-Donna Miles
WASHINGTON, Feb. 25, 2010 – Ops in Marjah are transitioning from the clearing to the holding phase, as today’s turnover of the govt center marks a symbol of progress, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said today.
Twelve days into Op Moshtarak, the offensive in the former Taliban stronghold is “trending in a very positive direction,” Morrell said, on both the military and governance fronts. The new Afghan govt raised its flag over Marjah today, with Abdul Aryan installed as its administrator. Morrell called the transfer of the govt center “symbolic of where we are in this op.”
Much of the city is now under Afghan and coalition control, and many of its citizens are returning to their homes, Morrell reported. Bazaars have reopened, and they’re full of goods that demonstrate the freedom of movement needed to promote commerce.
“Yesterday, there were more shuras taking place in Marjah than there were troops in contact,” Morrell said, referring to govt-sponsored citizens’ meetings. “That’s the kind of progress that we’ve been looking for and that we're heartened to see.”
Morrell took care not to sugarcoat the op. “Although signs point to progress, it's still clearly a very dangerous situation,” he said. “We’re still losing troops,” with IEDs remaining the biggest threat. “We have to be very careful about how we progress into those areas that aren't under Afghan and coalition control,” he said. “We’re doing so in a very thorough, methodical way so as to alleviate any potential for civilian or CF casualties.”
The U.S. has suffered more casualties than Afghan SECFOR in the op, only because they tend to conduct high-risk missions such as route-clearing ops, and because enemy forces see them as more prized targets, Morrell said. He conceded that the Afghan SECFOR will need help “for some time,” particularly in the intel and logistics arenas. “No one has ever questioned their willingness or their ability to fight,” he said. “These guys are every bit in the midst of this op. They match us one for one on the ground.”
