Houston Chronicle
February 17, 2009
U.S. Reinforcements Being Tested In Afghanistan
By Jason Straziuso, Associated Press
LOGAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Close to 3,000 American soldiers who recently arrived in Afghanistan to secure two violent provinces near Kabul have begun operations in the field and already are seeing combat, the unit's spokesman said Monday.
The new troops are the first wave of an expected surge of reinforcements this year.
U.S. commanders have been contemplating sending up to 30,000 more soldiers to bolster the 33,000 already here, but the new administration is expected to initially approve only a portion of that amount. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Monday the president would decide soon.
The new unit - the 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 10th Mountain Division - moved into Logar and Wardak provinces last month, and the soldiers from Fort Drum, N.Y., are now stationed throughout the provinces.
Militants have attacked several patrols with rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, including one ambush by 30 insurgents, said Lt. Col. Steve Osterhozer, the brigade spokesman.
"In every case our vehicles returned with overwhelming fire," Osterhozer said. "We have not suffered anything more than a few bruises, while several insurgents have been killed."
A new report from the RAND Corp. think tank contends a "game-changing" strategy is needed in Afghanistan that would have the additional troops train Afghan security forces rather than directly confront militants.
"It is unlikely the United States and NATO (on their own) will defeat the Taliban and other insurgent groups in Afghanistan," said the paper, which was released today.


