U.S. Marines Try to Retake Afghan Valley From Taliban
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/02/wo...afghan.html?hp
By RICHARD A. OPPEL Jr.
Published: July 1, 2009
KABUL, Afghanistan Almost 4,000 United States Marines, backed by helicopter gunships, pushed into the volatile Helmand River valley in southwestern Afghanistan early Thursday morning to try to take back the region from Taliban fighters whose control of poppy harvests and opium smuggling in Helmand provides major financing for the Afghan insurgency.
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What makes Operation Khanjar different from those that have occurred before is the massive size of the force introduced, the speed at which it will insert, and the fact that where we go we will stay, and where we stay, we will hold, build and work toward transition of all security responsibilities to Afghan forces, the Marine commander in Helmand Province, Brig. Gen. Larry Nicholson, said in a statement.
Published: July 1, 2009
KABUL, Afghanistan Almost 4,000 United States Marines, backed by helicopter gunships, pushed into the volatile Helmand River valley in southwestern Afghanistan early Thursday morning to try to take back the region from Taliban fighters whose control of poppy harvests and opium smuggling in Helmand provides major financing for the Afghan insurgency.
...
What makes Operation Khanjar different from those that have occurred before is the massive size of the force introduced, the speed at which it will insert, and the fact that where we go we will stay, and where we stay, we will hold, build and work toward transition of all security responsibilities to Afghan forces, the Marine commander in Helmand Province, Brig. Gen. Larry Nicholson, said in a statement.
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