NATO Offensive in Helmand Province
Journalist: Fredricka Whitfield
Type: Interview
February 13, 2010 — CNN NEWSROOM
February 13, 2010 3:00 PM EST
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD: All right. Back to Afghanistan. NATO has confirmed that one U.S. Marine and one British soldier have died today. The first day of the new NATO offensive in Helmand Province. Let's talk about this push in Afghanistan. Joining me right now is Patrick Cronin, senior adviser for the Center for a New America Security. Good to see you. So is this mission one to militarily cripple the Taliban or economically?
PATRICK CRONIN: Well, you have to have security first. But how you win matters a whole lot in counterinsurgency. So it's very important that civilian casualties be kept to a minimum that our casualties be kept down for the sake of the alliance. That the Afghans be allowed to bring in a government to provide economic opportunity. Most important of all, that there be some durability to this new Afghan presence, that there really has to be a long-term commitment to the welfare of the people in Helmand and here particular in Marjah.
WHITFIELD: But you mentioned you know a goal to try and keep casualties down but when you hear that. Our Barbara Starr from the Pentagon reported last hour that the IEDs have simply blanketed the area in anticipation for these allied troops. You have to wonder whether that gives the Taliban the advantage against this military offensive.
CRONIN: I think there are three military threats they are facing right now. Because most of the strength of the Taliban is withdrawn. I think there is a hardcore cadre probably stuck in Marjah, they are surrounded by these booby-trap bombs. These improvised explosive devices; those are going to continue to be a danger and maybe kind of an attempt to try and draw the troops in and maybe some kind of series of explosions. You have to be very careful as you sweep the area very slowly.
That's going to take days and weeks. And then of course there are snipers probably hanging out trying to make every bullet count when they finally see a series of soldiers. Finally, of course, you have the danger of complacency on the part of the troops. Things may look very innocent, may fall very easily their way and then suddenly the Taliban pulls some kind of surprise.
WHITFIELD: I wonder when I ask about the economic goal here that the allied forces have. Because this is an area, Helmand Province, where this is the place of financing the Taliban militarily. It's financing them in their arms race in that region. I wonder if one of the primary goals for this allied offensive is to try to wipe out the poppy fields or try, I guess their best effort in taking a stab at that since that's where the finances come for the Taliban even in these winter months?
CRONIN: That has to be part of the economic game plan here in this operation. That is a long-term aspiration. Essentially if you look at 2001, the Taliban fell rather easily. By 2003, we were distracted with Iraq. The Taliban regrouped and it really settled back into the Helmand River Valley, this 220 mile stretch of River Valley in the south of Afghanistan.
Now you have them making a living off the opium trade, coercing farmers, convincing farmers to grow opium. Weaning them off opium on to legitimate crops, restoring a legitimate agriculture economy in this area will take years, not just months.
WHITFIELD: Do you see this as a successful plan or do you think about the what-ifs? What if this is not as effective as hoped?
CRONIN: I think it is a successful plan on two conditions. If we endure and persist at our commit internationally to help the Afghan government and people and secondly if our Afghan partners don't let us down. So much of the hand-off that is going to happen to the Afghan police forces almost immediately is critically important.
In the past, a lot of the police in Afghanistan as in Iraq were corrupt and caused a lot of violence. So very important that the local government and the police forces and ultimately the Afghan security forces coming into this area do the job for the long term. That's not up to us.
WHITFIELD: Patrick Cronin, senior adviser for the Center for a New American Security, thanks so much for your time. Appreciate that.
CRONIN: My pleasure.
Related:
Topic(s): Regional Security Challenges, Terrorism, Irregular Warfare and Crime, Development and Diplomacy, U.S. Military Forces & Operations
Project(s): Afghanistan and Pakistan
People: Dr. Patrick Cronin
