Captain's Quarters -

The much-anticipated spring offensive by the Taliban just found itself eclipsed by the late-winter offensive of NATO. The West launched a large operation that aims to push the Taliban out of Helmand province, where the Taliban have scored their only success at regaining territory:

NATO-led troops launched an offensive against Taliban militants Tuesday in a volatile southern Afghan province where hundreds of militant fighters have amassed.

The operation, which will eventually involve 4,500 NATO troops and 1,000 Afghan soldiers, was launched at the request of the Afghan government and will focus on the northern region of Helmand province, NATO's International Security Assistance Force said.

"Our first maneuver elements reached their positions at approximately 5 a.m. this morning," said Maj. Gen. Ton van Loon, ISAF's southern commander.

Dubbed Operation Achilles, the offensive is NATO's largest-ever in the country. But it will involve only half the number of soldiers who fought in a U.S. offensive in the same region just nine months ago, when some 11,000 U.S.-led troops attacked fighters in northern Helmand province during Operation Mountain Thrust.

NATO said that Achilles initially would focus on improving security conditions, but that its "overarching purpose is to assist the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (to) improve its ability to begin reconstruction and economic development."

British forces operate in Helmand, and have had some trouble maintaining security. The city of Musa Qala fell to the Taliban after the Afghan government reached a peace deal with the elders of Musa Qala. On February 1, the Taliban took advantage of that deal to capture the city and use it as a base of operations against the Afghan government and the nearby British forces.

Now we know why Tony Blair shifted 1,500 troops to the UK positions in Afghanistan. They will certainly bear the brunt of the fighting in Helmand, at least in the short term. They also want to begin repair work on a critical dam in nearby Kajaki, which supplies electricity to almost 2 million Afghans, and improve its supply of water for irrigation and clean-water supplies for residents of the area.

The offensive against Taliban elements in Helmand has more strategic value than either Musa Qala or the dam. Opium farmers in Helmand have developed what looks to be a record crop this year, and the Taliban protects it. They also tax the farmers for that protection, giving them an income stream that NATO would like to end. Cutting off their money supply would help keep them from properly outfitting themselves for war against the West, as well as reducing the funds for their recruitment drives.

NATO probably surprised the Taliban with their early start to the spring warfare everyone expected. This follows on the heels of the capture of the Taliban's senior commander, Mullah Obaidullah. The disarray caused by that capture will not help the Taliban in Helmand, either. Let's hope that NATO pushes its advantage to the maximum.