Now I find out a possible reason for the apparent delay in setting it in motion:
The 1st Infantry Division, known famously as the "Big Red One," took charge of military operations in eastern Afghanistan April 19, in a ceremony on Bagram Airfield.
In the ceremony, the division assumed command authority of Regional Command-East from the 1st Cavalry Division. The latter is returning to Fort Hood, Texas, after a successful year-long tour here. ...
"Our mission over the next year is to maintain the momentum of this campaign, relentlessly pursuing insurgent networks, assisting Afghan efforts to assert sovereignty along the border, and accelerating the development of the ANSF (Afghan National Security Forces)," said Mayville.
To tackle this mission, CJTF-1 wields a joint fighting force of more than 32,000 coalition troops. Their arsenal includes five U.S. brigade combat teams, as well as troops from nine NATO countries.
So we will knock back the Taliban, work to control the border with Pakistan, and improve the Afghan security forces to take control of the fight after this last year of American-led offensive operations.
I've noticed more casualty notices from Afghanistan lately. Since the Taliban "spring offensive" was such a failure, we may have quietly gone on our own spring offensive.
This is it. We have to do a lot this fighting season. Otherwise, the "good war" will have been for nothing. We can pretend al Qaeda is kaput, but give them a break and a sanctuary and they'll regenerate. The Long War isn't over until the Arab Spring can suck the wind out of Islamist propaganda and marginalize the jihadi appeal.
And if that change in Arab Moslem society doesn't take hold, the war won't be long, it will be forever.
