Not that many of us ever doubted what our guys are doing in Afghanistan!

NATO's Commander in Afghanistan - this is a war for the people

A Military Operations news article

3 Mar 10

During a visit to Helmand province this week, the Commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, told troops 'to put yourself in the position of the local Afghans'.

General Stanley McChrystal shakes hands with a member of the RAF Regiment at Camp Bastion
[Picture: Crown Copyright/MOD 2010]

General McChrystal accompanied Afghanistan's Second Vice President, Karim Khalili, Helmand Governor, Gulab Mangal, and NATO Senior Civilian Representative, Ambassador Mark Sedwill, on a visit to Marjah in central Helmand this week, where the Afghan flag has been raised above the town after ISAF and Afghan forces recently cleared the area of insurgents in Operation MOSHTARAK.

General McChrystal also visited Afghan, American, British, Danish, Estonian and French troops at Camp Bastion.

He told the troops that the most important thing that they can do is to put themselves in the position of the local Afghans.

The General said that he spent 75 per cent of his time understanding the Afghan people and that, by doing this, it significantly reduced the need to deploy soldiering skills.

He then talked of Operation MOSHTARAK saying:

"2009 was all about condition-setting. We knew that we had to take a different approach to the operations in Marjah and Nad 'Ali.

"We were keen to let locals and the Taliban know three things: firstly, we are going to stay, secondly, we are going in as a partnership, and thirdly, Afghan forces are making the decisions."..

Important insights from General McChrystal. Read the rest here.

This really IS a 'war for the people'.