The main goal of the operation, dubbed “Strike of the Sword,” is to launch a massive assault while simultaneously gaining back the trust of the people.

Marvin Weinbaum, a scholar at the Middle East Institute and former State Department analyst on Afghanistan and Pakistan, joins Martin Savidge to discuss the importance of Helmand and the new operation.

The Taliban has strongholds in southern Afghanistan.

On Thursday, U.S. Marines launched a major offensive in Afghanistan’s volatile Helmand Province, in an effort to root out Taliban forces in southern strongholds.

Worldfocus contributing blogger Anup Kaphle is embedded with British and Canadian forces in Afghanistan. He chronicles his experience on the “Dispatches from Afghanistan” blog, and describes the climate in the capital of Helmand Province earlier this week.

When the world was mourning the death of Michael Jackson, I was heading to Lashkar Gah in a British army convoy from Camp Bastion.

Suicide bombers often target the security forces in Lashkar Gah. So the soldiers warn every driver on the street to slow down with hand signals and fire “mini flares” into the air. If that doesn’t work, a warning gun shot follows.

Over the last couple of days, I’ve gotten a glimpse of this busy little city. Locals usually give a thumbs-up and a smile as the troops patrol the city. But there are the usual frowns and suspicious stares on the faces of some locals. A kid who was barely six-years old held his thumbs up for a second, then gradually shifted it downwards and stuck his tongue out at one of the soldiers. Another kid screamed and threw a pear at us while we were driving by. As simple as it is, not everyone seemed to adore their guests.

But the biggest problem in Lashkar Gah is not the inconspicuous hatred from a few little kids. It’s the dish that the Taliban serve full time - deadly attacks. Every day during patrol, we heard about Taliban running over one of the police posts and killing ANP members. Soldiers told me about suicide bombers who drove their white Toyota sedans and motorcycles into ISAF and ANP vehicles in the busy bazaar. As one soldier put it to me, “You take your eyes off for one minute, and sh** is bound to happen.”

Driving down a busy market, it is hard to tell which one among the hundreds is waiting to meet his virgins in heaven. The troops make sure every single vehicle comes to a halt until the convoy drives past them. Gunners on top of the Landrovers have their fingers ready on the trigger just in case someone makes a move.

Knowing that someone could run into you and blow himself up is a scary thought. But it is that very fear that keeps me standing with my camera, next to the gunner the entire duration of patrol.

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Photo courtesy of Flickr user wil- under a Creative Commons license.

Officials suggested that British troops are performing poorly, and some Americans allege that the troops lack proper equipment, frequently require rescuing by U.S. counterparts and have acted “snide.”

Defense Secretary Robert Gates expressed concern about operations in the British-controlled Helmand Province. The U.K. recently deployed 300 additional troops to the Helmand Province, though Prime Minister Gordon Brown is still considering whether or not to comply with likely requests for thousands more.

A total of 133 British soldiers have died in Afghanistan, and casualties have recently climbed. Since November, 12 British soldiers have died in the war — compared to three American soldiers. Two-thirds of people in Britain want troops to withdraw from Afghanistan.

Tom Baldwin, the Washington bureau chief of The Times of London, speaks with Martin Savidge about the role of the British in Afghanistan.

Below, bloggers discuss the accusations and the future of British involvement in Afghanistan.

The “Kotare” blog writes that Americans criticizing the British troops lack tact or forbearance.

“The Bewilderness” blog blames Gordon Brown and the Labour party for “unimpressive” British performance in Afghanistan.

British blogger “Gordon” of “Harry’s Place” argues that the fight in Afghanistan isn’t working, blaming the corruption of the Afghan government and insufficient funding.

Matthew Hickley blogs at “Afghan Diaries” for the Mail Online (U.K.), describing daily life on the ground in the Helmand Province.