The British Minister of Defense has officially announced: the kickoff of the British withdrawal in Afghanistan is given with the expected return of 500 soldiers from combat troops and logistical support. The British forces should increase from 9500 to 9000 by the end of the year. London instead provides to keep troops fighting until the end of 2014, when the transfer of authority will be permanently NATO to Afghan National Army (ANA). According to Philip Hammmond, this first movement of withdrawal is made possible by the growing power of the army and the Afghan police: in the last six months, no less than 36 forward operating bases and checkpoints have changed hands in the province Helmand, passing under Afghan control. Two hundred other British soldiers would be transferred from combat missions to support missions.
To support his statements, Philip Hammond cited the success of a recent "cleansing" conducted by the ANA in Helmand, during which 44 IEDs have been neutralized, seven workshops manufacturing of bombs and 145 kg of explosives discovered. We can congratulate the good results of the operation or worry about the level of insurgent activity, it's your choice ...
Especially since the Afghan security forces present in Helmand will face in the coming months, the withdrawal of 16,000 Marines moved into the area. Not sure in these circumstances that the tactical successes achieved on the ground by British forces are long preserved ...
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