The Offensive Begins…
It’s official: the U.S. military, led by the Marines, have ramped up a new offensive in Afghanistan in order to make the country more secure. Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan, near Kandahar, is the locus of this new offensive. Long a Taliban stronghold, the south of the country has been the most risky and least secure area for American and coalition forces.
Initially, the Marines and NATO troops met little to no resistance; what remains to be seen is the Taliban strategy. Are they on the run, or is this a strategic move to lure troops into a more difficult/dangerous place to fight?
This fight is just beginning, and no doubt will have many twists and turns along the way. But this is part of President Obama’s plan to finally secure Afghanistan and start the process of giving the country back to its people.
Personally, I’m not sure how this will all work out, for obvious reasons. Military maneuvers do not necessarily create political solutions. There are still questions about how Afghanis feel about our presence and new offensive. Plus, logistically there are numerous issues in creating a new society.
None of this touches on the major problems of corruption and drug trafficking, which are still weighing very heavily on Afghan society. Marines, stealth bombers and heavy artillery aren’t made to solve these types of problems. Hopefully, they can provide some “breathing space” needed to push the government forward and force it to make much needed changes.
To all those fighting for this cause, good luck and Godspeed. With any luck and some very talented people leading the charge, this could be the beginning of a new era.
For additional information on Afghanistan:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35369975/ns/world_news-south_and_central_asia/
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35387923/ns/world_news-the_new_york_times/
How many years exactly has it been since American declared war on terrorism? This question may not matter to the topic at hand but it does relate to it. So the Marines are on the move. But the question still remains. How much longer.
Just as Mr Louge said, all the firepower and artillery guns are not the necessary eqiupment needed to rise this broken down countrry back on its knees. These people do not need American troops smashing through thier backwards trying to supress a dog with its tail between its legs. The only thing that the people of this country need is themssleves. Just like every nation under the stars, a country cannot become a country unless te people fight and strive for what they want.
Don’t misunderstand. I’,m not saying that the offensive strike is a bad idea. Not at all. However, i am saying that if the American troops keep on fighting the battles for a people that don’t care top raise thier voice, how long wil they keep fighting? When does the strong anf friendly American know when to allow their friend to strike back?
American soldiers have fough hard and well over the past years. They have died and suffered the bites of the cowardly dogs known as terrorism. But when are they going to let the natives of the country stand up and fight. All i’m saing is that, evry country has its fights. Whose is it now? Theirs or ours?