Taliban flee Marine advance in Helmand

AFP:

Thousands of US Marines poured into Afghanistan's Taliban heartlands Thursday, quickly capturing a district in the first major assault of President Barack Obama's new war plan.

Dozens of aircraft ferried out the Marines from bases before dawn, aiming to take control of insurgent bastions of Helmand province in the country's south ahead of landmark Afghan elections next month.

Involving nearly 4,000 US soldiers, the air and ground assault was the Marines' first major operation since they arrived in Afghanistan as part of Obama's aggressive new strategy to turn the tide on a dragging conflict with the Taliban.

Within hours the Marines and Afghan troops had hoisted the Afghan flag in the southern Khanishin district, entering the main town with no resistance, Afghan commanders said.

"The enemies have fled," Afghan army corps commander General Shair Mohammad Zazai told AFP, adding troops had told the locals they would stay to maintain security and allow development projects.

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Reuters quotes the US commander:

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"The intent is to go big, go strong and go fast, and by doing so we are going to save lives on both sides," Brigadier-General Larry Nicholson, commander of the Marines in southern Afghanistan, told his staff before the operation.

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Taliban claims of thousands of fighters to resist the Marines seem more like a bravado at this point. Gen. Nicholson has it right on the use of large forces to prevent casualties on both sides. I have always made the point that it is much less bloody on both sides if you use overwhelming force. This is true in counterinsurgency too even though the forces are ultimately dispersed throughout the area.