 6th Marines runs during a heavy gun battle in the town of Marjah. —Reuters Photo
World
US troop surge in Afghanistan to begin next week
US troop surge in Afghanistan to begin next week

MARJAH: US Marines came under intense fire on Sunday after taking over a building in the heart of a Taliban stronghold targeted by a Nato-led offensive designed to put the Afghan government back in charge.

Taliban fighters unleashed automatic gunfire at Nato helicopters flying in and out of the town of Marjah, and fired on Marines at a ceremony to raise the Afghan flag over a building to mark progress in the offensive.

Captain Ryan Sparks compared the intensity of the fighting to the US-led offensive against militants in the Iraqi town of Fallujah in 2004.

“In Fallujah, it was just as intense. But there, we started from the north and worked down to the south. In Marjah, we’re coming in from different locations and working toward the centre, so we’re taking fire from all angles,” Sparks said.

The offensive, one of Nato’s biggest against the Taliban since the Afghan war began in 2001, is an early test of US

Unlike Fallujah, where massive US firepower demolished the city and left great bitterness against the US-backed Iraqi government, the Marjah assault aims to eliminate militants while building goodwill for Afghan forces who will take over the area.

Marines in helicopters landed in Marjah district, the last big Taliban stronghold in Helmand province, on Saturday at the start of a campaign to impose government control on rebel-held areas before US forces start a planned 2011 drawdown.

“I have always dreamed of raising the Afghanistan flag over Marjah,” said 22-year-old Afghan soldier Almast Khan at the flag ceremony, before Marines protecting the building started coming under fire.

US forces fired mortar rounds against a Taliban position on Sunday, and the militants fired a round back which landed in the Marines’ compound but failed to explode. The Marines responded by firing rockets at the suspected militant position.

A senior Afghan army general in southern Afghanistan, Sher Mohammad Zazai, told Reuters on Sunday that between 30 to 35 insurgents had been killed since the operation in Marjah and the nearby Nad Ali districts started.

Talaban will teach lesson to US-NATO forces, they will forget fallujah lolzzzzzzzzzzz

look at face of US soldier running for cover his @zz whacked

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect...-marines-under-fire-in-marjah-operation-ha-03

 

[qsaark]

Look, if I dont say anything bad about your gov, you dont have the right to badmouth my gov and call it puppet.

Your government is a puppet so long the occupation forces are there and even your president needs their protection. You don't want your Government to be called puppet, derive out the occupation forces and take control of your own country. Besides, its not me, a large majority of Afghans (who are fighting against the occupation forces) also call it a puppet regime.

Hope the admins see this and warn you about it.

I'll wait for that warning; though I believe that most admins are not brain washed to a level where they'll start recognizing a puppet regime a legitimate one which is primarily composed of criminal warlords, and stooges who before the occupation did not even have the Afghan passports and were mainly residing in the western countries for decades. These are the same stooges who when their motherland was invaded by the Soviets, decided either to side with occupation forces (puppet Babrak Karmel and Najeeb regimes in Kabul) or opted to leave the country instead of fighting against the occupation forces

We had high rate of poppy prodution in the north before, but by successfully applying specific programmes ,the north is now free of opium, especially Balkh province.

It will come back you watch; the cash starved occupation forces will not continue to throw money for these compensations for ever.

and yes the taliban are benefiting from this illegal trade thats why the gov and international community want to put an end to it, but they dont want this to happen in a revolutionary way.

So do the corrupt officials of the puppet regime. I am not saying this, even the most biased Western press is also accepting this.

Nobody is mixing up the farmers with the talibn, it is only your notion.

This is from your beloved master: "Finally, many of their local fighters are also farmers whom derive much of their livlihood from opium. Taliban operations are timed to permit their fighters the opportunity to work their fields.

The taliban are knee-deep in dope and have been for years. Your comment is ludicrous in the face of the evidence to the contrary.

You might do yourself a favor and save the links. You need the education, it seems".

Nobody is letting anyone by choice to grow poppy, they grow it and the gov dont like it and that does not mean that the gov should get rid of it at once and leave the farmers with nothing to survive on...

Why the occupation forces/puppet Kabul regime don't buy and destroy the harvest?

..instead they are applying programmes to give the farmers more choice, Gulab Mangal a successful(compare to the previouse ones) gov of Helmand has managed to reduce poppy in helmand by 30 percent this year, it wasnt by force, but giving the farmers more choice to switch from poppy to other things.

Programs such as? What kind of programs are practical in a war torn country?

In the whole north we had the history of poppy fields, so this theory does not apply there or west/east of the country which are also almost poppy free. in some other places of the world you might be right.

I don't know of the history of poppy fields in the mountains. But even if that is true, its because of continuous pouring of money into those regions which is not sustainable.

 

[Spring Onion]

updates on Operation Mushriq


NATO: Troops miss target, kill 12 Afghan civilians


By ALFRED de MONTESQUIOU, Associated Press Writer Alfred De Montesquiou, Associated Press Writer – 3 mins ago
MARJAH, Afghanistan – Twelve Afghans died Sunday when two rockets fired at insurgents missed their target and struck a house during the second day of NATO's most ambitious effort yet to break the militants' grip on the country's dangerous south.

Thousands of NATO and Afghan troops encountered pockets of resistance, fighting off sniper attacks, as they moved deeper into Marjah, a town of 80,000 people that is the linchpin of the militants' logistical and opium-smuggling network in Helmand province.

Marines and Afghan troops used metal detectors and sniffer dogs, searching compound to compound for explosives rigged to explode. Blasts from controlled detonations could be heard about every 10 minutes north of Marjah.

Afghan and international troops want to secure the area, set up a local government and rush in development aid in what is seen as the first test of the new U.S. strategy for turning the tide of the 8-year-old war. The civilian deaths were a blow to NATO and the Afghan government's attempts to win the allegiance of Afghans and get them to turn away from the insurgents.

NATO said two rockets from a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System were aimed at insurgents firing on Afghan and NATO forces, but stuck 1,000 feet (300 meters) off their intended target.

"We deeply regret this tragic loss of life," said Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the top commander in Afghanistan. "The current operation in central Helmand is aimed at restoring security and stability to this vital area of Afghanistan. It's regrettable that in the course of our joint efforts, innocent lives were lost."

McChrystal said he had apologized to Afghan President Hamid Karzai for the accident and had suspended the use of the rocket system until the incident can be reviewed.

Karzai issued a statement minutes earlier saying 10 members of the same family died when the rocket hit a house in Marjah. He ordered an investigation into who fired the rocket. Before the offensive began on Saturday, Karzai pleaded with Afghan and foreign military leaders to be "seriously careful for the safety of civilians."

On the first day of the offensive, NATO reported two troop casualties — an American and a Briton. Afghan officials said at least 27 insurgents have been killed in the operation.

The offensive, called "Moshtarak," or "Together," is the biggest joint operation since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan, with 15,000 troops involved, including some 7,500 in Marjah itself. Most of the NATO forces taking part are American or British.

Between 400 and 1,000 insurgents — including more than 100 foreign fighters — were believed to be holed up in Marjah.

"We're in the majority of the city at this point," said Lt. Josh Diddams, a Marine spokesman. He said the nature of the resistance has changed from the initial assault, with insurgents now holding ground in some neighborhoods.

"We're starting to come across areas where the insurgents have actually taken up defensive positions," he said. "Initially it was more hit and run."

It could take weeks to completely reclaim Marjah, according to Brig. Gen. Larry Nicholson, a top Marine commander in the south.

"That doesn't necessarily mean an intense gun battle, but it probably will be 30 days of clearing," Nicholson said. "I am more than cautiously optimistic that we will get it done before that."

Sniper fire forced Nicholson to duck behind an earthen bank in the northern part of the town where he toured the tip of the Marines' front line held by Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines.

"The fire we just took reflects how I think this will go — small pockets of sporadic fighting by small groups of very mobile individuals," he said.

He said insurgents riddled the area with explosives. "We thought there would be a lot," he said, "but we are finding even more than expected."

NATO forces uncovered 250 kilograms (550 pounds) of ammonium nitrate and other bomb-making materials while clearing a compound in Marjah, a coalition statement said. They also found a weapons cache in Nad Ali, which lies to the north, that included artillery rounds, pressure plates and blasting caps.

The United Nations said an estimated 900 families had fled the Marjah area and were registered for emergency assistance in the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) away.

At least two shuras, or council meetings, have already been held with local residents — one in Nad Ali and the other in Marjah itself, NATO said in a statement. Discussions have been "good," and more are planned in coming days as part of a larger strategy to enlist community support for the NATO mission, it said.

In Marjah, most of the Marines said they would have preferred a straight-up gunbattle to the "death at every corner" crawl they faced as they made their way through the town.

"Basically, if you hear the boom, it's good. It means you're still alive after the thing goes off," said Lance Corp. Justin Hennes, 22, of Lakeland, Florida.

Local Marjah residents crept out from hiding after dawn Sunday, some reaching out to Afghan troops partnered with Marine platoons.

"Could you please take the mines out?" Mohammad Kazeem, a local pharmacist, asked the Marines through an interpreter. The entrance to his shop had been completely booby-trapped, without any way for him to re-enter his home, he said.

___

Associated Press writers Noor Khan in Kandahar, Rahim Faiez in Helmand province and Heidi Vogt in Kabul contributed to this report.

NATO: Troops miss target, kill 12 Afghan civilians - Yahoo! News
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[pkd]

NATO killed 12 civilians in Afghan offensive

Nato has confirmed that two rockets fired at militants during its offensive in Helmand, south Afghanistan, missed their target and killed 12 civilians.

The rockets struck a house in Marjah as thousands of Nato troops continued their operations to oust the Taliban.

Nato's commander Gen Stanley McChrystal said that "we deeply regret this tragic loss of life".

Coalition forces are aiming to build on gains in Operation Moshtarak, tackling snipers and booby-traps on day two.

A third Nato death related to the operation has also been confirmed.

Operation Moshtarak, meaning "together" in the Dari language, is the biggest coalition attack since the Taliban fell in 2001.

The operation is also the first big test of US President Barack Obama's new "surge" strategy for Afghanistan.

Rocket system suspended

Civilian casualties have been a key concern for the Nato-led offensive.

The regions targeted were leafleted well in advance to minimise casualties.

President Hamid Karzai has called for an investigation into the civilian deaths, his office said. Mr Karzai had urged Nato ahead of the operation to be careful to avoid civilian casualties.

His office said in a statement that it believed at least 10 of those killed were from the same family.

Nato said in a statement: "Two rockets from a High Mobility Artillery Rocket System launched at insurgents firing upon Afghan and [Nato] forces impacted approximately 300 metres (980ft) off their intended target, killing 12 civilians."

Gen McChrystal said: "The current operation in Central Helmand is aimed at restoring security and stability to this vital area of Afghanistan.

"It's regrettable that in the course of our joint efforts, innocent lives were lost.

"We extend our heartfelt sympathies and will ensure we do all we can to avoid future incidents."

The use of the the rocket system involved has been suspended pending a review.

Meanwhile, US, UK and Afghan forces have faced gun battles and numerous booby-traps on day two of the offensive in Marjah and Nad Ali in Helmand province.

The BBC's Frank Gardner, at Nato's Kandahar headquarters, says that building by building, compound by compound, US Marines and British troops are trying to clear the two districts of hundreds, possibly thousands, of booby traps planted by the insurgents.

But, our correspondent says, the real challenge is still to come: building lasting security for the residents of central Helmand.

Many residents are believed to be cautious about welcoming government forces for fear they will soon depart again.

Casualties

The operation began before dawn on Saturday when more than 15,000 troops flew into central Helmand.

American forces, led by 4,000 Marines, are focusing on Marjah, while 4,000 British troops are in Nad Ali.

A large Afghan force, as well as Canadians, Danes and Estonians, is also involved.

Three Isaf deaths related to Operation Moshtarak have been confirmed.

On Saturday, a British soldier, of 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, died in a bomb blast in Nad Ali, while a US soldier was killed by gunfire in Marjah.

On Sunday, another service member was killed in an IED attack.

At least 20 Taliban fighters were killed and another 11 detained on Saturday, an Afghan commander said.

'Going well'

At a Ministry of Defence briefing in London, Maj Gen Gordon Messenger said the operation had so far "gone to plan".

"Nothing has stopped the mission from progressing," he said, although UK troops had taken small-arms fire.

AFP quoted President Obama's top security adviser, Gen James Jones, as also saying the offensive was "going well".

President Obama will be briefed on Sunday by the US commander in Afghanistan, Gen Stanley McChrystal.

BBC News - Afghan civilians killed in strike by Nato rockets

 

[Thomas]

MARJAH, Afghanistan — Taliban insurgents tried to overrun a U.S. Marine outpost with a combination of rocket-propelled grenades and homicide bombers in a brazen attack just after sundown on Sunday.

The Marines and Afghan soldiers fended off the assault, shooting the homicide attackers before they had a chance to detonate their weapons.

The attack took place on the second day of a major offensive to wrest control of this town of 75,000 people from the Taliban insurgents who have dominated it for years.

Also on Sunday, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization said that coalition rockets missed their intended target and killed 12 Afghan civilians.

The Marines and Afghan soldiers landed by helicopter on the first day of the offensive and set up camp at the Koru Chareh bazaar, a central commercial district in Marjah. On Sunday, the troops raised the Afghan flag above the bazaar to send the message that the town was gradually reverting to Kabul's control after years of being ruled by the Taliban.

Around 7 p.m., however, insurgents launched a barrage of rocket-propelled grenades at the entrance to the outpost. Three men then rushed toward the opening, but the Marines killed them by tossing a volley of hand grenades before they were able to set off their explosives, according to Lt. Col. Calvin Worth, commander of the 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment.

"It's obvious the enemy is trying last-ditch efforts," said Lt. Col. Worth, whose 1,500-strong battalion is spearheading the Marjah offensive. His Company B was the target of Sunday's attack.

Lt. Col. Worth was unsure if there were more fighters waiting to assault the Marine position had the suicide bombers succeeded in getting inside. No Marines or Afghan servicemen were reported injured in the attack.

 

[sherdil76]

Who are the governors of these provinces? Taliban?

Why occupation forces did not destroy the poppy crop? Because several Div of Taliban Army protecting those fields and had installed SA300/400 around?

What the drones and spy satellites doing? Maybe fields were under underground.

Why the transportation of the harvest could not be intercepted and traffickers controlled? Because there were underground massive tunnels opening into neighboring Pakistan.

Thirty six percent reduction? I am all too aware of these statistical gimmicks, why it was not down to zero when the occupation forces had all means available to them to do so? After eight year long occupation its only 36% down.....

they simply dont accept the reality and denying their own published information.

taliban bring the peace in sfghanistan though they did some mistakes, like every govt in rest of the world. west which highlights the punishment, especially to women by taliban but they dont dare to speak about chopping off the heads of the criminals in KSA. Strange!

concept of Punishment is to impose something unpleasant or aversive on a person in response to disobedience, defiance, or behaviour deemed morally wrong by law. which act as a measure of prevention to those who are contemplating illicit/unwanted activity.

for Muslims our law (and also the code of life) is what Allah (in Quran) and Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) have told us so are our punishments.

and that fear of punishment made it possible to cut the 200k acres of poppy cultivation to less than 20k in just one year. which nobody could ever achieve. but their big mouths never stop talking dirty about Taliban.

regarding the current occupation and temporary cleansing operations, i agree with what my-ex boss used to say

 

[waraich66]

Afghanistan: Taliban 'vanish' before Nato offensive

It is estimated there were between 400 and 1,000 militants based in southern Helmand before Nato forces launched Operation Moshtarak.

Correspondents say most of the Taliban appear to have scattered, leaving behind many roadside bombs.

However the fear is they may be waiting to regroup and stage attacks later.

Frank Gardner reports from Kandahar.

15000+ soldiers searching for enemy

 

[Ahmad]

taliban bring the pease in sfghanistan though they did some mistakes, like every govt in rest of the world.

They did some mistakes? Is it safe if I say the TTP are good organization and good people, but they have done some mistakes just like the others?