SFRC hearing on the "meaning of Marjah" this Thursday

[karynnj]

http://foreign.senate.gov/hearings/hearing/20100506/

This should be an interesting oversight hearing. Given the various Afghanistan hearings last year, it will be interesting to see if this huge effort has been able to do what Kerry spoke of as necessary once insurgents were removed. Has some government, local or national, been able to hold and secure the area? Is it too early to tell?

Last February, the Christian Science Monitor had an article on what they were starting out to do. Here is what they say the goal was:

By flushing the Taliban from Marjah, ISAF hopes to be able to link together a disconnected patchwork of towns currently under government control in Helmand.

Marjah remains one of the last strongholds of the Taliban in the southern Helmand River Valley, where much of the population lives. And insurgents, using Marjah as a base, still disrupt the movement of civilians, soldiers, and trade up and down the valley.

"If you are connecting the dots, you are increasing security, creating opportunities for transport, for societies to connect, to exchange supplies, and general economic development," says ISAF spokesman Brig. Gen. Eric Tremblay.

< later saying why it mattered>
Since last summer, the US military has gone on the offensive in the province in order to convince residents that they – not the Taliban – had the momentum. And clearing the insurgent stronghold of Marjah is one of many necessary steps for doing that.

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-South-Central/2010/0209/Marjah-offensive-Q-A-on-why-it-matters-to-Afghanistan-war

It sounds from the CSM that this was an area where they came closer to having what Kerry said was necessary to succeed in Afghanistan (in putting the Afghanistan government in charge and providing ongoing security. It will be interesting to see if the beginnings of a more stable province are currently being seen.

(I have to admit that I have not followed either Iraq or Afghanistan for months.)

[Luftmensch067]

1. So looking forward to this n/t

[BlueIris]

2. Interesting. nt

[Luftmensch067]

3. Video now up for this at SFRC site!

Naturally, C-SPAN seems to have ignored it...