US Marines airdropped into Taliban-held territory
MARJAH, Afghanistan – Elite Marine recon teams were dropped behind Taliban lines by helicopter Friday as the U.S.-led force escalated operations to break resistance in the besieged insurgent stronghold of Marjah.
As the major NATO offensive entered its seventh day, about two dozen Marines were inserted before dawn into an area where skilled Taliban marksmen are known to operate, an officer said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of security concerns.
Other squads of Marines and Afghans, marching south in a bid to link up with Marine outposts there and expand their territory, came under sniper fire and rocket attacks by midday. The rattle of machine-gun fire and the thud of mortars echoed nearby.
The Marjah offensive is the biggest since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan and a test of President Barack Obama's strategy for reversing the rise of the Taliban while protecting civilians.
A NATO statement said troops were still meeting "some resistance" from insurgents who engage them in firefights, but homemade bombs remain the key threat to allied and Afghan forces.
At a London briefing, Maj. Gen. Gordon Messenger said the militant holdouts don't threaten the overall offensive but will take time to clear out.
"The levels of resistance in these areas has increased but not beyond expectation. We expected after the enemy had time to catch its breath, they would up the level of resistance, and that's happened," he said.
Marine spokesman Lt. Josh Diddams reported that overall resistance was lighter Friday, but a few companies still engaged in firefights that lasted a few hours.
NATO said one service member died Friday in a small-arms fire attack. Six coalition troops were killed Thursday, NATO said, making it the deadliest day since the offensive began. The death toll so far is 12 NATO troops and one Afghan soldier. Britain's Defense Ministry said two British soldiers were among those killed Thursday.
No precise figures on Taliban deaths have been released, but senior Marine officers say intelligence reports suggest more than 120 have died. The officers spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information.
So let's take a closer look. First, this piece:
As the major NATO offensive entered its seventh day, about two dozen Marines were inserted before dawn into an area where skilled Taliban marksmen are known to operate, an officer said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of security concerns.
Security concerns? Bullshit. It doesn't matter at all if this officer is Joe Smith or Jack Brown. Revealing his identity does not jeopardize security. What jeopardizes security is releasing this information at all. So if this officer was truly concerned with security, he would shut his mouth and not release information unless specifically authorized and instructed to do so.
No precise figures on Taliban deaths have been released, but senior Marine officers say intelligence reports suggest more than 120 have died. The officers spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information.
Not authorized to release the information? Then shut up. I expect senior Marine officers to know better than to discuss intelligence reports with the media just because they feel like it. They acknowledge they are not authorized to release that information, yet do it anyway. What the hell is their problem?
So again, I share my opinion that these folks need to shut their fucking mouths and stop chattering like magpies. Is it too much to ask that those entrusted with national security demonstrate a simple respect for it?
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