Taliban seize town of Musa Qala; residents fear NATO reaction is imminent

[tomahawk6]

General Mc Neil seems ready to send US troops into Musa Qala a town the Brits abandoned in November.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,173-2577321,00.html

About 30 paratroops from 16 Air Assault Brigade Regiment were ordered to withdraw from Musa Qala in November as part of a deal with tribal elders and the governor of Helmand. The American military were said to be “absolutely furious” at what they saw as a pullout by their principal partners, complaining that it left Musa Qala under Taleban control.

 

[tomahawk6]

The Taliban have now taken control of the town.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2428038,00.html

 

[midget-boyd91]

Just read this off CNN, and thought some here would like to have a read also. The town of Musa Qala that the Taliban have 'overrun' is the same villiage that a type of local peace agreement between forces and militants was agreed to earlier in the fall after the British encountered heavy fighting.

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- Taliban militants overran a southern Afghan town where a peace agreement had been negotiated last fall, roaming through the town center, burning its government compound and threatening elders, officials and a resident said Friday.

A resident of Musa Qala said 200-300 Taliban fighters had seized the town, taken weapons from the police and destroyed the government center late Thursday.

Col. Tom Collins, a spokesman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force, said an "unknown number" of militants had apparently entered Musa Qala and that NATO had conflicting reports about tribal elders temporarily being taken hostage.

Asadullah Wafa, the governor of Helmand province, said the militants came into the town Wednesday, disarmed the police force and then returned Thursday and destroyed part of the compound housing the district's governor and police.

"People have closed down the shops this morning and those living near the area have moved out of fear," he said.

Mohammad Wali, a resident of Musa Qala who estimated that between 200-300 fighters were in the town, said residents were fearful that fighting between NATO and militants would resume.

Collins said no ISAF forces were involved in the incident. He said he did not know how many Taliban militants had entered Musa Qala.

British forces are based in Helmand province but pulled out of Musa Qala in October after a peace agreement was signed between local elders and the Helmand governor with the support of the British troops. According to the deal the security responsibilities were turned over to local leaders, while NATO forces were prevented from entering the town.

The deal has been criticized by some Western officials as putting the area outside of government and NATO control. The town was the center of fierce clashes between British troops and resurgent Taliban militants last year before the peace deal was reached.

100

 

[zipperhead_cop]

Be careful what you wish for, I guess.  Too bad they couldn't have set up an ambush and taken out a big number of bad guys. 

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Clearly the Taliban were only trying to prevent a upswing of violence by peacefully disarming the police and terrorizing the local government. Of course the NDP & the guardian in England will use this as proof that NATO can’t be trusted to uphold it’s side of a truce. Perhaps if we trade billions of dollars to the Taliban for carbon credits everything will become peaceful again…Kumbya my lord, kumbya, now everybody sing with me….

 

[zipperhead_cop]

I'm sensing a vague undercurrant of sarcasm.  Are you trying to imply something?  ^-^

 

[Mike Baker]

By JASON STRAZIUSO, Associated Press Writer
57 minutes ago



KABUL, Afghanistan - Hundreds of Taliban militants overran a southern Afghan town that British troops left after a contentious peace agreement in October, destroying the government center and temporarily holding elders hostage, officials and residents said Friday.

The assault, days after a Taliban commander was killed outside the town of Musa Qala, raises doubts about the future of the peace deal, which has been criticized by some Western officials as a        NATO retreat in hostile Taliban territory.

Two residents of Musa Qala estimated that between 200 and 300 Taliban fighters had overtaken the town. They said the fighters took weapons from the police on Wednesday and destroyed the town's government center late Thursday.

Col. Tom Collins, a spokesman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force, said an "unknown number" of militants had entered Musa Qala. He said late Friday that no NATO-led forces were in the town.

British forces are based in Helmand province but left Musa Qala in October after a peace agreement was signed between elders and the Helmand governor. According to the deal, security was turned over to local leaders, while NATO forces were prevented from entering the town.

Some Western officials complained that the deal put the area, which had been a center for clashes between British troops and resurgent Taliban militants, outside of government and NATO control.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070202/ap_on_re_as/afghanistan

 

[GAP]

Were the British too early with this plan, or, as many have stated, you are never going to be able to realistically deal with the Taliban?

Taliban overrun town as peace deal fails
Declan Walsh in Islamabad Saturday February 3, 2007 The Guardian
Article Link

· Locals flee after militants disarm new police force
· Offensive happens two days before Nato handover

British strategy in Afghanistan suffered a blow when the Taliban overran a town in northern Helmand where a controversial peace deal had been signed.
Hundreds of insurgents stormed into Musa Qala on Thursday night, disarming the local police, burning government buildings and threatening elders, officials and residents said.

The Taliban offensive appeared to catch troops off guard just two days before Britain hands control of Nato forces in Afghanistan to an American, General Dan McNeill. "The Taliban entered the town last night. The current situation is unclear," said Mark Laity, a Nato spokesman in Kabul.

British commanders always insisted that the Musa Qala deal, which was brokered between the provincial governor and local elders last September, was risky. After a summer of fighting that claimed several British fatalities, British forces and the Taliban agreed to withdraw from the town centre. In return, elders said they would guarantee security through a locally recruited tribal police force.
More on link

 

[karl28]

I am by no means an expert on this but it seems the Taliban have no respect for any kind of peaceful deals .  I say let them have it hunt them down and make them pay for it .  Like I said I am not an expert and this is just my two cents worth .

 

[a_majoor]

Certainly something like this was worth trying on a "trial" basis; the potential upside was to really give the local elders a clear boost in legitimacy ("see, we can get those Taliban and Crusaders to leave us alone") as a means of insulating the population from the Taliban and other ACM's.

However, there is another upside to this; anyone who wants to do "talks" with the Taliban needs to explain how this is going to work given the events that have just unfolded.

 

[GAP]

Afghan town's residents fear clash is imminent
Updated Sat. Feb. 3 2007 8:10 PM ET Associated Press
Article Link

KABUL, Afghanistan -- Hundreds of villagers fled a southern Afghan town overrun by Taliban militants, fearful of a NATO attack on the insurgent fighters who have hoisted their white flag over the town's ransacked government centre, residents said.

NATO's outgoing commander, Gen. David Richards, said "very surgical and deliberate'' force would be used if needed to solve the crisis in the town Musa Qala and Afghan Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak said: "If there is a need for an operation, there will be one.''

Col. Tom Collins, a spokesman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force, said Saturday that NATO was watching the situation but no forces were in Musa Qala. NATO troops pulled out of the town in October after the government and village elders signed a peace agreement.

"It is only a matter of time before (the) government re-establishes control,'' Collins said.

However, he said NATO had reports Taliban militants had reinforced their defensive positions.

Abdul Baqi, a villager who fled Musa Qala with five family members Saturday, said residents fear a bloody clash is imminent after the Taliban fighters swarmed the town Wednesday and Thursday, temporarily taking village elders hostage.

"I'm going to stay with my relatives and will return only if the situation gets better,'' Baqi said while sitting in his pickup truck in the nearby district Gereshk.

Resident Mohammad Wali said Taliban fighters hoisted a white flag over the damaged government compound and villager Lal Mohammad said hundreds of residents fled.

British troops fought intense battles with Taliban fighters in Musa Qala in the second half of last year. The clashes caused widespread damage to the surrounding town of about 10,000 inhabitants, most of whom were forced to flee.
More on link

 

[zipperhead_cop]

What is the idea behind the white flag?  That couldn't possibly be the (unfortunate) flag of the Taliban, is it?
And how did they get the rights to use it away from the French?  ;D

 

[Kirkhill]

T6 - Dammitall,  :-\ :-[

Good news.  There are now 300 dug in targets.  That's 300 they dont have to worry about finding.  Too bad about the reconstruction costs.

 

[tomahawk6]

Looks like villagers are leaving the AO. If they cant force enough people to stay it will be a free fire zone. ;D

 

[tomahawk6]

Airstrike kills top taliban commander.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070204/taliban_killed_070204/20070204?hub=TopStories

NATO has not released the name of the Taliban leader killed in the strike, but Mohammed Wali, a resident of Musa Qala, said the strike killed Mullah Abdul Gafoor and some of his associates while they were riding in a truck through a small village near Musa Qala.

 

[Armymedic]

I think they took a good opportunity to take back some ground. It wont be long before NATO pushes north again. No doubt the fighters will melt away as soon as tracks are heard on the road.

 

[TangoTwoBravo]

The Taliban did fly the white flag during my time there.  You could see it on their graves as well as in towns that they controlled.  I have no idea of the meaning of the colour, but it did not mean "surrender" in any way.

Towards the end of a firefight in Helmand, I watched a man climb onto his roof and remove the white flag that had been flying in the corner of his compound (not the best thing to do when bullets are flying).  The battle had swept past his compound, but there had been no firing from within. Perhaps he had flown it to avoid harassment.   Some folks go the way the wind blows I guess, and I can't say that I always blame them.

Cheers

 

[bilton090]

  The taliban don't do peace talks, they do not what peace, they what to kill !. These people have to F-ing get there heads out of the sand,
maybe we should send them over there to talk peace with the taliban,  ;D . The taliban did peace talks to recoup, and kill somemore  >

  P.S - Flying out this afternoon, be in the KAF in 22hrs,  :warstory:, 

 

[043]

  The taliban don't do peace talks, they do not what peace, they what to kill !. These people have to F-ing get there heads out of the sand,
maybe we should send them over there to talk peace with the taliban,  ;D . The taliban did peace talks to recoup, and kill somemore  >

  P.S - Flying out this afternoon, be in the KAF in 22hrs,  :warstory:, 

Good luck to you! Chimo!!!!!

 

[McG]

Looks like Hellmand may again see the might of Canadian mechanized infantry & 25 mm:

Fight brewing to retake Afghan town from Taliban
Updated Mon. Feb. 5 2007 11:17 PM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

As fresh Canadian troops rotate into Afghanistan's Kandahar province, it's appearing likely they might be doing some fighting in neighbouring Helmand province.

A town of 10,000 called Musa Qala in Helmand has been recently overrun by Taliban militants.

Pushing them out could require tanks and armoured vehicles that Canada has and the British lack, said CTV's Paul Workman from Afghanistan.

Helmand is an area of British responsibility, although Canadian soldiers were involved in combat operations in the province's Sangin district in early 2006.

Four months ago, the British arranged a deal with Afghan elders in Musa Qala to pull out in exchange for the locals taking care of their own security -- and keeping the Taliban out.

However, the Taliban came storming back last week.

Hundreds of panicky villagers fled, fearing air strikes from NATO jets.

The Taliban are speaking bravely.

"The foreigners have done nothing for us except to kill civilians with their bombs," commander Haji Nika said.

The Afghan government is also talking bravely, saying there is a plan to take back the town.

"It will be a serious attack and it will be in the very near future," said Zemarai Bashary, a spokesman for the Afghan interior ministry, on the weekend.

Gen. David Richards, the British officer who had commanded the 35,000 International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) for the past nine months, also pledged to retake the town.

"We will put the tribal elders back in control of Musa Qala and we will kick the Taliban out."

Richards was a strong backer of the original deal. U.S. Gen. Dan McNeill replaced Richards as ISAF commander on Sunday.

U.S. commanders had criticized the deal, saying it was not with village elders but with the Taliban themselves.

In any event, there are some signs the operation to retake Musa Qala has begun.

...

With a report from CTV's Paul Workman

More on the CTV site: http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070205/musa_qala_070205/20070205?hub=SEAfghanistan