Format Change

I'm again tweaking the site's format. The main page (here) is going to become much more blog-like and commentary/analysis oriented, and the essentially unused Editorials page will be removed. Of the three things I have posted there, one is available from the Jamestown Foundation, one was previously posted at News Hounds, and the third will be reposted here:

Saturday, April 7, 2007

Operation Achilles

From Wikipedia:

Operation Achilles is an ongoing NATO operation, part of the War in Afghanistan (2001–present). Its objective is to clear the Helmand province of the Taliban. The operation began on March 6th of 2007 and the offensive will be the largest NATO based operation ever held in Afghanistan to date. NATO officials reported that, contrary to what happened in previous operations, Taliban fighters were avoiding direct confrontation in favor of guerilla tactics.

It is led by British ISAF forces and focuses on the Kajakai Dam, which is a major power source for Afghanistan that has not been functioning for a number of years. One part of the mission was Operation Volcano, where British Royal Marines successfully cleared a large Taliban complex near the Kajakai Dam. [1]

According to the Al Jazeera article posted on the main page, Operation Achilles is specifically trying to clear the "northern tip" to safeguard the construction of the dam.

This is exactly the sort of thing we need to be doing in 'Iraq. Rather than the purely military "clear and hold" strategy that has made Baghdad the pleasant place it is today, it uses military action as a tool with which to make rebuilding the country possible. Its objective is peace, not war, which makes a huge difference in public opinion. By opposing the "clear and hold" tactics of the Coalition in 'Iraq, the insurgency opposes invaders, and is well received by the people. By opposing Operation Achilles, however, the Taliban opposes the construction of a hydroelectric dam, which has a tendency to piss off the people who would be benefiting from the dam. Last month, for example, the Taliban attacked some engineers (who were Indian nationals, if my memory serves me). Even though the engineers were unarmed, not a single one was killed, because several hundred civilians (who tend to be armed in Afghanistan) immediately swarmed the attackers, killing several and forcing the rest to flee. This is the sort of victory we should be seeking.