Image courtesy: Lance Cpl. Tommy Bellegarde
NATO, British, and U.S. commanders all say Operation Moshtarak is going as well as possible in its early hours. Still, the progress has not come without a price, as at least one U.S. Marine and one British soldier have reportedly sacrificed their lives in the assault on the Afghan city of Marja. The Times Online cites officials as saying the Marine was killed by small arms fire.
According to the report, "at least 20 Taliban fighters were killed and 11 arrested as troops seized 11 of the 13 target locations."
Major General Gordon Messenger, the chief of the [British] defense staff’s spokesman, said Operation Moshtarak had already secured its "key objectives". “There’s a real sense that the job last night went as well as it could have done,” he said.
At a briefing on Saturday at the Ministry of Defense’s Whitehall headquarters, Messenger added: “There’s no complacency - everyone understands this is the easy bit.
“The hard bit is what comes next in reassuring the public. This is all about winning the allegiance of the population. The allegiance is not won in a day it must be won over time. It cannot be forced.”
American commanders are making similar statements. It's important that the public realizes this battle, and the war, are not going to be easy. Regardless of our various opinions on the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, we have a duty as Americans to back our troops fighting in both countries, as well as their families at home. While we won't know which family is mourning the first U.S. Marine killed in this historic operation in southern Afghanistan until the Pentagon releases the fallen hero's name, we can start our prayers now.
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