by Christi Parsons
Predicting that the level of U.S. casualties in the nine-day-old military operation in Afghanistan will be "tough" to bear, Gen. David Petraeus said this morning that the assault on Marjah is just the beginning of a 12- to 18-month campaign to wipe out the country's safe havens for terrorists.
"These types of efforts are hard, and they're hard all the time," Petraeus said. "I don't use words like 'optimist' or 'pessimist,' I use 'realist.' ... We're in Afghanistan to ensure it cannot once again be a sanctuary for the kinds of attacks that were carried out on 9/11.''
The flow of 30,000 new troops which President Barack Obama recently ordered to the region - 5,400 have arrived there already - is starting to produce "output," the head of the U.S. Central Command said. He called the Marjah operation the "initial salvo" in the overall campaign.
Petraeus offered his assessment on NBC News'Meet the Press, as former Secretary of State Colin Powell praised the "comprehensive strategy" under which the Obama administration is ratcheting up pressure on al Qaeda and other extremist groups in Afghanistan.
Speaking on CBS News' Face the Nation,Powell said the success of the Afghan assault can't be judged now, while U.S. Marines and other NATO forces are fighting to clear the Taliban out of Marjah, their most populous stronghold in the country.
"The whole success of this operation will hinge on the ability of the Afghan government ... to keep people from coming back" said Powell, noting that Americans and other allied forces "can't stay forever."
But generals on the ground are focused on carrying out the operation, now nine days old, part of a larger plan to put the nation more securely under the control of Afghan authorities. Twelve NATO service members, including at least Americans, died in the first week of the offensive.
In his interview with NBC's David Gregory, Petraeus suggested that loss is inevitable, given the intensity of the action launched just over a week ago.
"When we go on the offensive, when we take away sanctuaries or safe havens, they're going to fight back, and we're seeing that in Marjah," Petraeus said. "But we are going after them across the spectrum."
Comments
I don't want new and more American men and women to die in Afghanistan. If it's still about about 9/11--we are in the wrong country--again. There are still too many unconnected dots about 9/11. And, many people are doing their damndest to prevent the trials, or fact finding, about 9/11. Forget the Petraeus warning that the Afghan. assult will be "hard". Petraeus and the Pentagon are fabricating air. Why continue to fight and kill on the dangerous ground when no one there ever attacked America? There are lots of havensand nations for terrorists--the USA and England included.
*
Now, Betrayus and the Pentagon are handcuffing the hands of the same foot soldiers they are already abusing--saying it will be better PR if we tie our own soldiers' hands. Actually, better PR is to get the hell out of Afghanistan. Interesting how the brass and past and present American "leaders" will sacrifice OTHER peoples children in order to make themselves look good. Get the foot soldiers out of there. Nothing will come of this waste. The Pentagon has not come up with a better fighting idea--ever. The Encarta brains there love to perpetuate the same kind of death and maiming that has gone on for the past 200 years. Why continue to give so much money to an antiquated group of sadistic leeches?
*
Colin Powell said on TV today that the bottom line for all our billions--all our 4300+ deaths and a lifetime of loss of limbs--and brain injuries for tens of thousands of young Americans in Iraq--is that the Iraqis now have a better life than they would have under Saddam. Saddam--that man who NEVER attacked America. This was not our responsibility. This was not our business to go in and do this. We were lied to by W. Bush and Cheney. There are many, many , many other nations where the people need a "better life"--and we aren't going in. Always the BS ostensible reasons. This was a huge waste of American blood, taxes and an ongoing huge debt. Where were the Tea Party protesters during the wasteful Cheney/Bush administration?
*
It was evident from the first Cheney/Bush lie and from all the "emergency" war funding--over seven long years --that we were in trouble from the lies. Those two men need to be quartered, tarred and feathered. Their assets need to go to all of the maimed men and women who were lied into going to the BS "war", and to the families of all the beautiful men and women who were killed due to the sadistic and inhumane lies. This will never be forgotten. History will never be rewritten no matter how much Cheney or daughter, "Little Dick" , try.
*
Besides the BS reasons for "war" and occupation, keeping American men and women in Afghanistan is no way to deal with the unemployment problem. And, a promise of college tuition is no good if you're dead. When will the long chain of military brass who want a cushie military retirement ever be broken? When will politicians ignore their greed for votes or defense dividends and stop killing us? When will loser American voters stop voting for the sadistic and greedy manipulators? What's "hard" is enduring these manipulating and murdering SOBs--seeing them prosper while the honest and true pay a very high, or the ultimate price.
Posted by: Vivian | February 21, 2010 9:47 PM
That's good news but- it's like clearing snakes in the bushes. . .when will it ever end? This type of war can easily last 100's of years. . .with 1 million Taliban in the South. The living will just pick up the dead's gun. . .and the war will continue. That is the history of war- it never ends. It can only be contained to acceptable levels.
Posted by: HmongRodneyKing | February 22, 2010 12:12 AM
Vivian
Wow you're kind of out there aren't you.
Good luck and Godspeed to our troops who are now in harms way.
Posted by: Crooks_In_DC | February 22, 2010 3:00 AM
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 supposed to release the information.
Posted by: m3 real karte | February 22, 2010 8:00 AM
Crook---Good luck to our troops in Afghanistan where McChrystal disobeyed Petrayus in not closing that remote base. Since McChrystal disobeyed orders, a sergent was not allowed to go to the base where Petrayus wanted him--this prevented lnecessary eadership where it was needed--and five American soldiers were killed in the confusion and in McChrystal's ego maniacal decision. McChrystal should lose a rank or two due to his insubordination which caused more American deaths. McChrystal is lethal to our own. More brass with their heads up their a$$.
Posted by: Vivian | February 22, 2010 6:45 PM