Was ‘Homeward Bound’ Marines Mission a Success?
FNC Reporter Dana Lewis and Cameraman Mal James are on a month-long assignment in Afghanistan. For all their blog entries, click over >>
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Here’s an example of U.S. military strategy the Afghans shake their heads at — and with good reason.
In April, the 24th Marine expeditionary unit was sent into Southern Helmand province for a 7-month deployment to bring law and order to an area that produces 80 percent of the world’s heroin. I embedded with Charlie Company as they fought their way into some little town on the map called Garmsir.
It was supposed to be just a road clearing operation that would lead the Marines further south to set up a forward operating base.
But little Garmsir was so infested with Taliban fighters, the Marines stayed a bit longer, and then a bit longer still, and then the whole 7 months.
Here’s the counter insurgency strategy- fight and kill the insurgents, establish security, bring the locals back to their homes, set up Afghan government presence, and then hand over to the Afghan army and police.
According to a high ranking NCO in the Marines who I met at Bagram airbase as they were heading home this week, Garmshir will likely be in the hands of the Taliban within months!
Why? The British army didn’t take over for the Marines in Garmsir because they don’t have the forces in Helmand they need.
The Afghan army and then Afghan police came into take over but the marine says they started extorting money and bribes from the people and it looks like it will fail.
A mess.
Four Marines died on this deployment. The objective was taken … but is that success?
It’s the same criticism often heard by Afghans here. Areas are taken and then not held long and then the Taliban come back and kill whoever cooperated with U.S. or NATO forces.
That’s why the new American administration had better get behind the call for at least three more brigades to not only take areas away from insurgents but hold them long enough to make sure the terrorists don’t come back.
Tags: special series: afghanistan
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Dana Lewis serves as a foreign correspondent for FOX News Channel based in Moscow. Most recently, Lewis provided on-site coverage of the crisis in the Middle East. He also covered the hotel suicide bombings in Amman, Jordan and updates in the wake of the London terrorist attacks. 
Yes Dana….we know that these tactics worked in Iraq….but the present Congress is no help and January 20 when the new administration takes over is a long way off. And there is a good chance the Obamasiah will get in and surrender everything to the enemy. We are fighting like crazy to win here at home so we can win over there. The politicians all want to play politics while the world goes to heck in a handbasket leaving our men out there fighting in a heck of a mess. It is truly a life and death struggle for survival we are in and too many have their heads burried in the sand. Well, you know how socialism goes if anyone does…..give them their government money which they didn’t earn and get their votes and nobody cares about our country much at all any more….much less anybody elses country. Thank you for telling the truth. Hopefully we’ll open our eyes and see what the heck is going on and get our act together before it is too late. Hopefully….. God bless our guys who are fighting so hard in that filthy place and you few correspondents who are telling it as it is there on the ground. Must get discouraging to you as well. But please take some solice from knowing you are doing the right thing even when others aren’t. Please be careful. We need you and appreciate the tough job you are doing.
Thank you again Mr. Lewis
Annie