The Marines charge into South Afghanistan

A rather big story in the Globe and Mail pointing out that the new "surge" of 3,500 Marines into Afghanistan is dropping them right into the middle of the British and Canadian presences in Kandahar.

A force of 3,500 U.S. Marines charged into southern Afghanistan this morning in an effort to reduce the heavy casualties suffered by Canadian and British soldiers in the region, bringing with them new pressures on Canada and its allies to adapt to U.S. tactics and methods....

But this new U.S. contribution is accompanied by a push to "Americanize" the 40-nation NATO mission, especially in the British-Canadian Southern Command. General Dan McNeill, the U.S. Army officer who currently commands the 40-nation NATO coalition fighting in Afghanistan, said in an interview that he hopes Canada and other nations will adopt U.S.-style tactics and doctrines, including lengthier deployments for soldiers, harder-line opium-poppy-eradication strategies and the use of military forces in reconstruction and humanitarian work.

The tone definitely seems to be that the Canadians and British are welcoming the assistance, but you have to figure that there will be command clashes and that the level of fighting in Kandahar is about to go way up.

Related: (NYTimes) Pakistan’s Planned Accord With Militants Alarms U.S.