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Taliban Unleash Major Assault on Kandahar
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by Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke | May 8, 2011 at 08:12 am
209 views | 5 Recommendations | 5 comments
For the second day in a row, Afghan Security Forces have clashed with militants in Kandahar City, Afghanistan. The Taliban unleashed a major assault on the city Saturday, vowing to gain control of the city. 25 people have died in the recent firefights.
For weeks the public has been told that the war in Afghanistan is progressing well and that the transition to Afghan Security Forces would commence this summer, with withdrawal of of some U.S./NATO Forces in July 2011. The transition is to be completed by 2014.
The U.S. Administrations strategy included a surge of 30,000 troops, which are mostly located in Southern Afganistan. The Obama Administration has also intensified Drone attacks into the tribal areas of Pakistan.
A week ago, U.S. President Obama, announced that Operation Geronimo had taken place into a compound and that Osama Bin Laden had been killed. There was jubilation throughout the country, with crowds cheering USA USA outside the White House and in Time Square in New York. Sadly the killing of Osama Bin Ladin did not end the war on terror or the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Libya is considered by many a stalemate and there is a good chance that Libya will be divided with Qadaffi still in charge of Western Libya, despite constant air attacks by NATO.
The Taliban, which announced the commencement of their spring offensive the day prior to the Bin Ladin Operation, assaulted government buildings in Kandahar yesterday, but Afghan Security Forces, supported by NATO forces, were able to able to secure government buildings that had been attacked. Fighting had stopped overnight, but a firefight erupted again when Afghan Security Forces started and operation to clear the city's Kandahar Hotel. It is not known how many insurgents are held up there.
According to Afghan officials, 23 insurgents and 2 Afghan Security personnel have been killed and 40 people have been wounded. The Governor of Kandahar says that the situation is under control, however the Interior Ministry contradicts this saying that they had not gained total control.
Most of the insurgents are said to be from the prisoners that escaped through a tunnel. The Taliban operation was apparently planned over several months and is not related to the killing of Osama Bin Laden.
The Taliban claim that more than 100 insurgents are part of the operation. NATO, while it doesn't have a confirmed estimate, believes that 40-60 insurgents took part.
Despite the relative calm over winter, it is obvious that the Taliban are not about to lay down and play dead. So much for the Bin Ladin factor, no Mission Accomplished yet.
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Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpokeat 10:06 on May 9th, 2011
Remaining in Afghanistan as a fighting force is not very popular. The problem also is that Kandahar is now full of American troops. I am not sure that we want our troops thrown in the same category. There is no doubt that Canadian troops have done an excellent job over the past nine years, but without tangible progress it is difficult to support remaining in the worst place in Afghanistan.
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Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpokeat 14:51 on May 9th, 2011
I fully understand where you're coming from. To get to where Afghanistan is to get to requires many players, including the remainder of NATO countries and of course the U.S. Personally I think we have done a lot of the heavy slugging in Kandahar and we need to take a break there. Having said that, if there is a commitment by other NATO nations to try and sort the mess out using the 3D (Diplomatic, Development and Defence) Plan, then I would agree that we should be part of that. Our mission, when it started in 2004 was supposed to do just that.
As you know that requires security and willing partners in the governing portion. Development also requires security but is hard with 2800 troops and only one battle group, which also has to operate out of FOBs. For the most part, I would think for now the Americans are patrolling the villages. With the VanDoos winding down all that will be left is the clean up at Kandahar Airfield and the move of Timmies lol.
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Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpokeat 09:05 on May 8th, 2011
I am afraid you are right Ethel. Being simplistic about it is certainly not helpful. Thanks very much for commenting.
at 07:52 on May 9th, 2011
This being said, why does our government insist on pulling troops? The fight is not over, so we made a mess and now we are going to leave it. Justifying it by saying the US and Brits are leaving certainly does not make it right. If anything, Canada should take a stand and say "look, the fighting is not done, we are staying on, and you should too." To allow all the Western troops to leave over the next year, with the job half done, is to leave the door open to more hatred and violence from the region. Particularly now, with a Conservative majority government, Canada should be charting a course towards regaining some standing in the world. But considering the ammount of lost face the Conservatives caused over the last year, I suppose that is a forlorn hope.
at 11:14 on May 9th, 2011
The lack of tangible results is because of a lack of clear mission or purpose. I am in agreement that our troops might be better off in a different theatre within the country than the US troops, as much to spread out coverage as to keep the two distinct in the eyes of the people, and to avoid any more "friendly fire" incidences (the same reason the Brits took the South, and the US the North in Iraq, with other nations in between). Give the troops a clear mandate, and then ramp up efforts to train the Afghan security forces to take over. But if all the NATO troops leave, all humanitarian efforts, and rebuilding projects will likely fall apart in short order, as there is no security or stability.
The Canadian government workers rarely leave Kandahar airfield as it is, for fear of being injured or killed. Without precise goals apart from kill more Taliban than they kill of our troops or allies, it is difficult to demonstrate any solid success. That again comes back to a failure by the government to give them these objectives and goals.
As for the unpopularity of keeping combat troops on the ground, a large part of that is partisan politics on the part of the opposition parties, using the military as a hot button issue. Nothing new there in Canadian politics, crucifying the military is almost a right of passage for most MPs. A better understanding of why the troops are there, such as the little girls who get shot at or have acid thrown in their faces, because they are on their way to school, and there are no troops in the area to protect them, or the young men, who have no education or employment opportunities, indoctrinated by the Taliban and addicted to drugs, sent back to their country to kill innocent people, because the Taliban know that the Westerners lack the stomach for such brutality... If the government made an effort to demonstrate how integral the mission is, and politicians stood behind our troops, rather than giving htem lip-service and then cutting their budget all in the same breath, Canadians would be much more supportive....
The consequences of abandoning these people now, ill-equipped to cope with the reprisals they will face, will only lead to bigger problems in the future.... True, the Afghan forces are better trained and equipped than they previously had been. Let them do the brunt of the combat action. But keep training and security forces on the ground, protecting aid workers, and finishing the job of rebuilding the military and police into something their people can not only trust, but be proud of... We toppled their government, gave them a glimpse at freedom, it would be a crime to dash their hopes before they have a chance to mature....