Dutch Commandos battle Taliban in Afghanistan

Dutch Commandos (Dutch) are in Afghanistan as a part of the Deployment Task Force (DTF). The region where they operate is called Uruzgan. The task of the Dutch Commando's is to prepare the way for a Dutch Army force (1.400) which will deploy in Uruzgan for 2 years as a part of the US-led efforts to fight terrorism ("The War on Terror").

The Commandos (Dutch) killed dozens of Taliban fighters in the past few months. Amongst them was also an "important leader" according to kolonel Henk Morsink, the DTF Commander.

The Dutch Commandos had 6 heavy fights with fighters in the neighbourhood of the provincial capital Tarin Kowt. The Commandos were pinned down by Afghan fighters. With helicopter gunship support (Dutch Apaches) the Commandos managed to wipe out Taliban and hostile forces.



The most likely weapon to be selected by the Apache weapons officer is the M230 30 millimeter gun.


Using the Commandos in small groups to recconnoitre (recce) the country is a nice tactic. It encourages the Taliban to group themselves in a bigger group with more fire power thus forming a target that can be engaged with a heave weapon platform such as the Apache.

The Commandos had a few hairy escapes in their encounters with the Taliban. They thank their guardian angel.

The Dutch Ministry called the mission "do able", although it is admitted to be the hairiest mission in a long time. The present governing coalition gives the mission full support, but will be replaced in 2007, before the indicated end date of the mission.

Personally I do not see the point of the mission. The Netherlands or the West has no interests in Afganistan. The mission of Nato in Afganistan is to support the US in El Jorge's Great War on Terror.

This mission is doomed to fail. Obviously the West has to respond to Al-Qaida's terror. But invading countries in the Middle East is not a way to harm Al-Qaida decisively. Western Armies in their wars in the Third World since 1945 constantly defeat the enemies they face. And they constantly fail to translate the military victories in political gains.

It is time for the West to rethink the way it wages war.