Afstan: UK takes charge at Regional Command South

Fitting, given that the Brits have the most forces in this command:

Training and building up local military and security forces will remain a central priority for coalition forces in Afghanistan, the new leader of NATO's southern command said Tuesday as he formally took the helm from his Dutch predecessor.

To the strains of the Afghan national anthem, Maj.-Gen. Jacko Page - a 25-year veteran of the British military - was formally installed as the new commander of the southern command of the International Security Assistance Force, known as RC South.

From a podium atop a flatbed military truck, Page said the continued training and building of Afghanistan's local army and police forces - considered a vital component of the effort to rebuild the war-ravaged country - would remain a top priority for coalition forces.

"They have already shown themselves to be a courageous and potent force," Page said. "Their bravery on the battlefield has the respect and admiration of every ISAF soldier."

Page, who will spend the next six months in command of RC South, said the coalition will remain focused on providing the security necessary for development in the region to continue.

He cited in particular the current coalition effort to flush the Taliban out of the Sangin River valley, which includes Operation Silicon, a British-led offensive which began in Helmand province on Monday. Part of the goal is to allow reconstruction work to continue on the valuable Kajaki hydroelectric dam, Page said.

"Whether it be roads, better water supplies or electricity, development can only happen if the security conditions are right," Page said. "All, therefore, have an interest in security."

In his outgoing speech, Maj.-Gen. Ton van Loon, who took over command of RC South from Canadian Brig.-Gen. David Fraser, borrowed a metaphor from his predecessor as he compared the rebuilding effort in Afghanistan to a river made of "many single drops." Van Loon said the people of southern Afghanistan are slowly growing more confident as they emerge from beneath the waning influence of the Taliban, and some are feeling more free to speak out against the insurgency...

And this press briefing by the outgoing Dutch commander is quite informative.