Q+A: NATO still faces resilient Taliban in Afghanistan assault

KABUL (Reuters) - NATO forces are facing strong resistance eight days into a major offensive in southern Afghanistan as Taliban fighters dig in to fight to the death.

Here are some questions and answers on the offensive:

WHO'S WINNING?

NATO says the operation remains on track and forces have started opening up land routes as militants are cleared out.

NATO and Afghan troops may need another month to fully secure Marjah and it could then take three months to determine whether the assault has been a success, a NATO commander said on Thursday. NATO says it has lost 12 soldiers.

In a sign the Marines have stabilized parts of Marjah, Afghan police have been deployed in an area recaptured from the Taliban by U.S. Marines; an early phase of a plan to put the country under the control of Afghan authorities.

But Taliban fighters remain defiant in the face of an offensive that tests U.S. President Barack Obama's strategy of sending 30,000 more troops to seize insurgent-held areas before a planned 2011 troop drawdown begins.

Taliban officials say the fact that 15,000 NATO and Afghan troops with air support could not quickly sweep through Marjah, in Helmand province, shows they will fail to reach their objectives. The Taliban have lost 14 fighters, a spokesman said.

WHO IS TAKING PART?

Operation Mushtarak, the Dari word for "together," is led by the U.S. Marines, with British and Afghan troops also taking part. The Marines are assaulting the area around Marjah, and the British are responsible for Nad Ali district to its east.

No one knows how many Taliban are fighting but estimates have ranged from a few hundred to several thousand. The U.S. military, and villagers, have said some have fled. That raises the possibility that the Taliban who left may just wait it out until a gradual U.S. troop withdrawal starts in 2011.

WHAT IS THE POINT OF THE OFFENSIVE?

To prove that U.S. President Barack Obama's 30,000 troop "surge" can help clear out militant strongholds like Marjah, and pave the way for Afghan authorities to take over, provide security and begin providing services.

That is the overall strategy to allow a planned U.S. troop drawdown in 2011. Much will depend on how effective Afghan troops and security forces are. Afghan forces must prove they can protect civilians to win their trust.

Their performance in the fighting may shed light on whether they can keep the Taliban from returning to Marjah, a poppy cultivation center that Western countries say helps fund the insurgency.

WHAT IS THE STRATEGY ON THE GROUND?

Protection of civilians is the main priority, NATO says.

While that may help the Afghan local government to get civilians on its side, it has held back Marines from resorting to heavy air strikes.

Before carrying out air attacks, Marines take time to conduct aerial surveillance to determine whether there are civilians on the ground.

NATO forces are taking preventative measures, including sending A-10 jets to kill Taliban militants planting explosives. A-10s are designed for close air support for ground forces, meaning they can hit targets without firing large ordnance.

NATO is trying to avoid incidents like one in which NATO rockets killed 12 civilians -- all victims of the same family -- in the early stage of the offensive.

WHAT IS THE LONG-TERM CHALLENGE?

Even if the Taliban are cleared out and never come back, the Afghan government must win over the local population and ensure political and economic stability so the people do not support a return to Taliban rule.

That means creating jobs and improving basic services.

The Taliban are more likely to appeal to young men who have no jobs and get poor basic services from local authorities, widely viewed as corrupt. Marjah's opium trade also lines the pockets of corrupt Afghan authorities, analysts say.

(Editing by Bryson Hull; Editing by Jon Hemming)