Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Newsweek
April 28, 2008 Periscope
By Ron Moreau and Sami Yousafzai
In many ways, The Kajaki Dam is a symbol of Afghanistan's troubled history. Built by the United States in the 1950s, it fell into disrepair under the Taliban. Now the United States is trying to rebuild the hydroelectric facility to win hearts and minds in the Helmand River valley. If the effort succeeds, the dam will be the country's largest power source.
Of course, it's not going to be that easy. Analysts expect a summer surge from the Taliban, and the dam is an enticing target. Insurgents approach it by infiltrating nearby villages while warning local men not to work there under penalty of death. U.S. officials are optimistic that once the dam's three power plants come on line, the surge of electricity and irrigation will help win over residents to the government's side. But "we are anticipating a very busy summer," says British Maj. Mike Shervington, who commands the dam's main security force.
It's an open question, though, whether the Taliban can keep up the pace of its recent attacks. A senior Taliban commander in southeast Ghazni province, who requested anonymity for security reasons but who has provided NEWSWEEK with reliable information in the past, says provincial insurgent forces may have lost up to 50 percent of their deputy commanders in 2007. To reduce casualties, he says, Taliban leaders have ordered lieutenants to limit operations to units of five to eight men and to meet in groups no larger than two to avoid airstrikes. The Ghazni leader adds that the Taliban plans an increase in suicide bombings, particularly vehicle bombs, as well as roadside IEDs and supply-line ambushes.
The Taliban claims that its shift from large-scale engagements to smaller hit-and-run operations is a change in strategy, not a sign of weakness. Its commanders boast that between suitcases of cash sent by jihadist supporters in the Persian Gulf and the millions in ransom for foreigners they've kidnapped, funding has become less of a problem. And while it lacks the firepower to go head-to-head with the Coalition's military, its hit-and-run operations are taking a toll. In recent days, Taliban commandos killed 11 policemen sleeping in their Kandahar outpost, and a suicide bomber killed 23 people in the remote Nimruz province. So far this year, 44 Coalition troops have been killed. The small-scale fighting may not make for big headlines, but its ability to disrupt projects like the dam is potent—and deadly.
April 28, 2008 Periscope
By Ron Moreau and Sami Yousafzai
In many ways, The Kajaki Dam is a symbol of Afghanistan's troubled history. Built by the United States in the 1950s, it fell into disrepair under the Taliban. Now the United States is trying to rebuild the hydroelectric facility to win hearts and minds in the Helmand River valley. If the effort succeeds, the dam will be the country's largest power source.
Of course, it's not going to be that easy. Analysts expect a summer surge from the Taliban, and the dam is an enticing target. Insurgents approach it by infiltrating nearby villages while warning local men not to work there under penalty of death. U.S. officials are optimistic that once the dam's three power plants come on line, the surge of electricity and irrigation will help win over residents to the government's side. But "we are anticipating a very busy summer," says British Maj. Mike Shervington, who commands the dam's main security force.
It's an open question, though, whether the Taliban can keep up the pace of its recent attacks. A senior Taliban commander in southeast Ghazni province, who requested anonymity for security reasons but who has provided NEWSWEEK with reliable information in the past, says provincial insurgent forces may have lost up to 50 percent of their deputy commanders in 2007. To reduce casualties, he says, Taliban leaders have ordered lieutenants to limit operations to units of five to eight men and to meet in groups no larger than two to avoid airstrikes. The Ghazni leader adds that the Taliban plans an increase in suicide bombings, particularly vehicle bombs, as well as roadside IEDs and supply-line ambushes.
The Taliban claims that its shift from large-scale engagements to smaller hit-and-run operations is a change in strategy, not a sign of weakness. Its commanders boast that between suitcases of cash sent by jihadist supporters in the Persian Gulf and the millions in ransom for foreigners they've kidnapped, funding has become less of a problem. And while it lacks the firepower to go head-to-head with the Coalition's military, its hit-and-run operations are taking a toll. In recent days, Taliban commandos killed 11 policemen sleeping in their Kandahar outpost, and a suicide bomber killed 23 people in the remote Nimruz province. So far this year, 44 Coalition troops have been killed. The small-scale fighting may not make for big headlines, but its ability to disrupt projects like the dam is potent—and deadly.