Obama’s first military excursion: ‘Largest Marine offensive since Vietnam’
• RawStory.comOne day after U.S. troops officially vacated Iraqi cities, handing control over security to the Iraqis themselves for the first time since 2003, America’s “other war” has been ramped up significantly.
According to breaking media reports, some 4,000 Marines and 650 Afghan troops are involved in a massive operation, launched early Thursday morning, to reclaim the Helmand River Valley from Taliban control.
The BBC News website cites “officers on the ground” who say this is the “largest Marine offensive since Vietnam.”
The Washington Post reports that U.S. forces descended on Helmand province in helicopters and armored convoys. The sparsely-populated, arid area lost its government services after the Taliban evicted government officials and police officers.
The operation, the Post reports, represents a major tactical change for forces in Afghanistan:
