Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Operation Khanjar

July 02, 2009US marines prepare for Operation Khanjar at Camp Dwyer in Helmand province. Thousands of Marines stormed into an Afghan river valley by helicopter today for the first big military offensive of Barack Obama’s presidency with an assault deep into Taleban-held territory

US Marines board their helicopters at Camp Dwyer. Operation Khanjar is intended to seize virtually the entire lower Helmand River valley, a heartland of the Taleban insurgency and the world’s biggest heroin-producing region. It is the biggest operation launched by the US Marines Corps since the retaking of Fallujah, Iraq, in 2004

US commanders said they intended to move quickly and decisively with overwhelming force to seize the entire southern Helmand River valley from Taleban control before the delayed Afghan presidential elections on August 20

US Marines wait to board their helicopter at Camp Dwyer in Helmand province. A fierce 36-hour initial strike is expected to pave the way for the success of Operation Khanjar

Wave upon wave of helicopters landed US Marines in the early morning darkness at locations throughout the valley. Marine Corps Brigadier General Larry Nicholson, commander of the Marines in southern Afghanistan, said: "The intent is to go big, go strong and go fast, and by doing so we are going to save lives on both sides"

US Marines make preparations as they wait for helicopter transport at Camp Dwyer. Hundreds more Marines raced by ground in convoys through a barren area known as the Desert of Death, where temperatures reach 50C (122F) at this time of year

US Marines have been drafted into areas previously patrolled by the British. The Marines hope that by appearing suddenly and in overwhelming numbers, they can capture some of the Taleban’s firmest strongholds with little resistance

In all, about 4,000 Marines surged forward and thousands more were mobilised to assist them. President Obama has declared the Taleban insurgency in Afghanistan and neighbouring Pakistan to be America’s main foreign threat

Afghan commandos distributing humanitarian assistance items to villagers during a combined aid mission. The Taleban-led insurgency has intensified this year as Afghan and international troops launch operations to clear militants out of hotspots before the August 20 presidential and provincial council elections

Afghan commandos distributing aid items to villagers in Gardez district, Paktia province. The biggest challenge is to convince a highly sceptical local population that Western forces will offer long-term security and improvements to their lives

Under President Obama the US force in Afghanistan is more than doubling this year, from 32,000 at the start of 2009 to an anticipated 68,000 troops by the end of the year, many of them diverted from Iraq. Other Western countries have about 33,000 troops in Afghanistan
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6703271.ece
Manpreet Romana/AFP/Getty Images









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