About 5,000 troops at Camp Shorabak represent the country's best bet for rebuilding its army, with Western help, and taking over responsibility for its security.

The troops are trained and equipped by the West as part of the international effort to ensure the ongoing fight against insurgents is, as the mantra goes, "Afghan led".

The troops at Camp Shorabak, home of the 3rd Brigade, 205 Atal Army Corps, are leading the charge, fighting alongside foreign forces in the biggest operation against the Taliban since their 1996-2001 regime was overthrown.

Of the 15,000 troops involved in Operation Mushtarak (Together) in southern Helmand province, 4,400 are Afghans.

Along with NATO soldiers, they are being led by US Marines into one of the Taliban's last bastions and one of the world's biggest sources of opium.

The aim is to eradicate the Taliban threat, re-establish Afghan sovereignty and bring services such as security, schools, clinics and jobs.

NATO has said the operation was planned in close cooperation with the Afghan National Army (ANA).

"For us this is the first time we have Afghans in significant numbers," General Larry Nicholson, commander of the Marines in southern Afghanistan, told reporters in Marjah this week after combined troops moved into the town.

"In July we had 10 (Marines) to one (ANA), we almost have a two-to-one ratio now," he said, referring to the growing number of Afghan troops taking part in military operations.

"We worked hard before this fight started to build relations and I think it's paying dividends," Nicholson said, adding: "Finally we were able to put a bit of Afghan heart and soul in it."

The ANA currently numbers 100,000 troops, with plans for it to grow to 240,000 by 2011, funded by NATO and the United States, in the hope that gradual involvement in big operations can see foreign forces start to draw down.

US President Barack Obama, General Stanley McChrystal, who commands US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, and Afghan President Hamid Karzai say they are determined the country will take responsibility for security within five years.

To that end they plan to hit a benchmark of 400,000 security forces -- army and police -- within 18 months.

In an effort to retain and attract recruits, the Afghan government recently announced a 33 percent pay rise for soldiers and police.

The ambitious figures have sown concerns that recruits will be taken on to fit the quantity, not quality, requirements of a government in a hurry to finally prove that it is up to the job.

Experts warn the nation lacks literate young men, veterans with leadership skills, facilities for training, and money for weapons.

Obama announced in December a surge of 30,000 US troops, matched with 10,000 from NATO to bring the total number of foreign soldiers fighting in Afghanistan to 150,000 by August.

The surge is part of a counter-insurgency strategy aimed at speeding the end of the war, as Obama also set a deadline of mid-2011 for US troops to start heading home.

That timeline makes it essential that the infant ANA grows up fast.

"The ANA (Afghan National Army) are awesome," said US Marine Lieutenant Brian Jaquith, on the outskirts of Marjah.

"They are aggressive, but it's controlled aggression, they are extremely disciplined," he said.

But they still need guidance, said Marine Sergeant Major Anthony Greene, one of thousands of US mentors deployed to train the Afghan force.

"Well we believe in them, they are very capable people, they're proud people and I do believe they can defend their homeland," he told AFP at Camp Shorabak.

The people of Helmand, where the war has been concentrated, said they welcomed the ANA, eager to have a homegrown security force that will see off the foreign presence and that compares well to the unpopular police.

"We are happy with the ANA," said Marjah farmer Sayed Wakhan.

"I like the army but not the foreigners or the police," he said.

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