We owe troops our support
Toolbox
Published: November 16, 2009
Those of you who have loved ones serving in Afghanistan might be interested in a Web site I found that gives the latest news there in detail and by province.
It is www.nato.int/isaf. This is the official NATO Web site: I assume that it changes on a regular basis. It is much better than press reports because the news comes directly from NATO headquarters in Kabul; press reports are more sporadic because of the difficulties reporters have getting to the field of operations. Of particular interest to those with family serving there is the link on the left side of the home page entitled, “ISAF Commander’s Counterinsurgency Guidance.” It is a seven-page PDF document authored and signed by General McChrystal in which he explains exactly what the mission is and how his ISAF forces are to accomplish it. It gives the principles and also examples of actual field situations to explain how to do things and how not to do them. The rest of the links on the home page recount recent engagements in which forces under his command have been involved fighting the Taliban. There’s also a great photo of a granny being reunited with her grandchildren near Ghazni city after they returned from fleeing Afghanistan at the time of the Taliban takeover in the 1990s. The work of these Provincial Reconstruction Teams is also a vital part of McChrystal’s strategy.
Having read McChrystal’s document, I can now see how complicated is the mission in Afghanistan and how much respect we owe to the Vermonters and others who are serving there. The NATO reports of actual incidents where security forces went up against the Taliban show that our (and other countries’) forces are doing a good job. We owe them our prayers and support.
PHILIP STEPHAN
Castleton
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