US Marines under fire ahead of Afghan assault

[laststeamtrain]

Source: AFP

US Marines under fire ahead of Afghan assault
by Patrick Baz Wed Feb 10, 7:19 am ET

OUTSKIRTS OF MARJAH, Afghanistan (AFP) – US Marines came under attack from insurgents armed with sniper guns and rocket-propelled grenades as they geared up Wednesday to overwhelm a Taliban bastion in Afghanistan.

Thousands of Marines along with foreign and Afghan soldiers are massing around the town of Marjah in Helmand, which officials say is one of the last areas of the southern province under Taliban control.

The flow of residents fleeing the imminent offensive has slowed, provincial officials said, after loaded-down cars, trucks, tractors and buses clogged roads from Marjah to provincial capital Lashkah Gar for days.

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The operation, expected to begin in days, will be the biggest push since US President Barack Obama announced a new surge of troops to Afghanistan and one of the biggest since the 2001 US-led invasion defeated the Taliban regime.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100210/wl_sthasia_afp/afghanistanunrest

[Mari333]

1. bring them home.

been saying that for almost 9 yrs.

[TwilightGardener]

2. Good luck to them. Hope they stay safe.

[Arctic Dave]

3. The marines or the afghans?

[TwilightGardener]

4. Marines and civilians.

[Bigmack]

5. Usual role for Marines... Live Bait! nt

[dipsydoodle]

6. Would seem like

the Taliban are somewhat underwhelmed by the imminent threat.

By the time it occurs maybe the marines will be singing "Come Mr Taliban carry me bananas , daylight come and me wanna go home."

[hayu_lol]

7. Most vets will probably agree with me...

not a good idea to broadcast the fact that we are massing for an attack well in advance of the actual attack. Matter of fact, it is downright criminally stupid.

[PacerLJ35]

8. I'm not surprised the Taliban is pressing the attack now...

We basically told them "hey, the Marines are about to attack you in a few days". They are not stupid...I just wish we'd stop broadcasting our intentions all over the internet and news media.

[Winterblues]

9. I think there was definite purpose in doing so this time.

They want civilians out of the area, and if Taliban leave as well, then so be it. they won't have to fight them. They are not going up against any Conventional force so broadcasting an attack in advance is not a real problem. As long as they have good mine sweeps they should be just fine.

[classysassy]

10. History has taught us nothing

this phony war is draining the treasury,but that does not seem to matter as long as the warmonger get richer,and the poor keep suffering untold misery,I was always told that America was a human country,I am beginning to wonder if thats true.Our troops murder civilians in foreign lands for no other reason than we can,we call them terrorist while we are terrorizing them.Bring our troops home and stop the madness.The history of the far and middle east,check it out its in the history books,America has never won a land war in the middle or far east.Japan was defeated not by land troop,it was because we used the most deadly weapon on the face of this earth to destroy two large cities,they realized there would be more coming(atom bombs) if they didn't surrender,well we can never use those bombs again,so we use the poor and needy as cannon fodder until someone says well thats enough,all those poor souls killed for nothing more than mans greed.Are we human or inhuman,history will tell.

[Rapier09]

11. The Taliban must be laughing themselves to death

A truly awful way to fight a war.