Taliban try to intimidate Marjah residents after being pushed out

McClatchy:

Two weeks after the U.S.-led forces swiftly seized control of this long-standing insurgent stronghold, Taliban forces are posing a new threat by menacing, beating and even beheading local residents who cooperate with the emerging Afghan government, according to Afghan and American officials.

Unable to confront the U.S. military directly with any serious challenge, Taliban fighters are shifting tactics as they try to undermine the American-backed Afghan government before it can win the trust of these southern Afghanistan residents, who've lived under insurgent rule for years.

While the incidents so far appear to be isolated, American military leaders warned Sunday that they must contain the threat before it gains any momentum.

"We are in a very critical situation right now," said Matt, a U.S. military adviser to the Afghan security forces in Marjah who asked that his last name not be used to protect his identity. The Taliban are reorganizing. The capability they lost two weeks ago is coming back. The population knows that. And everyone is watching to see if we have the capability to address that new threat."

The evolving intimidation campaign is emerging as an early test for the U.S.-backed Afghan government that is struggling to establish credibility and convince skeptical residents that it will not allow the Taliban to return to power.

While U.S. military forces have steadily solidified their hold on much of this vast agricultural region filled with poppy fields used to finance the Taliban leadership, the new Afghan government is still trying to find its footing.

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The story does not mention the Afghan police and military that were apart of the operation in Marjah, but they should have forces in place to cut off Taliban forces returning to the city. They also need neighborhood watches to assist them in getting the right force to space ratio to prevent enemy movement.