Moshtarak: Coalition Puts the Surge to Work

It appears the vaunted Big Push is on in Marjah, Helmand Province, Afghanistan by the U.S. Marines, Afghan National Army and the Brits. It looks a lot like Fallujah, in terms of planning and tactics, Fallujah being a much bigger city in another country. Filkins and Chivers are excellent reporters. Chivers is an especially good writer.

Here's the AP version, via Stars and Stripes. The Times of London had no front-line account thus far; Guardian pretty much the same. Al-Jazeera quotes some Taliban chest-thumpers and offers some critical remarks from Afghans besides.

This first offensive following the surge will test coalition resolve and McChrystal's overall counterinsurgency strategy, including a resolve to avoid civilian casualties. Clearing the area may be a relatively quick success. Holding and securing the area is the real challenge.

Speaking of winning hearts and minds, it looks like Kelley will be heading to Gardez, Afghanistan, as early as Feb. 20 from the base in Indiana where the Provincial Reconstruction Team on which she is serving is winding down its training. The Drover leaves soon for a "graduation" ceremony in Indiana, to deliver alpaca socks for protection against the Afghan cold and to bid farewell for the next five months or so.

The two widespread snowfalls that crossed the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic this past week provided maximum training value, as the Marines would say. The week was consumed, Kelley reports, with a lengthy exercise that capped off the months of work they've been doing there.

Here in Eastern Pennsylvania, two days spent housebound passed before we were able to actually go anywhere or do anything. Day one was spent watching the surrounding woods, fields and streets fill up with snow. 

Day two was spent removing same from the driveway and clearing paths around the house. A snowblower was employed on the drive and shovels were used for detail work. Three or four hours passed before the job was done. I'll estimate 18 inches of new powder fell overnight Tuesday into Wednesday and all day Wednesday. The accursed street snow plow came along and pushed a load of snow into the street-side parking spot we carved out of a 3-foot snow bank, and pushed a berm across the mouth of the driveway. Curse you, snow-plow driver!