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Despite Afghan government assurances that the army can hold and retake ground, the strategic province that hundreds of NATO troops-- who have been in the country for the last 15 years -- died fighting for is closer than ever to falling to the Taliban.
A Helmand police official, who did not want to be named for his own safety, told CNN on Sunday that the army had not made any recent advances, and at least five full districts in the province were already under full Taliban control.
The official said this included the towns of Musa Qala and Nawzad, and that an army offensive to retake the town of Khanisheen was recently repelled by the Taliban.
The official said this included the towns of Musa Qala and Nawzad, and that an army offensive to retake the town of Khanisheen was recently repelled by the Taliban.
Death is not the only reason the Afghan army is losing troops: Desertion is rife within the ranks.
CNN met two deserters in Helmand whose stories show the breadth of the problem, who have taken their skills -- months of U.S. taxpayer-funded training -- to the Taliban.
"I did 18 months of army training and took an oath to serve this country," one deserter said. "But the situation changed. The army let us down, so we had to come to the Taliban, who treat us like guests."
The two men still had their old uniforms, army IDs, and even the bank cards they used to withdraw their official wages.
"I decided to leave the army when my dead and injured comrades lay in our base, and nobody took them to hospital. My army training is very useful now, as I am training Taliban fighters with the same knowledge."
CNN met two deserters in Helmand whose stories show the breadth of the problem, who have taken their skills -- months of U.S. taxpayer-funded training -- to the Taliban.
"I did 18 months of army training and took an oath to serve this country," one deserter said. "But the situation changed. The army let us down, so we had to come to the Taliban, who treat us like guests."
The two men still had their old uniforms, army IDs, and even the bank cards they used to withdraw their official wages.
"I decided to leave the army when my dead and injured comrades lay in our base, and nobody took them to hospital. My army training is very useful now, as I am training Taliban fighters with the same knowledge."
Another man came from an area the Taliban now control to buy goods in Lashkar Gah, and described a relative calm in the town of Musa Qala now the Taliban were in control.
"The bazaar is now full of people when it used to be empty. That was because security was bad and some people avoided the government forces in it."
Still, government officials insist they will turn the fight around in Helmand in coming months.
"The bazaar is now full of people when it used to be empty. That was because security was bad and some people avoided the government forces in it."
Still, government officials insist they will turn the fight around in Helmand in coming months.
Get real.
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