"The people of the Alliance are fighting and dying in
rocky deserts there for, among others, you and me. Because it's Russia that is
the largest importer of Afghan heroin; it is us and our children who buy this
poison from the plantations across which American tanks now roll."
Exactly 21 years ago, after
being there more than 10 years, Soviet forces left Afghanistan for good. But the
"load is
there unto this very day.” And now, Anglo-American forces are in the midst
of a large-scale offensive against Islamist positions. These are the same
Islamists that they armed against President Najibullah
and the Soviet Union. The grimaces of history …
Operation “Moshtarak” is the
largest operation conducted on Afghanistan soil since the allied invasion. Its
name translates as “Togetherness” or, if you please, “Unity.” The goal of the
offensive is more than simply ambitious: the creation of a kind of “United
Afghanistan,” without the Taliban or drug traffickers.
One mustn't doubt that the
situation is serious. Barack Obama ran for office under the slogan of peacemaking,
but after his victory he unexpectedly ordered an increase of forces in Afghanistan
- precisely for the purpose of delivering the decisive blow.
Fifteen thousand soldiers from
the international coalition, backed by the Afghan National Army, have to
“clear” southern Helmand
Province of militants. According to NATO, resistance to allied forces may amount
to 1,500 rebels. But no significant resistance has been met by NATO's numerically
larger force. Nor are they likely to, because wars like this soon turn into
guerrilla warfare, even if they begin as traditional confrontations.
The main stronghold of the
Taliban in the south - the city of Marjah - capitulated almost without a fight.
But just capturing it may turn out to be a Pyrrhic victoryfor the coalition, not to mention the civilian population. The trouble
is that Marjah is riddled with landmines. All of it. Many people simply can't
leave their homes - the mines are buried under their thresholds, pavements, on
roofs and attics - essentially everywhere.
So now Marjah is “occupied”
by combat engineers and trained dogs who day and night destroy the terrible Taliban
“surprises.” In a certain sense, the brutality of these uncompromising
religious fanatics may be useful to NATO forces (the Afghan operation is
conducted under the auspices of the Alliance): civilians have to choose between
their bearded compatriots who wire their homes with mines, and polite strangers
who are ready to offer help, assist with supplies and restore housing. At
least, those are the instructions given to soldiers involved in the offensive: they
are prohibited, under the threat of a military tribunal, from displaying any
kind of cruelty. A sort of humanitarian action on tanks, under the cover of aircraft
and artillery.
The current offensive is
unlikely to be the last or a decisive battle - its too easy for guerrilla
fighters to rouse the local population, and the other way around. We are well-acquainted
with this from the Chechen conflict. But if the invaders really were able to
convince people that they and not the Islamist zealots are agents of good, then
the operation may be considered a success.
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
A complete military success,
it seems, wasn't the plan. Operation Moshtrak was ostentatiously announced in
advance so the local population would have plenty of time to escape the
fighting. Of course, the militants carefully prepared for the coming of the
“Western devils.” The word “Taliban” isn't written on the bearded unemployed
who peacefully drink tea in Afghan villages.
Official “voices” in NATO are
already reporting success: “The locals are enthusiastically
greeting us. I think they're glad that international forces and local troops,
and subsequently the Afghan government, will restore order in the country and
prove that the Taliban has no future,” reported Colonel Matt Basley.
[Translated quote].
Regular soldiers, however,
note that no one greeted them in Marjah. But fear of landmines could be at
least partially to blame for that.
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
* * *
We love to gloat when things don’t
go well for NATO. This alliance really doesn't harbor friendly feelings toward us,
and many NATO operations have infringed and will infringe on Russian interests.
But Afghanistan is a special case. The people of the Alliance are fighting and dying
in rocky deserts there for, among others, you and me. Because it's Russia that
is the largest importer of Afghan heroin; it is us and our children who buy this
poison from the plantations across which American tanks now roll.
Is it possible that now, 21
years after the USSR admitted failure, the United States will do better?