Troop numbers in Kandahar rise by 800 as U.S. unit moves in to Maywand

A United States army infantry battalion known as the "Ramrods" arrived in Kandahar last month and officially assumed responsibility for the Taliban stronghold on Aug. 27, Canadian task force commander Brig.-Gen Denis Thompson announced Saturday.

Operating under Canadian command, the unit will be responsible for conducting counter-insurgency operations in the district west of Kandahar City in conjunction with members of the Afghan National Security Force. Their deployment is expected to last some 15 months.

"This district is a key district. It's key as a logistics hub for the movement of insurgent fighters, arms and money," Thompson said.

The infantry battalion's presence should disrupt those activities "and have a real impact on the overall security picture here in Kandahar province," he said.

A recent Canadian-led operation in Maywand resulted in the destruction of a large cache of improvised explosive devices believed to be destined for the Zhari and Panjwaii districts, where the bulk of Canadian operations have been taking place. But coalition forces have not had a significant presence in the region.

U.S. Lt.-Col. Dan Hurlbut said he hopes to change that over the coming weeks as his troops begin full-scale operations in the area.

"We look forward to working together over the coming months to bring stability, security and economic development as well as governance to the district of Maywand," Hurlbut said.

"Our initial perception is there are some folks who are happy to see us, there are other folks that are reluctant at best just because the Taliban presence has been there for so long."

"There's probably going to be some fence-sitters that are waiting to find out if we're going to stick around or not and it will be our mission over the next couple of months to turn those guys over to decide to support the government of Afghanistan."

The announcement comes days after Thompson said publicly that securing Kandahar could not be done without more troops.

The addition of 800 will nearly double to 1,800 the number of coalition infantry and combat troops operating in Kandahar. But Thompson said the province still needs another battalion of Afghan army soldiers as well some 4,000 trained police officers if it's going to bring security to a level in which development and reconstruction can flourish.

A fourth Afghan National Army Kandak, or battalion, is expected to begin operating in Kandahar by the spring. There are currently about 1,000 trained police officers and 2,300 auxiliary police officers operating in the region.

"More is always better," Thompson said. "We're not there yet but with the addition of this very capable infantry battalion from the U.S. army, we're moving in the right direction."

Thompson said the 800 extra troops are merely an "interim measure" aimed at covering off an "obvious gap" and are not part of the 1,000 extra troops recommended in the Manley report on Canada's mission in Afghanistan released in January.

"That will be announced and decided at the capital level not here in the field," he said.

A U.S. air strike in Herat province last week that killed 90 civilians and prompted calls by Afghan President Hamid Karzai for a review of the rules of engagement for foreign troops raises some concerns about a beefed up American presence in Canadian-run Kandahar.

Thompson, however, assured the American unit is subordinate to the Canadian task force which follows the United Nations mandated International Security Assistance Force rules of engagement and has tended to show more restraint in the field.

He also insisted the rules of engagement for individual soldiers are much the same for the U.S. army as for Canadian soldiers.

"Our approach to counter-insurgency warfare is the same as the Canadian approach," Hurlbut added.

"We will be fully integrated in talking to the community, developing the (Joint District Co-ordination Centres) and governance capability."

"When we talk counter-insurgency, we talk the same language. We understand the same concepts. Our approach is the same so there should not be any difference in how you see operations out there than what you see in Zhari or Panjwaii or Kandahar City."