Marines to take over Afghanistan?

NY Times:

The Marine Corps is pressing to remove its forces from Iraq and to send marines instead to Afghanistan, to take over the leading role in combat there, according to senior military and Pentagon officials.

The idea by the Marine Corps commandant would effectively leave the Iraq war in the hands of the Army while giving the Marines a prominent new role in Afghanistan, under overall NATO command.

The suggestion was raised in a session last week convened by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates for the Joint Chiefs of Staff and regional war-fighting commanders. While still under review, its supporters, including some in the Army, argue that a realignment could allow the Army and Marines each to operate more efficiently in sustaining troop levels for two wars that have put a strain on their forces.

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It is not clear whether the Army would support the idea. But some officials sympathetic to the Army said that such a realignment would help ease some pressure on the Army, by allowing it to shift forces from Afghanistan into Iraq, and by simplifying planning for future troop rotations.

The Marine proposal could also face resistance from the Air Force, whose current role in providing combat aircraft for Afghanistan could be squeezed if the overall mission was handed to the Marines. Unlike the Army, the Marines would bring a significant force of combat aircraft to that conflict.

Whether the Marine proposal takes hold, the most delicate counterterrorism missions in Afghanistan, including the hunt for forces of Al Qaeda and the Taliban, would remain the job of a military task force that draws on Army, Navy and Air Force Special Operations units.

Military officials say the Marine proposal is also an early indication of jockeying among the four armed services for a place in combat missions in years to come. “At the end of the day, this could be decided by parochialism, and making sure each service does not lose equity, as much as on how best to manage the risk of force levels for Iraq and Afghanistan,” said one Pentagon planner.

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They said it would allow the Marines to carry out the Afghan mission in a way the Army cannot, by deploying as an integrated Marine Corps task force that included combat aircraft as well as infantry and armored vehicles, while the Army must rely on the Air Force.

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Gen. David H. Petraeus, the senior Army officer in Iraq, and his No. 2 commander, Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, also of the Army, have described Anbar Province as a significant success story, with local tribal leaders joining the fight against terrorists.

Both generals strongly hint that if the security situation in Anbar holds steady, then reductions of American forces can be expected in the province, which could free up Marine units to move elsewhere.

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Maybe they can inherit some of the Air Forces A-10s for close air support. They have been a work horse in Afghanistan and a real Taliban killer. With the victory in Anbar, the Marines have fought themselves out of a job in Iraq. The Army may be in the process of that elsewhere in Iraq. To the consternation of the Democrats it appears we are on the verge of winning a huge victory over al Qaeda in Iraq.

This will be a severe blow to the terrorist and their way of fighting a war. It should be a severe blow to Democrats who have been wrong about the war all year and have put themselves on record for being on the wrong side on numerous occasions this year. Knowing the Democrats they will ignore their past and act like it never happened, but perhaps the voters will remember.

Update: The Times has changed its headline on this story to make it appear as if the Marines want out of Iraq. This is misleading for two reasons. The area they are in has been largely pacified so their is less of a combat role for the Marines in Iraq than there would be in Afghanistan. Second, The Marines are not looking to get out of a fight but to get into one that suits their whole combat package. By leaving the Afghan portion of the plan out of the headline the Times makes it look like they don't want to be in the war. In contrast the CNN headline is much fairer--"Plan would put Marines' focus on Afghanistan."

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Gen. James Conway, commandant of the Marine Corps, has proposed that the Marines become the prime U.S. combat force in Afghanistan while the Army takes the lead in Iraq, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

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That is the real story. To suggest that they want out of Iraq is a gross distortion.

OPFOR looks at sea power projected well beyond the beach. Westhawk raises interesting questions about the redeployment.

Secretary Gates says he has seen no plans for such a move hit his desk according to Reuters, "I have heard that they were beginning to think about that and that's all that I've heard. I've seen no plan, no one's come to me with any proposals about it." Oh well, it could happen. At least someone thinks enough of the idea to lead it to the NY Times.