[fushigi]

This part caught my eye:

"Our first manoeuvre elements reached their positions earlier today," Maj.-Gen. Ton van Loon, commander of regional command south, said. "It signifies the beginning of a planned offensive to bring security to northern Helmand and set the conditions for meaningful development that will fundamentally improve the quality of life for Afghans in the area."

I just can't see how that's possible. A large security operation is a great first step, but they've got to get some actual semblance of local security and legitimate government in there if they want to have real conditions for development.

Seems to me all a major military offensive will do is convince the Taliban to wait it out until the NATO forces leave or get weak, the new warlord comes in, and then launch a small and brutal offensive to retake the area. Same story for six years, no difference.