Posted on 01/17/2008 4:58:37 PM PST by SandRat
WASHINGTON, Jan. 17, 2008 – The Pentagon’s decision to deploy 3,200 Marines to Afghanistan by spring was intended to reinforce the U.S. commitment there and is not intended as a criticism of the efforts of NATO allies in the region, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today.
“This deployment of Marines does not reflect dissatisfaction about the military performance in Afghanistan of allied forces from other nations,” Gates said in a briefing at the Pentagon. “It reflects the fact that NATO and U.S. commanders believe they need more troops to take advantage of last year’s military successes, to keep pressure on the Taliban and to accelerate the training of the Afghanistan national security forces.”
Gates came out with the comments today after a firestorm of international criticism over quotes appearing this week in a Los Angeles Times article in which it appeared he singled out NATO countries for performing poorly in the country’s counterinsurgency fight.
Gates said any comments referred to NATO as an institution, stating that it still has shortcomings as it transitions from a Cold War orientation to a more global expeditionary posture. The secretary also conceded that the U.S. military and government have had a difficult time adapting to the protracted counterinsurgency campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Gates said the media reports do not reflect “reality.” He said several countries have “stepped up to the plate” and are playing a significant role in Afghanistan.
“They have rolled back the Taliban from previous strongholds in the south. They are taking the fight to the enemy in some of the most grueling conditions imaginable,” he said. “As the result of the valor and sacrifice of these allies, the Taliban has suffered significant losses and no longer holds real estate of any consequence.”
Comments in which Gates was quoted as saying that some troops were “not properly trained” and that some military forces don’t know counterinsurgency operations came from conversations with commanders in theater that specifically addressed operational mentoring and liaison teams. The teams are embedded with Afghan National Army forces and train and mentor these forces. The teams also provide a liaison between the ANA and other forces.
“We're trying to significantly increase the number of these operational mentoring and liaison teams. And my concern -- what I've heard out of the theater, and it's not just from Americans -- is that some of these groups are not fully trained,” Gates said.
Gates said he expressed to NATO that more troops could be trained at the Combat Maneuver Training Center, in Hohenfels, Germany.
“I just want to make sure that, as we ramp up the number of these … mentoring teams, that they are fully trained when they go into the theater. And that's true of every country, including the United States,” Gates said.
Gates had spoken with several allied officials this week prior to the announcement of the U.S. Marine deployment. Since then, he has spoken personally only to the Canadian defense minister, he said. A Canadian soldier was killed by a roadside bomb near Kandahar on Jan. 15.
“I wanted to make sure that they understood our respect for their contribution and how much of an impact they are making,” Gates said.
About 2,200 Marines from 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, based at Camp Lejeune, N.C., and about 1,000 troops from 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, based at the Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center, at Twentynine Palms, Calif., will deploy.
The Marines will serve in Afghanistan for seven months. The deployment will boost the total number of U.S. forces in Afghanistan to about 30,000.
About 1,000 of the Marines will deploy as trainers. That battalion-sized element will be tailored to the needs of the training mission there, Joint Chiefs of Staff Vice Chairman Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright said in the same briefing. Its ranks will be filled with older, more senior Marines with combat experience. The others will be deployed to the southern region of Afghanistan to help secure gains made there last year.
Diplomatic Taqqiya.
We do have some stand up friends in NATO, and some nations recently out from under Warsaw Pact are doing what they can with their limited resources, but our “major allies” of galic and central europe are worthless with a heavy emphasis on less and no worth.
Nations of parasites and backstabbing scumbags who only exist as free nations because we decided they should.
Does anyone know the nature and extent of the cooperation between US forces and other Nato forces in Afghanistan? I had a conversation with a leftist who claimed it was practically non-existent. I don’t believe that but if anyone has some insight I would appreciate it.
Would you give him the Canadian Perspective?
Perhaps in 2001 following September 11. Before the year was out Canada had deployed JTF2 bricks to the Afghanistan job where they provided targetting for US aircraft. Perhaps in trhe Gulf where Canadian frigates along with those of other nations mounted interdiction patrols under rotating command. This included at one stage the French nuclear carrier Charles de Gaulle and that was before France elected a conservative government.
Perhaps with Canadian, Brit and other forces joining the US forces and working under joint control to invade Afghan and depose the Taliban government,
Perhaps with a rotating command in the south which is about to be transferred to a Canadian officer with the result that the fresh USMC deploymnent will be under Canadian Command.
It is a pity that your leftist friend could not have read the articles that have been posted on Free Republic. There was the story of Capt Nichola Goddard MSM (Posthuous) whose LAVIII was struck by two RPG rounds during a firefight. The armour protected the occupants of the vehicle but Capt Goddard was exposed in the turret directing fire for her M777s and a US B1 bomber
There is a hospital at Kandahar run by Canadians and staffed by personnel from various allied nations. The hospital receives casualties from all nations and those who have to be transferred to Europe go to a US hospital in Germany. It is choppers from the US and other nations that bring the casualties to the hospital as Canada does not have choppers in theatre.
There are German Leopard tanks on loan to Canada and manned by Canadian crews in Kandahar.
Canada was able to deploy the new M777 155 mm howitzer to Kandahar because, being unable to wait on the manufacturer's delivery schedule, it was able to acquire the guns from the USMC.
There is a photo that has become well known showing Taliban being herded off a US Chinook in custody of what the caption described as US special forces. Actually, they were a Canadian JTF2 brick using US air transport.
Canadians have been part of AWACS crews, including the AWACS that was controlling when the unfortunate Tarnak Farm fratricide episode occurred in 2002.
The french have moved combat aircraft to Kandahar to add to the air support for Canadian Forces.
A Canadian frigate left home port on November 1 and joined the Harry S Truman task. A Brit destroyer joined at Gibralter and they are now operating in the Gulf of Aden.
I am sure that others will add their own examples.
The Afghanistan job is a joint operation. It is partitioned partly on national lines but the forces integrate well and work together well.
The left would like to drive a wedge between allies. Parmenio, your friend's impression is flat wrong.
-
Perhaps you can expand on my remarks, exg.
Thanks for the information. I suspected he was all wet. And you put your finger on the motivation for this kind of thing — the left wants to drive a wedge between the allies.
Thanks Clive,
On the previous roto, there were combined gunlines, consisting of American, Canadian, and British gunners working together in support of infantry operations in anad around the Helmand district. The guys even joked that there was no Canadian American border there—they worked together as a team-they would all take turns loading ammo for each other, and trying out each other’s weaponry. The Americans showed our guys how to make “cowboy coffee”, and they all traded rations. (I wish I could supply a video, but I don’t know how to post a private video or if its even possible.) I’ll put some pics on a seperate post.
:-) I would like to add that the U.S. regularly give air support to Canadian operations and our wounded are evacuated by U.S. helicopters.
More info here on the Canadian/American/British guinline:
http://www.dnd.ca/site/community/MapleLeaf/article_e.asp?id=3226
“...At the time FOB Robinson was the focus of nightly mortar attacks by Taliban forces in the Sangin area. It was quite interesting to discover that the Taliban refer to the Canadian gun battery as Dragon Battery as well. This is due to the fact that most of the time the M777s are moved via Chinook and appear to breathe fire and destruction.
Operations at FOB Robinson were fast and furious as the troops on the ground pushed forward there were constant calls for fire. From the Fire Direction Centre, where the Canadian Liaison Team was located, fire orders were sent to the Canadian, American, and British guns. During one of these fire missions all three nations were working as one. The American 105 mm guns were firing while Canadian and British gunners were working on ammunition...” (exerpt)
*I have a video of this, if I could figure out how to post it)
here’s some footage, but I dont like to put this stuff on youtube, so please let me know when you have seen it, so I can remove it from youtube as soon as possible, thanks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDCCiVEe0Os
sorry, I removed it, maybe I’ll post it again sometime later
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.