British troops will hand over control of the violence-wracked Sangin area of southern Afghanistan to US forces by the end of the year, Defence Secretary Liam Fox announced on Wednesday.
British forces have suffered their heaviest losses in Sangin with almost 100 deaths in the market town and surrounding areas - almost a third of their total casualties since military involvement in Afghanistan began in 2001.
Fox said the Nato-led Isaf force would restructure its operations in southern Afghanistan “so that it can consolidate a US Marine brigade in northern Helmand which will assume responsibility for security in Sangin later this year. This will simplify current command arrangements and enable UK troops to be redeployed to reinforce progress in the key districts of central Helmand, he told the House of Commons.
About 1,000 Royal Marines are expected to leave Sangin and be redeployed to central Helmand by the end of the year.
Fox stressed that the move was a logical redeployment, and not a withdrawal, because there were now more US troops in the area following President Barack Obama’s troop surge.
“We welcome the arrival of over 18,000 US marines whose presence is allowing us to deliver a better and more realistic distribution of tasks within the international coalition,” Fox said. Cameron told lawmakers that 2010 was the “key year” for the mission in Afghanistan and reiterated his wish to see British troops return home within five years. On the other hand, France has decided it will punish a general who criticised the US-led war effort in Afghanistan, Defence Minister Herve Morin said on Wednesday, amid growing doubts about the Nato war strategy.
General Vincent Desportes, director of France’s Joint Forces Defence College, which trains staff officers, last week told the daily Le Monde that the situation in Afghanistan “has never been worse”.
Desportes said US President Barack Obama appears unsure of his strategy that the counter insurgency plan underway on the ground is not bearing fruit and that American soldiers are unhappy with their leadership.
His comments were an embarrassment for President Nicolas Sarkozy’s French government, which has 3,500 soldiers in Afghanistan fighting alongside Afghan forces in a US-led coalition against a fierce insurgency.
“He will be punished,” Morin told BFM television, adding that he had asked the French chiefs of staff to take administrative action against Desportes, whom he said had shown a “lack of judgement”.
“It’s an American war,” Desportes told Le Monde, complaining that Nato pays no heed to European concerns. “When you’re a one per cent shareholder you don’t get to speak out. The allies have no strategic voice.” AFP
LONDON/PARISBritish troops will hand over control of the violence-wracked Sangin area of southern Afghanistan to US forces by the end of the year, Defence Secretary Liam Fox announced on Wednesday.British forces have suffered their heaviest losses in Sangin with almost 100 deaths in the market town and surrounding areas - almost a third of their total casualties since military involvement in Afghanistan began in 2001.Fox said the Nato-led Isaf force would restructure its operations in southern Afghanistan “so that it can consolidate a US Marine brigade in northern Helmand which will assume responsibility for security in Sangin later this year. This will simplify current command arrangements and enable UK troops to be redeployed to reinforce progress in the key districts of central Helmand, he told the House of Commons.About 1,000 Royal Marines are expected to leave Sangin and be redeployed to central Helmand by the end of the year.Fox stressed that the move was a logical redeployment, and not a withdrawal, because there were now more US troops in the area following President Barack Obama’s troop surge.“We welcome the arrival of over 18,000 US marines whose presence is allowing us to deliver a better and more realistic distribution of tasks within the international coalition,” Fox said. Cameron told lawmakers that 2010 was the “key year” for the mission in Afghanistan and reiterated his wish to see British troops return home within five years. On the other hand, France has decided it will punish a general who criticised the US-led war effort in Afghanistan, Defence Minister Herve Morin said on Wednesday, amid growing doubts about the Nato war strategy.General Vincent Desportes, director of France’s Joint Forces Defence College, which trains staff officers, last week told the daily Le Monde that the situation in Afghanistan “has never been worse”.Desportes said US President Barack Obama appears unsure of his strategy that the counter insurgency plan underway on the ground is not bearing fruit and that American soldiers are unhappy with their leadership.His comments were an embarrassment for President Nicolas Sarkozy’s French government, which has 3,500 soldiers in Afghanistan fighting alongside Afghan forces in a US-led coalition against a fierce insurgency.“He will be punished,” Morin told BFM television, adding that he had asked the French chiefs of staff to take administrative action against Desportes, whom he said had shown a “lack of judgement”.“It’s an American war,” Desportes told Le Monde, complaining that Nato pays no heed to European concerns. “When you’re a one per cent shareholder you don’t get to speak out. The allies have no strategic voice.”
Published in The Express Tribune, July 8th, 2010.
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