Governance is at the forefront of Op MOSHTARAK
11 Feb 10
As ISAF and Afghan troops make their preparations for Operation MOSHTARAK, the head of NATO troops in southern Afghanistan has stated that this operation will succeed as governance is at the forefront of it.
Soldiers from 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh briefing soldiers of the Afghan National Army as part of the preparations for Operation MOSHTARAK
[Picture: SSgt Mark Jones, Crown Copyright/MOD 2010]
Op MOSHTARAK has been planned to remove insurgents from areas of central Helmand not previously cleared by International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops.
It will extend the authority and influence of the Afghan Government in central Helmand, removing the largest remaining safe havens in the area for the Taliban, insurgents and narco-criminals.
It is also intended to improve freedom of movement along key transport arteries, critical to the local economy.
While the preparatory phases of the operation are underway, with troops having been carrying out operations for a number of weeks in the Nad 'Ali district, Afghan and ISAF troops are currently preparing themselves for the main 'clearing phase' which is due to begin imminently.
This will see a combined force of 15,000 troops launch major assaults on Taliban strongholds.
At Camp Bastion, soldiers from 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh are partnering French and Afghan National Army soldiers to practise drills and conduct battle preparation, including preparing for the helicopter assault.
See the Gallery at Related Links for more pictures of British and Afghan soldiers preparing for Op MOSHTARAK.
ISAF and Afghan troops wait for a briefing as part of the preparations for Operation MOSHTARAK
[Picture: SSgt Mark Jones, Crown Copyright/MOD 2010]
NATO's Commander of Regional Command South in Afghanistan, British Major General Nick Carter, spoke to the BBC last night about why Operation MOSHTARAK will be successful. He said:
"We are going to arrive with Afghan governance at the tip of the spear, with Afghan security forces completely integrated into the approach, and with governance being at the forefront of what happens. And that long term commitment to a population will be demonstrated immediately that forces arrive on the ground; things will be built very quickly."
Emphasising this point, NATO's Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan, Ambassador Mark Sedwill, met with the Governor of Helmand province, Gulab Mangal, and members of the media this week to show NATO's support for the Afghan-led civil assistance effort in the Marjah region of central Helmand, where the operation will take place.
Once the Afghan and ISAF troops regain control of the region the Afghan Government intend to establish civil authority and government support straight away.
Ambassador Sedwill told reporters:
"The success of the operation will not be in the military phase. It will be over the next weeks and months as the people feel the benefits of better governance, of economic opportunities and of operating under the legitimate authorities of Afghanistan - it's about the Afghan Government exercising its sovereignty."