Forum Views ()
Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
Bigger Afghan operation yet to come: US
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
More Yahoo! Services
Account Options
New User? Sign Up
Sign In
Help
Yahoo! Search
web search
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Bigger Afghan operation yet to come: US
AFP - Saturday, February 27
Send
IM Story
Print
A CH53 US Marine helicopter lands in Marjah on February 25. The United States plans a major offensive this year in the Taliban bastion of Kandahar in southern Afghanistan, a senior official said Friday, calling a hard-fought ongoing operation a mere prelude.
WASHINGTON (AFP) - – The United States plans a major offensive this year in the Taliban bastion of Kandahar in southern Afghanistan, a senior official said Friday, calling a hard-fought ongoing operation a mere prelude.
The remarks were the latest sign that President Barack Obama's administration plans to step up the fight against the Taliban as part of its strategy of pouring thousands more troops into Afghanistan.
US Marines have been leading a 15,000-strong force of US, Afghan and NATO forces in a nearly two-week assault in the southern Marjah area in what has been billed as the biggest operation since the September 11, 2001 attacks.
"I think the way to look at Marjah, it's the tactical prelude to larger, more comprehensive operations later this year in Kandahar City," said a senior administration official, who asked not to be named.
"It's a goal for 2010. If our overall goal for 2010 is to reverse the momentum and gain time and space for the Afghan capacity, we have to get to Kandahar this year," he said.
Kandahar, the second largest city in Afghanistan, is a cultural home to the Pashtun people and was the birthplace of the Taliban movement, which imposed an austere brand of Islam over the country from 1996 to 2001.
"It's their center of gravity," the administration official said of Kandahar, describing the US goal as being able to bring "comprehensive population security" to the city.
Operation Mushtarak ("Together") aims to bring government control to Marjah, a poppy-growing area of Helmand province that has effectively under Taliban rule for years.
Authorities on Thursday symbolically hoisted the Afghan flag over Marjah. But troops have faced stiff resistance from militant fighters virtually indistinguishable from the local population and NATO warned that hidden bombs remained a threat.
US General Stanley McChrystal, commander of 121,000 US and NATO troops in Afghanistan, has charted out a counter-insurgency strategy in which the military works closely with civilian authorities to neutralize militants.
"In many ways it is a model for the future: an Afghan-led operation supported by the coalition, deeply engaged with the people," McChrystal said.
US Central Command chief General David Petraeus said Sunday that Mushtarak is the initial stage of a plan McChrystal has mapped out for the coming 12-18 months.
The timeline coincides with the schedule laid out by Obama, who in December issued orders to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan.
Obama hopes to start withdrawing forces by July 2011, by which time the administration expects that Afghanistan will have 287,000 trained soldiers and police who can increasingly take charge of their country's security.
The administration official on Friday pointed to successes in a key part of the strategy -- Pakistan.
"In the last nine months we've seen a significant strategic shift in Pakistan," the official said. "That strategic shift is the decision by the Pakistani security forces to take the fight against the Pakistani Taliban."
Pakistan has launched offensives in its lawless tribal belt bordering Afghanistan, where much of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda leadership is believed to be based.
US officials have long suspected that elements in Pakistan's powerful spy agency have abetted extremists.
A recent raid in the Pakistani metropolis of Karachi led to the capture of Afghan Taliban military commander Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, although some observers believe the arrest was a fluke.
Recommend
Send
IM Story
Print
News Search
Top Stories
Bigger Afghan operation yet to come: US
Hedge funds pile up bearish bets on euro: report
US economy surged 5.9 percent in fourth quarter
US insurer suffers $8.9 bln fourth quarter loss
British economic growth data revised upwards
More Top Stories »
ADVERTISEMENT
Most Popular
Most Viewed
Most Recommended
Florida killer whale to stay in park after deadly attack
China may be hiding US Treasury bonds: experts
'Zombies' have free speech rights too, US court rules
BBC to slash website, cut radio and imports
Date-rape drugs, illegal online pharmacies on rise
More Most Viewed »
Third-hand smoke also bad for you: study
DNA reveals some mystery on King Tut, raises questions
Pitt, Jolie sue British paper over split claims
Sugary soft drinks linked to pancreatic cancer: study
Scientists recreate Big Bang heat of 4 tln degrees C
More Most Recommended »
Elsewhere on Yahoo!
Financial news on Yahoo! Finance
Stars and latest movies
Best travel destinations
More on Yahoo! News
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Subscribe to our news feeds
Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS
» More news feeds | What are news feeds?
Also on Yahoo
Answers
Groups
Mail
Messenger
Mobile
Travel
Finance
Movies
Sports
Games
» All Yahoo! Services
Site Highlights
Singapore
Full Coverage
Most Popular
Asia Entertainment
Photos
Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Service |
Privacy Policy |
Community |
Intellectual Property Rights Policy |
Help
Other News on Saturday, 27 February 2010 Multi-nation police unit to hunt Dubai killers
Danish paper apologises to Muslims in cartoon row
US economy surged 5.9 percent in fourth quarter
UN again calls for 'credible' Gaza war crimes probe
Kadhafi call for jihad unacceptable: UN top official
Fighting in Afghan assault wanes
US insurer suffers $8.9 bln fourth quarter loss
Dubai police claim DNA proof of Hamas man's killer
UNESCO worried about Israel heritage plan in West Bank
|
Iran Sunni rebel says U.S. offered him military aid
Myanmar court rejects Suu Kyi appeal
|
Lobbying China on Iran, Israelis admit limited sway
|
Pixi discounts seen hurting Palm profits
|
India's PM decries deaths of 6 Indians in Kabul
2 huge icebergs let loose off Antarctica's coast
Thai cowboys saddle up to celebrate Wild West
China parliament passes defence mobilisation bill
Suicide bombers strike in heart of Kabul; 17 dead
Thai court orders assets seized from ex-PM Thaksin
Thai court seizes assets from ex-premier Thaksin
India says up to 9 citizens killed in Afghanistan
Taiwan will 'drown' without China trade pact, warns PM
India unwinds tax cuts, trims deficit
Japan Airlines loses $2 billion in April-December
Tata Motors earnings up on Jaguar Land Rover
Pakistani stocks down; rupee firmer; o/n rates flat
Hollywood North readies for Bollywood West role
Jazz star Herbie Hancock goes global with album
|
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Jazz star Herbie Hancock goes global with album
'Photogenic' Khrushchev reassessed in exhibition
Sotheby's to sell rare blue diamond in Hong Kong
Batman beats Superman in million-dollar comics battle
Hollywood North readies for Bollywood West role
3-D films face new test with Burton's "Wonderland"
British army chief aims for Afghan pullout in 5 yrs
Berlusconi likens Italian judges to Taliban
Colombia's Uribe blocked from re-election
|
Facebook patents social networking update feeds
Bigger Afghan operation yet to come: US
US winds down Afghan assault but bigger one on way
Greek PM to meet Merkel, Obama amid debt crisis
|
US military lets soldiers Tweet, blog and Facebook
Tsunami warning issued for Chile, Peru after quake
|
High-ranking military arrests stir fresh Turkey concern
Hedge funds pile up bearish bets on euro: report
Military allows Twitter, other social media
Suicide car bomber kills four in NW Pakistan
|
Barak signals Israeli autonomy against Iran
Microsoft says Google acts raise antitrust issues
Philippine rebels raid southern village, 11 dead
|
Google's Street View back in privacy activists' sights
Strong quake hits Japan's Okinawa, no major damage
|
Prisoner death a setback in Cuba-U.S. relations
|
Pixi discounts seen hurting Palm profits
Zimbabwe's Mugabe, 86, to party amid distress
|
U.N. urges Iraq to ratify atomic inspection protocol
|
High-ranking military arrests stir fresh Turkey concern
|
Thaksin supporters denounce Thai court verdict
SKorea sends 190 troops to Haiti to rebuild
Microsoft says Google acts raise antitrust issues
|
Wang completes golden Chinese sweep
Military allows Twitter, other social media
|
TigerText app removes embarrassing text messages
Philippines: Suspected Abu Sayyaf attack kills 11
Infatuated man kills Wash. teacher outside school
Suicide car bomber kills four in NW Pakistan
Bam! Bam! Bam! 3rd blizzard this month smacks East
Philippine rebels raid southern village, 11 dead
Top US military official visits quake-hit Haiti
Pakistan suicide attack kills 3, wounds dozens
Prisoner death a setback in Cuba-U.S. relations
U.S. Democrats focus on next healthcare move
Weather forecast for the Asia-Pacific region
Pakistan suicide attack kills 2 police officers
South Korea may propose at G20 global dlr fund
US lawmaker blasts Toyota for withholding documents
Precious sweeps Image Awards, Wyclef Jean honored
|
Matt Damon says waiting on Kennedy film script
|
Dolphins, monks, migrants aided by Oscar's long arm
|
"Precious" sweeps Image Awards, Wyclef Jean honored
SAfrica: Soccer, safari, surgery, sharks and more
Matt Damon says waiting on Kennedy film script
In Milan, Versace lays on the leather, Armani soft-pedals
Corrected: Missing actor Andrew Koenig killed himself: father
Dolphins, monks, migrants aided by Oscar's long arm
Kenya tourism edges back towards pre-crisis levels
Iran's Mousavi calls for new opposition demo
Colombian election race starts, Santos favored
|
Australia 'not satisfied' with Israel response on passports
Yemen sappers enter Shi'ite rebel stronghold
|
Kabul attacks aimed to show Taliban 'defiance'
Curfew in north Liberia after religious clashes
|
Iran's Mousavi warns over system's legitimacy waning
|
Russia urged to detail activist murder probe
|
Renewed tension looms in Turkey after military arrests
|
Berlusconi corruption trial adjourned to March 26
|
Mauritanian army kills 3 in attack on armed convoy
|
Huge quake of 8.8 magnitude hits Chile
'Widespread' tsunami warning for Pacific nations
Australia on tsunami watch following Chile quake
Pacific faces tsunami risk after Chile quake: Japan
Taiwan's ruling party defeated in by-elections
China premier: 2010 'most complicated' for economy
Philippines: Suspected militant attack kills 11
Indonesian police detain 93 Afghan asylum seekers
10,000 to march for gay pride in Sydney
Australia 'not satisfied' with Israel response
Suicide bomber kills three in Pakistan: police
China premier: 2010 'most complicated' for economy
China does not want trade conflict with US: Wen
Exit plans depend on each country
Florida whale shows to resume after deadly attack
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights