Posted by: Kim_Hamilton on 12/20/2010 05:28 PM
Updated by: Kim_Hamilton on 12/20/2010 05:32 PM
Expires: 01/01/2015 12:00 AM
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Update on The Troops ~From Sgt. Danny Kelly's Mom
"I haven't heard much from the guys this week, however, I did receive a copy of an interview of Major General Campbell talking of the situation of the area that your adopted platoon is in. Thought you may want to pass this along to your readers." ~Kathy~
(Dec. 15, 2010) - Terrain and population make the fight against extremists in eastern Afghanistan different from the fights in other parts of the country, the commander of NATO's Regional Command East said here today. That doesn't mean the fight here is tougher, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. John F. Campbell told reporters, but it's different, and Americans need to understand what the difference is and why it matters.....
Because the terrain is much harsher in the east, than in the south and southwest regions, the general said, helicopters are a must for mobility. The high mountains and deep valleys complicate the situation. Weather can curb flying operations, and unmanned aircraft cannot see as much or as far in the constricted valleys, he explained.
The enemy in the east also is different, Campbell said.
"In the south, they are fighting mostly Taliban," he said. Forces in Regional Command East also are fighting the Taliban, but they also must contend with enemy fighters from the Haqqani network, Lashkar-e-Taiba and even al-Qaida, he said.
The tribal structure in the area also is different from that in other parts of the country, Campbell said. The east has far more ethnic differences, a greater number of languages and a larger population, all of which complicate the work of coalition and Afghan forces.
The enemy in the region is a thinking and brutal foe, Campbell said.
"Any time the enemy masses and attacks, they die," he said. The militants are learning that, he added, and are less likely to try to attack a coalition or Afghan army formation. Now, they disguise themselves as police or soldiers and trigger suicide bombs or car bombs, he said.
Cooperation between special operations forces and regular counterterrorism forces is excellent in the region, the general said, partly because they have worked together constantly since the beginning of operations in Afghanistan.
Civilian casualties are a hot-button issue in Afghanistan. Campbell stressed that the enemy is responsible for more than 90 percent of the civilian casualties in the country.
"They target civilians," he said. "We don't do a good job of getting that out."
For the rest of the region, Campbell said, the command is concentrating personnel and resources in 19 key districts.
"Those are the ones I really hope we can start turning [towards the government]," the general said. "They are the ones I think I can really get at and potentially turn before 1st Cavalry Division comes here in the late May or June time frame. We're trying to reinforce success."
The strategy in the region follows the population-centric tenets of counterinsurgency operations, Campbell said. About 40 percent of all Afghans live within Regional Command East's area. The region also borders Pakistan, and that can lead to problems with a mélange of Afghan terrorist groups using the porous border to train and equip themselves in Pakistan and come back to attack NATO and Afghan forces and civilians, he said.
The command has responsibility for 450 miles of the border with Pakistan. Still, Campbell said, even if he could seal off the border, "I would still have a fight on my hands inside Afghanistan."
There will be changes in the command's footprint in the region, Campbell said. As the strategy has evolved to a more population-centered mission, combat outposts and forward operating bases will change.
Cooperation with Pakistan is increasing, Campbell said, with three coordination centers stretched along the border. Pakistani officers are in the centers and in the command's main joint operations center here.
"That's helping us communicate along the border," Campbell said. "The Pakistanis have more than 200 observation points along the border. These border coordination centers help us communicate back and forth with these posts."
The number of Pakistani military along the border also has grown. In 2009, Campbell said, 30,000 Pakistani soldiers were stationed along the border with Afghanistan. Today, that number is 140,000.
"They've upped their game, and they are working it hard," the general said. "Do they have more to do? Yes, but this border is very porous, and terrorists move both ways."
Though the fights have been tough and the command has suffered casualties, Campbell said, morale is excellent. Still, he added, some grand, set-piece battle is not the way the war will be won.
"Winning is [defined as] every single day making progress, and every single day the people are gaining more confidence in the [Afghan forces] and in their government," he said. "If we continue that, ... the people will push [the extremists] out."
Maj. Gen. John F. Campbell
U.S. Army
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