Marines prepare for Afghanistan

[thedrifter]

Marines prepare for Afghanistan
Royal Marines Commandos from Devon are making final preparations before leaving for Afghanistan.

A total of 150 men from 42 Commando, based at Bickleigh near Plymouth, will leave on Tuesday for the volatile Helmand province.

The Marines will be the first combat troops to go following an announcement on 26 January that about 3,300 British troops are to join Nato's force.

One of their main tasks will be tackling the threat of suicide bombers.

Col Gordon Messenger, in charge of the deployment, said earlier this month that the troops would not "hunker down" and wait for suicide attacks.

Drugs fight

They will provide security to help Afghan forces fight the drugs trade in the province, one of the main poppy-growing areas.

They will also be protecting RAF and Army engineers setting up a base at Lashkar Gar, the capital of Helmand province.

Lt Col Ged Salzano, commanding officer of 42 Commando, said: "The company group is robust enough to look after itself and protect the engineers.

"Conditions are expected to be tough but 42 Commando are well prepared for the task."

Troops from 42 Commando have just returned from the Bagh region of Pakistan where they assisted in the earthquake disaster relief.

[thedrifter]

14 February 2006
MARINES: WE'RE ITCHING TO TAKE ON THE TALIBAN
By Chris Hughes

CRACK Royal Marine Commandos will spearhead the taskforce of 3,300 British troops heading for Afghanistan's opium zone to wage war on the Taliban.

Despite the deaths of four US soldiers yesterday, the CO of 42 Commando based at Bickleigh, near Plymouth, Devon, said they were "itching to go".

They will protect Army and RAF engineers setting up a base in the Helmand province.

Yesterday four US soldiers were killed in the neighbouring Uruzgan region by a rebel ambush of roadside bombs and rocket-propelled grenades.

A party of Marines will arrive in Helmand in the next few days. Dutch Nato peacekeepers are due to be based in Uruzgan later this year. Both are opium-growing areas.

The Commanding Officer of 42 Commando, Lieut Col Ged Salzano, said they had talked about the new allegations of abuse by British troops in Iraq, adding: "The Marines will be sensitive to the concerns of locals."

A surge of violence has broken out in Afghanistan in recent months as Nato members expand their peacekeeping mission with the US hoping to withdraw about 3,000 of more than 18,000 troops.

Defence Secretary John Reid has said UK troops will peak at 5,700.

The extra 3,300 troops will add to 1,100 already there and 1,950 announced earlier.