Afghanistan Archives
The Press: Taliban's Air Defense
By Charlie
How do you stop America's complete ownership of Afghan air space? Shoot down US air support with psyop!
Sayeth Air Force MG Charles Dunlap:
The Taliban are keenly aware that if they can cause enough casualties or, ideally, take American or NATO prisoners as they swarm over the often sparsely manned positions, they will achieve a tremendous victory on the battlefield of public opinion.What is frustrating them? Modern U.S. and coalition airpower. Relentless aerial surveillance and highly precise bombing turn Taliban efforts to overrun the detachments into crushing defeats. And the Taliban have virtually no weapons to stop our planes.
Instead, they are trying to use sophisticated propaganda techniques to create a political crisis that will shoot down the use of airpower as effectively as any anti-aircraft gun.
It makes sense. Every time there is an airstrike, claim hundreds of civilian casualties. No one in the press challenges these claims (or seems to locate the Taliban press emissary putting out these lies) More:
In truth, no force in the history of warfare has ever worked harder or spent more time and resources to limit civilian casualties than has the U.S. military and its coalition allies. Moreover, so long as they are not excessive under the circumstances, international law tolerates the tragedy of civilian deaths. Why? If attacks were forbidden simply because civilians are present, the message to warring parties would be to surround themselves with civilians to create legal “sanctuaries” — exactly the behavior the law of war wants to prevent.We must not reward the Taliban for deliberately putting civilians at risk; it will only encourage them — and others — to make increasing use of innocents as defensive shields. The world will become an even more dangerous place for the truly blameless.
MIke Yon and the Allies
By Charlie
A great report from Michael Yon while embedded with Allied troop in Afghanistan:
I tried to fall back asleep, but the shade was evaporating as the sun rose, and every time sweet dreams started, they were interrupted by a firefight, so I climbed down the precarious ladder to sit with Dr. Lalani. Soldiers have great respect for medical doctors who can justifiably stay on base, but instead push into combat. If the doctor is there during those first minutes after a soldier is wounded, there is a far greater chance of survival.At about 1106, the enemy initiated contact on one of the forward positions. It was so loud that I thought our guys were firing from the roof. Rockets were blasting away. About 40 seconds after contact, the 81mm mortars were firing straight over our heads and crashing down on enemy positions about a klick to our front. Thousands of rounds were being fired, though the guns all around me were silent.
The elements up front were fighting while I just listened to the gunfire and explosions while eating one of the MREs the Danes had given me. Up front in the fight, Lance Corporal Alex Fraenzel was hauling a Javelin missile. Fraenzel and Private Richard Lloyd ran forward. While Fraenzel set up for the shot, Lloyd began firing his SA-80 rifle into suspected enemy positions to provide cover.
Awesome.
Warriors
By Bull Nav
You know, when I normally think of our everyday, run-of-the-mill warriors, I think of Marines. The guys who are ready to take it to the enemy on a moment's notice.
Not to say us folks in the Navy aren't warriors, because we are. Just not in the hand-to-hand, hardcore combat sort of way.
Except there is this kind of separate part of the Navy, the part that is true Warrior, almost psychopath. It takes a lot to kill them, a lot to put them down. They don't go down willingly, and I am convinced they don't know what pain is, not in the normal sense to the 99.99999% of us that inhabit this planet.
So bow your head, and say a prayer of thanks that these Michiganders were on our side.
Two highly decorated local Navy SEALs died Thursday night from injuries sustained in fierce fighting against insurgents in Afghanistan, according to the Navy.Senior Chief Petty Officer John Marcum, 34, and Petty Officer First Class Jason Freiwald, 30, died in a battle with heavily armed militants, the Navy said. The men were deployed from the highly selective Naval Special Warfare Development Group at Dam Neck Annex in Virginia Beach.
A Senior Chief and a Chief Select. SO1 Freiwald was to be promoted to Chief on Tuesday.
God Bless their families.
Fair winds and following seas, Senior Chief and Chief. More will follow and finish...
News From Afghanistan
By Lt Col P
Two items of interest on the very hot campaign in Afghanistan. The Torch has a GREAT round-up on a smashing success by the coalition, including a good bloodying of the Taliban, a well-crafted hoodwinking, and a real step forward for the government and people of Afghanistan.
British commanders estimate that more than 200 Taliban were killed as they tried to prevent the convoy of 100 vehicles from getting the machinery to Kajaki hydroelectric dam where it will provide a significant increase in energy for up to two million Afghans.The operation has been described as the biggest of its kind since the Second World War.
For the last five days the force has fought through the heart of Taliban territory to push through the 220 tonne turbine and other equipment that included a 90 tonne crane to lift it into place.
With a third turbine fixed at Kajaki it will mean that the extra electricity could double the irrigation output allowing farmers to plant two crops of wheat a year. With a dramatic rise in world wheat prices this could crucially mean that it becomes more profitable than producing opium which would deprive the Taliban of a major source of revenue.
Escorted by attack helicopters, armoured vehicles and men of the Parachute Regiment, the trucks trundled into Kajaki.
For the first 50 miles of its journey from the southern city of Kandahar the convoy was protected by American and Canadian troops [emphasis added]. But for the second 50 mile leg through Taliban strongholds more than 3,000 British troops were needed to fight off the insurgents.
Go to the link, and follow their links to the various articles. Priceless stuff.
The other item is from the Baltimore Sun. Reporter David Wood has been keeping the homefires burning for 2d Battalion, 7th Marines, alone and unafraid, with many of its far-flung units in a vicious daily fight. I like Dave Wood; I met him in 92 when he embedded with the 24th MEU SOC for our work-ups and subsequent deployment to Somalia. He's a good guy, a good reporter, and a straight shooter. You might not like everything he says, but the man has integrity and a real love for the boys in uniform. Bookmark that site.
Barry McCaffrey’s Afghanistan Assessment
By Townie 76
Forwarded to me my a good friend in Savannah, the attached file is General Barry McCaffrey's report on Afghanistan. Interesting read, and disheartening. I have highlighted the document, as it focuses my interest.
Heard From Today
By Slab
From Herschel Smith at The Captain's Journal comes an update on our Marines in Helmand Province. After the heavy fighting in Garmsir, the Marines of Battalion Landing Team 1/6 (sort of a misnomer since the battalion did not deploy aboard ship) are logging damage complaints from the villagers and paying to repair the damage.
Just two days after the main Taliban force was routed, Lt. Bechtel put aside his weapons and opened what amounts to a wartime complaints desk in a mud-brick hut. The lieutenant and his men spend their time cataloging the destruction and issuing vouchers to compensate villagers for their losses, whether caused by U.S. missiles or Taliban grenades.
24 MEU moved into Garmsir in late April. The British has previously been unable to control the district, but the MEU provided fresh manpower and awful lot of firepower to get the job done. Interestingly, I have heard (but not yet confirmed) that the MEU was allowed to retain all of its organic assets, including the AV-8B Harriers from the Air Combat Element (ACE). Typically, when a MEU shows up to reinforce a joint or coalition command, one of the first things that the joint command tries to do is pull the MEU's aviation assets under the joint air component and use them to provide additional sorties to the rest of the forces in theater. While I can understand their reasoning, there is a remarkable synergy that comes from the close relationship between the ACE and BLT on a MEU, and that is lost when the ACE is used to support CFACC missions elsewhere.
Back to Garmsir:
The fighting sent civilians fleeing into the surrounding desert. After the violence ebbed, the villagers returned, in many cases to homes cracked open by artillery, bombs, missiles and rocket-propelled grenades. Soon they were lined up at Lt. Bechtel’s door, testing the Marines’ ability to shift gears on the fly, from combat to the struggle for popular allegiance. Winning over the locals has always been a goal; now, it’s happening in double-quick time.
Fortunately, Lt Bechtel was educated at one of the finest institutions in the land:
At the second meeting, the Marines tally up the cost, using data on an Excel spreadsheet that the lieutenant, who majored in mechanical-engineering at Virginia Military Institute, compiled using prices gathered from the local market.
Heard from again.
