Marines told to make history in south Afghanistan

By Peter Graff

GARMSIR, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Thousands of U.S. Marines were told they were about to make history before they set out on Thursday to wrest control of Afghanistan's southern Helmand province away from the Taliban.

"You're going to change the world this summer and it starts this morning," Lieutenant Colonel Christian Cabaniss, commander of the 2nd battalion, 8th Marines, told his troops dressed in desert fatigues before they mounted helicopters and humvees.

"The United States and the world are watching. Their expectations are enormously high during this summer of decision."

Their mission was part of the first major push under U.S. President Barack Obama's new regional strategy to turn the tide

in Afghanistan and defeat the Taliban and its al Qaeda allies.

There was little resistance as Fox Company from the 3rd platoon of Cabaniss's battalion pushed north along the Helmand River valley from the town of Garmsir to Nawa.

Afghans kept their distance, sitting in the shade under trees by the side of the road as armored convoys rumbled past and helicopters kicked up swirling clouds of dust.

On their way to Nawa the company found a roadside bomb, the insurgents' weapon of choice in Afghanistan. The Marines carefully took the device into a field and blew it up.