British Marines Finish Duty, Leave for Home
The British Royal Marines left Afghanistan after six months of tracking the remnants of Osama bin Laden’s Al Qaeda terrorist network without engaging the enemy.
About 130 members of 45 Commando boarded a chartered Portuguese commercial jet in Kabul, the Afghan capital, to fly to Prestwick, Scotland, for debriefing and then home leave. They had belonged to a force that once numbered more than 1,700.
“Operations for the time being are over,” said Cmdr. Simon Ryan, a spokesman for the forces. He said some logistics and support staff stayed behind.
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