Marines in Afghan operation getting intel from locals

Washington Post:

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Reactions to the Marine operation varied across the valley. In Khan Neshin, residents largely stayed off the streets, wary of being caught in the crossfire of possible Taliban attacks on the troops. In the northern areas, around the Nawa district, several residents approached Marines with information about where roadside bombs had been planted. Farther south, in Garmser district, a Marine company was attacked by a group of insurgents, who eventually retreated to a housing compound.

A gun battle at the house was the day's most significant combat engagement, resulting in the Marine fatality and the deaths of at least three insurgents. As the sun set, it appeared that the standoff would continue through the night.

Another challenge for the Marines was the 110-degree weather. Loaded down with backpacks and ammunition, and insulated by flak vests and Kevlar helmets, several fell ill from heatstroke, and five had to be evacuated for further medical attention. Helicopters had to be summoned to replenish units with extra water.

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Commanders expressed surprise that the Marine battalion that moved south to Khan Neshin -- an imposing collection of 70 armored vehicles, each weighing 17 tons -- did not encounter more resistance. The battalion reported an incident of gunfire directed at one of the vehicles, but little else.

The experience in Khan Neshin, a hardscrabble riverfront town that sits north of a vast desert stretching into Pakistan, suggests that Taliban fighters there, and elsewhere in the Helmand River valley, may be lying low to assess what the Marines do before trying to retaliate with roadside bombs and suicide attacks. But the Marine presence may also lead some of the fighters to move to other parts of the country or seek other infiltration paths from Pakistan.

Either way, U.S. military and civilian officials believe they have an opportunity to impede the Taliban's ability to operate with impunity by building institutions of local government and reconstituting police units. In Khan Neshin, there is no district governor, and although the Afghan government has 59 police officers on the payroll for the area, none show up for work.

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That is how counterinsurgency operations work. The presence of our forces disrupts the enemy's movement to contact if you have an adequate force to space ratio. By setting up along the enemy's supply lines we force him to make a decision and neither option is all that great.

The fact that they are already getting intel on Taliban operations is an encouraging sign.

The temperature is something the Marines will get used to. The operated in 120 degree heat in Iraq. They could have practiced in the Washington County, Texas area today where the temperature reached 107 degrees. While I could escape the heat, I was able to cope with it. They need to drink a canteen of water before they begin movement and take breaks to rehydrate.

This NY Times reporter gives a much more negative assessment based on interviews that appear to be given before the operation began.