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“WHERE WE go we will stay and where we stay we will hold, build and work toward transition of all security responsibilities to Afghan forces”. So said Brigadier General Larry Nicholson, commander of the 4,000 US marines sent yesterday into Afghanistan’s Helmand province to bolster the existing largely British force fighting Taliban guerrillas there.

The policy reflects the military doctrine adopted by the new US commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal. He wants US and other Nato forces to give greater protection to civilians rather than measure their success by how many Taliban guerrillas they kill. It remains to be seen whether they will be able to execute such a policy with the extra 21,000 US troops President Barack Obama has committed to Afghanistan, which will bring their numbers to 78,000 next year, and the Nato force as a whole to about 100,000.