Upper Gereshk: The Helmand plan meets tough reality
A long BBC report after three weeks being with the USMC, which opens with:
Quote:
After 10 years in Afghanistan, foreign troops can claim successes in the notorious province of Helmand - but a vicious guerrilla war still rages in the Upper Gereshk valley, which US marines are in the process of handing back to British forces.
Captain Andrew Terrell deployed here with the Royal Marines 40 Commando in 2007 and:
Quote:
not a lot has changed. The situation is no better. The people here are not fed up with the fighting, they've not reached the limit of what they're willing to accept from the Taliban. It's easier for them to move out of the area and hope it settles down, but they don't look much further than tomorrow.
Link:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-14897977
From the tone I'd expect a film report to appear, but nothing is shown on the link.
Looking back to look forward
I'll echo Bill's comment and thanks to Tequila. I'd missed the NAF report on Helmand and wonder if anything has changed since September 2010, in Helmand for the locals.
Citing Bill now and if we had concentrated on:
Quote:
local grievances and concerns
and the principle of reducing harm to the locals, would we have achieved our objectives in Helmand and Afghanistan?
I know we have attempted to look back at Iraq in the past, then looked around at other conflicts, both active and potential. If we adapted the principles of local issues first and reducing harm to the local populace would that satisfy our strategic objectives?
Or returning to the Imperial practice in the ungoverned spaces of punitive action and leaving promptly having delivered a message.
As always, METT-TC applies.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
davidbfpo
Or returning to the Imperial practice in the ungoverned spaces of punitive action and leaving promptly having delivered a message.
However, properly conducted that was, is and can be very effective far more times than not...
We did leave the ANSF some water
Maybe the final operational post on this episode in USMC history. I cite a WaPo article on the logistics of exiting. Here is one thing left behind (as did the UK):
Quote:
The Marines decided to leave 420,000 bottles of water, which if lined up end to end would stretch for more than 50 miles.
Link:http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/...d5_story.html?
I do wonder if anything was moved overland to Karachi (which is subject of a thread on OEF logistics).