British Mission in Afghanistan

[Nzhou]

We all know the reasons why NATO went into A-ghan and that it has met with material success in it's primary objective. But out of respect for those British soldiers who have been killed in recent months what exactly is the current mission of the British forces in Helmand? Is it's mission starting to smell like another Basra? All the news I keep hearing is of British soldiers dying and no mention of how many enemy they are killing in return.

[PUG]

We all know the reasons why NATO went into A-ghan and that it has met with material success in it's primary objective. But out of respect for those British soldiers who have been killed in recent months what exactly is the current mission of the British forces in Helmand? Is it's mission starting to smell like another Basra? All the news I keep hearing is of British soldiers dying and no mention of how many enemy they are killing in return.

No.................

[Toddy]

That's the problem with conventional troops fighting unconventional terrorists

[The Dane]

We all know the reasons why NATO went into A-ghan and that it has met with material success in it's primary objective. But out of respect for those British soldiers who have been killed in recent months what exactly is the current mission of the British forces in Helmand? Is it's mission starting to smell like another Basra? All the news I keep hearing is of British soldiers dying and no mention of how many enemy they are killing in return.

Don't have the energy... Why question? Support Support, thats how you win wars!! arrrghh!!

[Pete031]

Go to the ISAF home page to see what the mission is:
Through the UN-mandated International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) NATO is assisting the Afghan Government in extending and exercising its authority and influence across the country, creating the conditions for stabilisation and reconstruction.


You can't do this however without killing the bad guys. That is what all the Marxist berkenstock wearing, tofu eating fvcks out there don't want to admit.

[PUG]

Happy reading:


Operations in Afghanistan: Background Briefing 1

The background to UK military involvement in Afghanistan.

Following the terrorist attacks on Washington and New York on 11 September 2001, the United
Kingdom identified four main goals in its campaign against international terrorism (known as
Operation VERITAS): deny Al Qaida its Afghan base, deny them an alternative base outside
Afghanistan, attack Al Qaida internationally, and support other states in their efforts against Al
Qaida.

The UK was involved in Afghanistan alongside Coalition forces, led by the US under Operation
Enduring Freedom (OEF), from the first attacks in October 2001. Royal Navy submarines fired
Tomahawk missiles against the Taleban and Al Qaida networks, and RAF aircraft provided
reconnaissance and air-to-air refuelling capabilities in support of US strike aircraft. The US flew
missions from Diego Garcia, part of the British Indian Ocean Territory.

UK troops were first deployed in November 2001, when Royal Marines from 40 Commando
helped to secure the airfield at Bagram. A 1,700 battlegroup based around Royal Marines from
45 Commando, was subsequently deployed as Task Force JACANA. Their role was to deny
and destroy terrorist infrastructure and restrict the movement of Al Qaida in eastern
Afghanistan. In several major operations, Task Force JACANA destroyed a number of bunkers
and caves, and it also provided humanitarian assistance in areas previously dominated by the
Taleban and Al Qaida. It withdrew in July 2002.

The Taliban had collapsed by the end of 2001, remnants melting back into the Pushtun
populace in southern Afghanistan and the Pakistani tribal areas. It was important, however, to
ensure that Afghanistan did not return to ungoverned space within which terrorist training and
preparation could flourish. International forces therefore remained in Afghanistan to provide
security and stability, to combat residual Taleban and Al Qaida elements, and to support the
development of Afghan security forces.

The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)

ISAF, which aimed to assist the Afghan Transitional Authority in creating and maintaining a safe
and secure environment in Kabul and its surrounding area, was created in December 2001,
authorised by United Nations UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1386 and successive
resolutions (the latest of which is UNSCR 1623). The UK led negotiations in December 2001 to
create the ISAF, and Major-General John McColl led the first mission with contributions from 16
nations. As well as providing the headquarters and much of the supporting forces for ISAF, the
UK contributed the brigade headquarters, and an infantry battalion. Our contribution initially
peaked at 2,100 troops, later decreasing to around 300 personnel after the transfer of ISAF
leadership to Turkey in the summer of 2002.

Since the beginning an important part of the ISAF and OEF missions in Afghanistan has been to
train and build the capacity of the Afghan National Security Forces to enable them to take on
more responsibility for security in their own country. In March 2003 we began a highly
successful programme to train Junior Non-Commissioned Officers for the Afghan National
Army. We have since supplemented this with junior officer training on the Sandhurst model in
Kabul, and with Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams in Helmand.

The UK announced its first Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in the North of Afghanistan,
in Mazar-e-Sharif, in May 2003; a second, smaller, UK-led PRT was subsequently established
in Meymaneh. They were part of the Coalition until 2004, when ISAF expanded into the North.
The PRT in Mazar included staffs from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the
Department for International Development, who were brought together with around 100 troops
to support development programmes alongside local Afghan authorities. In March 2006 it
transferred to Swedish control to enable the UK to move its forces to the South, while the PRT
in Meymaneh was handed over to Norway in September 2005.

ISAF expansion – Stage One

Stage One of ISAF expansion began late in 2003, following NATO's assumption of ISAF
command, with United Nations authorisation given in October (UNSCR 1510). Expansion began
in the North, with the Germans leading a PRT in Kunduz. Command of the UK-led PRTs in the
North was transferred to ISAF in July 2004. Further PRTs were established in Feyzabad and
Baghlan by Germany and the Netherlands. Around this time, the UK also contributed the bulk of
the troops needed for a new Quick Reaction Force based in Mazar-e-Sharif, bringing the
number of UK troops to around 1000.

In September 2004 we also deployed six Harrier GR7s to Kandahar to support OEF operations.
The aircraft were also made available to support the ISAF.

ISAF expansion – Stage Two

In February 2005, NATO announced that ISAF would be further expanded into the West of
Afghanistan. This process began on 31 May 2005, when ISAF took on command of two Italianled
Provincial Reconstruction Teams in the provinces of Herat and Farah and of a Forward
Support Base in Heart, also provided by Italy. Later that year two further ISAF-led PRTs in the
West became operational, in Chagcharan, led by Lithuania, and Qal'eh-Now, led by Spain.

The staged NATO ISAF expansion had a positive role in extending the writ of the Kabul
government to the provinces, setting the conditions for reconstruction, and in helping the Afghan
authorities provide security during the successful presidential elections in October 2004. These
elections were a crucial milestone in the democratic development of the country, and the
parliamentary elections in September 2005 marked the successful culmination of the Bonn
Process.

In May 2006 the UK deployed the HQ of the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC) to Kabul for
nine months to lead the ISAF, and oversee ISAF expansion into the more challenging South
and East of Afghanistan. There are now 37 nations contributing around 20,000 forces to the
ISAF.

ISAF expansion – Stage Three

Stage Three of ISAF expansion, which came into effect on 31 July 2006, has taken the NATOled
ISAF into Southern Afghanistan. Eight nations are contributing a total of 10,000 forces to the
South. The UK, US, Canada and the Netherlands are leading PRTs in Helmand, Zabol,
Kandahar and Oruzgan provinces, with Denmark, Estonia, Australia, and Romania also
contributing forces.

The UK is making a substantial contribution: on 26 January 2006 the then Defence Secretary
John Reid announced the deployment of some 3,300 UK military personnel – centred initially
around 16 Air Assault Brigade – to Helmand province in the south of the country. These forces
will be supplemented by around 1000 troops, as announced by the Secretary of State on 15
June 2006 and 10 July 2006, in addition to the UK's Harrier GR7s which still support ISAF and
OEF from Kandahar.

The UK's deployment to Helmand has seen several small and medium-size operations
designed to root out insurgents. These are an essential prelude to implementing the main,
unchanged, ISAF mission: facilitating reconstruction and the extension of government authority.
To help accelerate the pace of that reconstruction, enhancements to the Helmand Taskforce
including around 300 engineers were announced on 10 July 2006.

In line with our plans to move south, the UK-led PRT at Meymaneh was transferred to
Norwegian responsibility on 1 September 2005; and the UK PRT in Mazar-e-Sharif to Swedish
responsibility on 15 March 2006.

ISAF expansion – Stage Four

The last stage of ISAF expansion, Stage Four, took place in October 2006. ISAF expanded into
the East of the country, which means that ISAF forces are operating across all of Afghanistan
for the first time. The expansion resulted in some 10,000 Coalition (mainly US) troops being
moved under ISAF command, resulting in total ISAF troop numbers rising to 31,000.



UK troops in Afghanistan form part of The NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). They are in Afghanistan at the invitation of the democratically elected Afghan Government and with UN authorisation, to provide the secure environment necessary for reconstruction and development to take place.

The security situation around the country is broadly stable. Neither Taliban nor other illegal armed groups pose a credible threat to the democratically elected Afghan Government. But the stakes are high for control of the south, which is why the Taliban continue to fight.


The Afghan Security Forces are increasingly contributing to securing their own country, although much more needs to be done to help them achieve this. The Afghan National Army (ANA) has been reformed: it is now more professional, accountable and ethnically balanced. Approximately 30,000 ANA soldiers and close to 50,000 Afghan National Police officers have been recruited, trained and equipped. Work is underway to ensure greater co-ordination of the army and police, with the development of command centres at provincial and regional levels.


With increased security, over 4.6 million refugees have returned to their homes and form an essential part of the reconstruction process.

[Toddy]

Go to the ISAF home page to see what the mission is:
Through the UN-mandated International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) NATO is assisting the Afghan Government in extending and exercising its authority and influence across the country, creating the conditions for stabilisation and reconstruction.


**** I thought it was so we could get a piece of the massive pie that is opium p-)

[scttgillies]

Lotta bad guys in helmand, especially round the green zone. And we brits dont like to brag about body counts, Upsets the civillians at breakfast.

[ex Strathcona]

don't' measure success by body counts, after all that's the medias job.

[Pete031]

Lotta bad guys in helmand, especially round the green zone. And we brits dont like to brag about body counts, Upsets the civillians at breakfast.

You make it sound like killing taliban is a bad thing. I spent a lot of time In Helmand, with the Paras.
I think their opinion is a little different then yours.

[California Joe]

What's the issue? The media reports our casualties because they can be confirmed and the public has the expectation to know. Are you worried there aren't enough "F*ck yeah, slotted 27 of those dirty pricks..." type stories?

Maybe because there's a need to know basis for operational information.

The media can barely get any facts straight when they are handed info from Public Affairs officers, let alone estimate enemy KIAs, whether it be for a slanted "antiwar" article or a "look how waywickedawesome our boys are doing" article.

[martinexsquaddie]

my Brother heard some of his friends are getting bored out there as terry does'nt want to play with warrior anymore.
terry used to send people to get "blooded" by rocking up at a point shooting and scooting.
did it once to often so on a clearance patrol somebody buried a command detonated bar anti tank mind.
so just after last light incoming commences shortly followed by huge bang next day bits of weapons and people found:)
apprantly terry is quite keen on recycling keysigns

[Hollos]

my Brother heard some of his friends are getting bored out there as terry does'nt want to play with warrior anymore.
terry used to send people to get "blooded" by rocking up at a point shooting and scooting.
did it once to often so on a clearance patrol somebody buried a command detonated bar anti tank mind.
so just after last light incoming commences shortly followed by huge bang next day bits of weapons and people found:)
apprantly terry is quite keen on recycling keysignsAwesome so the lads gave terry a IED hope it slotted loads of them

[wheels]

It´s not how many people you kill that counts , its how many you set free...

[scttgillies]

You make it sound like killing taliban is a bad thing. I spent a lot of time In Helmand, with the Paras.
I think their opinion is a little different then yours.

Quite the opposite actually, i was out there with the warrior BG this year, and between the 30mm Rarden and the 500 pounders sent with love from above, not really alot left to count. As for terry, he hated the warriors, called them desert devils.

I would love to read body counts but you cant always get a confirmed count.

[Royal]

You don't win wars with bodycounts (unless genocide is your particular thang).

You win by getting the population on side so that they rat out the bad guys. Then you kill the ones that won't change sides.

Hey, 60 years of CI doctrine in three lines. Sometimes I impress myself :D