The commander of the Dutch troops currently preparing for the Netherlands' mission in southern Afghanistan - due to begin in just a few weeks time - believes there's a strong likelihood Taliban fighters will make more frequent attempts to ambush his convoys.
Working from a US base close to the airfield at Kandahar, Colonel Morsink is in command of the 'Deployment Task Force' which is making preparations for the Dutch military mission in Uruzgan which will formally begin on 1 August this year as part of the expansion of the field of operations of NATO's ISAF stabilisation force into the southern part of Afghanistan.
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Click to listen to the interview with Colonel Henk Morsink |
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Speaking to Radio Netherlands, the colonel had the following to say about the recent failed ambush of one of the Dutch convoys travelling to and from Uruzgan: "This is the first time we discovered something like this. We sent in our helicopters immediately. They spotted people there, but no weapons, so - fortunately - that all ended well. But we're working on the basis that it will happen more frequently, and it's something other foreign convoys have already had to face."
So far, six Dutch convoys have made the round trip from Kandahar to Uruzgan and back, taking with them some 500 containers and 250 vehicles for NATO's 'Task Force Uruzgan'. There are still some 1000 containers and 50 vehicles waiting to be transported south - the equivalent of around three shiploads' worth of equipment.
The convoys are being given heavy protection: the - armoured - trucks used to carry the goods are accompanied by Patria armoured vehicles (see photo below), Apache helicopters, F-16 fighter planes, Explosive Ordnance Disposal experts and the 'invisible eyes' of unmanned Predator surveillance aircraft, also known as 'drones'. The convoys also have a range of detection equipment to help them uncover roadside bombs.
The day-to-day reality in Uruzgan makes it clear that, in military terms, there's a tough task awaiting the Dutch troops. Dutch commandos carrying out reconnaissance operations due north of the provincial capital, Tarin Kowt, have already met with regular armed resistance from members of the Taliban, and have returned fire on each occasion.
Colonel Morsink says these clashes have probably caused 'dozens' of casualties among the Taliban: "We don't have any hard proof, because you can't go out and check precisely what has happened on the spot during fighting like this. But, of course, we do get information from all sides, and we arrive at our estimates on the basis of that information."Air support
The Dutch commander points out, however, that it's not the job of these commandos to drive the Taliban out of the area, which is around 15 to 20 kilometres north of the Dutch base in Tarin Kowt. Accordingly, the Dutch troops are not carrying out offensive operations in the region. The Netherlands is leaving that - until 1 August, in any event - to the US-led operation 'Enduring Freedom'. In recent weeks this has meant, for example, that the Dutch commandos have, on occasion, been forced to call for air support. The support provided has included heavy US bomber planes (B-52s and B-1Bs), although it's unclear whether the Dutch specifically requested the deployment of these aircraft.
Most of the clashes with the Taliban have reportedly taken place in the mountainous region along the valley that connects Tarin Kowt with Chora, which is located further north. Chora itself was attacked at the beginning of June by a Taliban unit which actually managed to capture and hold this small town for a period of time.
Historic victory
A second Dutch camp - located close to Deh Rawood in the east - only houses a few dozen troops at the moment, and the real construction work there has yet to get fully under way. This area is, incidentally, one of historic importance to the Afghans, for it was here during the time of the Soviet occupation that the Mujahedeen scored an enormous victory when they managed to decimate an entire Soviet tank brigade and a number of commando units in a valley not far from Deh Rawood.
Colonel Morsink is stationed at the base in Kandahar, which has been targeted by enemy fire more frequently in recent weeks than Camp Holland, which is located near the village of China, just south of Tarin Kowt. However, so far nobody - and nothing else of any significance - has been hit by the attacks on the Kandahar base.
RNW Internet translation (tpf)
Tags: Afghanistan, Camp Holland, China, Chora, Deh Rawood, drones, Enduring Freedom, ISAF, Kandahar, Morsink, NATO, Patria, Predator , Taliban, Tarin Kowt, Task Force Uruzgan