Security “Improving Steadily” In Marja Months After Critical Offensive

The security situation in the Afghan community of Marja is “improving steadily,” according to Brig. Gen. Joseph Osterman, the commanding general of Task Force Leatherneck in the country.

In early 2010, coalition forces dismantled Taliban control of the Helmand-based village in what was seen as a critical operation. Although former Afghanistan Commander General Stanley McChrystal initially said in February that there was a “government in a box” ready to roll in, the area has nevertheless been troubled.

However, Osterman, who briefed reporters at the Pentagon via satellite Tuesday, said that direct confrontations between U.S. troops and militants within the area are now in the single digits.

Osterman also noted that police forces in the country are developing and have begun to won over the trust of the local population.