Marines Do Heavy Lifting as Afghan Army Lags in Battle

[Bigmack]

Source: NYTimes

MARJA, Afghanistan — As American Marines and Afghan soldiers have fought their way into this Taliban stronghold, the performance of the Afghan troops has tested a core premise of the American military effort here: in the not-too-distant future, the security of this country can be turned over to indigenous forces created at the cost of American money and blood.

Scenes from this corner of the battlefield, observed over eight days by two New York Times journalists, suggest that the day when the Afghan Army will be well led and able to perform complex operations independently, rather than merely assist American missions, remains far off.

The effort to train the Afghan Army has long been troubled, with soldiers and officers repeatedly falling short. And yet after nearly a decade of American and European mentorship and many billions of dollars of American taxpayer investment, American and Afghan officials have portrayed the Afghan Army as the force out front in this important offensive against the Taliban.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/21/world/asia/21afghan.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=a1

---

Who would have thought?

[WriteDown]

1. Anybody seeing the jumping jack video could have predicted this. nt

[Ernesto]

2. Vietnam lives on!

been there,,, seen it.

[Bigmack]

3. You mean....

"How about some Afghan army rifles... never been fired and only dropped once."..?

(edited for location and historical time)

[msongs]

4. they will take all the $$$ and tangible goods we provide, then melt away lol nt

[Webster Green]

5. It's the hashish.

They're more into smoking hash than looking for the Taliban.

[Oregone]

[Oregone]

6. Hashish Army strikes again

[IndianaGreen]

7. ISAF = I see Americans fighting

Different war, but same old shit.

[bertman]

8. You have to admit that they aren't stupid. Why risk your ass when you can get a Marine

to risk his?

[donco]

9. They seemed to have done a pretty go of routing the Soviets. nt

[eridani]

10. The ones who routed the Soviets were on the other side

Probably all the fighters interested in fighting are on the other side as well, or are constantly rearranging alliances.

[Rapier09]

11. The people dedicated to this particular country want nothing to do with Karzai

It is the people who can't be bought and who will actually fight to the death that you want on your side

They just don't seem to want to come over.

[saigon68]

12. The dedicated ones are fighting for allah

[TomClash]

13. Marines Do Heavy Lifting as Afghan Army Lags in Battle

Source: NY Times

Marines Do Heavy Lifting as Afghan Army Lags in Battle

By C. J. CHIVERS
Published: February 20, 2010

MARJA, Afghanistan — As American Marines and Afghan soldiers have fought their way into this Taliban stronghold, the performance of the Afghan troops has tested a core premise of the American military effort here: in the not-too-distant future, the security of this country can be turned over to indigenous forces created at the cost of American money and blood.

Scenes from this corner of the battlefield, observed over eight days by two New York Times journalists, suggest that the day when the Afghan Army will be well led and able to perform complex operations independently, rather than merely assist American missions, remains far off.

The effort to train the Afghan Army has long been troubled, with soldiers and officers repeatedly falling short. And yet after nearly a decade of American and European mentorship and many billions of dollars of American taxpayer investment, American and Afghan officials have portrayed the Afghan Army as the force out front in this important offensive against the Taliban.

Statements from Kabul have said the Afghan military is planning the missions and leading both the fight and the effort to engage with Afghan civilians caught between the Taliban and the newly arrived troops.

But that assertion conflicts with what is visible in the field. In every engagement between the Taliban and one front-line American Marine unit, the operation has been led in almost every significant sense by American officers and troops. They organized the forces for battle, transported them in American vehicles and helicopters from Western-run bases into Taliban-held ground, and have been the primary fighting force each day.

The Afghan National Army, or A.N.A., has participated. At the squad level it has been a source of effective, if modestly skilled, manpower. Its soldiers have shown courage and a willingness to fight. Afghan soldiers have also proved, as they have for years, to be more proficient than Americans at searching Afghan homes and identifying potential Taliban members — two tasks difficult for outsiders to perform.

By all other important measures, though — from transporting troops, directing them in battle and coordinating fire support to arranging modern communications, logistics, aviation and medical support — the mission in Marja has been a Marine operation conducted in the presence of fledgling Afghan Army units, whose officers and soldiers follow behind the Americans and do what they are told.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/21/world/asia/21afghan.html?ref=global-home

[rgbecker]

14. Viet Nam, Viet Nam, Viet Nam....A bright shinning lie!

Read it.

[onethatcares]

15. we think alike,

in the vein of "the Vietnamization will continue to make progress, but American advisors will be needed into the forseeable future"

As the sons and daughters of a generation were squandered on battlefields in Southeast Asia.

Wage Peace.

[razorman]

16. Not surprising. The U.S. has done the heavy lifting for the world for decades.

[Art_from_Ark]

17. British soldiers did not want to kill American colonists

so King George III ended up hiring a lot of Hessian mercenaries.

Mandarin-speaking soldiers did not want to kill fellow Mandarin speakers at Tiennamen square, so they were replaced with Mongolian soldiers.

Afghan army soldiers don't want to kill fellow Afghanis.

Wow-- who'd a thunk it?

[Mari333]

18. just get the fuck out of there.

this is why we are BANKRUPT.