Kandahar Province: catch all thread

[Copperhead]

Not that you'd know it because apparently the entire US media is focused on USMC operations in Helmand, but the Army's 5/2 Stryker BCT has arrived and is already conducting operations in Kandahar. But you have to google it and/or check the Canadian newspapers to read about it.

[davidbfpo]

Linked here from SWJ Blog as they are both valuable to this topic:

http://smallwarsjournal.com/blog/200...for-k/#c006057 and earlier http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...ead.php?t=9154

[Steve the Planner]

Forgive the historical analogy, but the Rulers of Qandahar alwys seemed to control the main fild of things down to Quetta and across to the Helmand.

I keep looking at a decentralized Afghan structure as nothing new, but the traditional Mayor (read Ruler) of Kabul, Mayor of Herat, Mayor of Qandahar thing.

Now,what does it mean to "control Kandahar? Take and control the city itself 24/7? A control line around the city, or a wall like Samarra?

My understanding was that there are many well-established neighborhoods, each with their own power structures. Do you engage enough of them, or, like the Brits in Baghdad in the old days, just hold enough neighborhoods to protect government and the polo club?

Does the city matter in an absolute sense, or is it just controlling the region, or precluding/limiting bad guys?

What's it worth? (Everything? Nothing?)

Steve