Comments on: Fierce Battles and High Casualties on the Frontlines of Afghanistan

By: Aries1994

Aries1994 — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:31:59 +0000

My love and prayers to all the Marines dealing with this. This was a very imformative article by Matt Gutman. Thank you for letting us know what the Marines are dealing with. God Bless all the Marines!

By: ironjunkman

ironjunkman — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:49:34 +0000

if heroin was legal what would the opium crop be worth? if we started jailing growers like we do stateside would that make a difference? why in the hell are we actually holding hands with these people when what they need is a touch of the ‘cat’?

By: RScott

RScott — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:03:02 +0000

The farmers in central Helmand, the largest irrigation system in the country mostly built with US funding 1946-79, are double cropping cash cropping farmers who have been asking for help to get out of opium cultivation with support of their traditional cash crops of wheat, cotton, melon, vegetables, peanuts etc and an ag.credit system. But in the 8 years of occupation we have been unable to respond effectively to their request although spending millions on irrelevant counter-narcotics projects.We need to listen to farmer requests and support their legal economy (they still grow the traditional crops)if it is not too late. They consider opium an “evil” crop but with a reliable market and an informal credit system.
And we remain the unacceptable foreign, non-Muslim military occupational force replacing the Soviets.

By: The_Mick

The_Mick — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 22:38:36 +0000

When the Russians went into Afghanistan in the 1980′s, a Pakistani chemist with whom I worked said they’d have problems. He said there’s a local prayer in Pakistan that ends with “…save use from the venom of the Cobra, the tooth of the Tiger, and the vengeance of the Afghans.”
And of course, there’s Kipling’s famous “The Young British Soldier” which ends:
“When you’re wounded and left on Afghanistan’s plains,
And the women come out to cut up what remains,
Jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains
An’ go to your Gawd like a soldier.”

By: turnovercongress

turnovercongress — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:17:04 +0000

and soldiers can’t even service their own vehicles, huh. great little service deal there for the mfg. ignorance and ineptness abound in how to deal with this country and its problems. no matter how much wisdom you read here (never work, kicked butt w/UK and RUS, will bleed us down another black hole of blood, tears and treasure, etc) is true. i don’t think discussing our continuing ignorance over there and the accompanying loss of american lives is the same as undercutting our service people. I look at my resistance to this and the unholy bush war in iraq as my contribution to saving the lives of many people i care for; the military men and women. been there, done that and know in my heart its wasted lives for very little and perhaps nothing. as the eagles recently said in long road out of eden “all the knowledge in the world is of no use to fools”. obama is our only hope, the rest of the gvt is too entrenched – resistant to change. vote em all out.

By: Jim Pivonka

Jim Pivonka — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:20:50 +0000

Well, we’ve known for a good time that we needed new commanders in both Afghanistan and at NATO if we were to make progress in Afghanistan. Now we have a good General in Afghanistan – the situation was bad enough there that it demanded correction and Obama and Gates acted.
Craddock at NATO is a more difficult nut to crack. Afhanistan is not the only area Craddock is responsible for, and the wrongheadedness of his approach to the Afghan war may not be a major factor in assessing his competance, now that the Southern Command is the dominant strategic and tactical manager there.

By: ekulrac

ekulrac — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:48:17 +0000

Interesting that the UK news gives details of the forward landings of the British airbourne forces AND details of what the Americans are doing but no apparent mention here of the airbourne assault deep into the Taliban territory this last few days…..

By: Noz

Noz — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:08:34 +0000

“George Bush opened this can of worms seven years ago” – Jordan
You misspoke Jordan.
What you meant to say was
9/11 opened this can of worms seven years ago.
As to whether NoBo knows how to take out the trash, that would have been something he would have learned as a young child. His father wasn’t around so his mother, Stanley would have had to teach that. Do you think she did?

By: Jordan

Jordan — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:00:32 +0000

George Bush opened this can of worms seven years ago, heated it to a slow simmer, and then left it sitting open on the counter at room temperature. Now it is again festering with maggots and everyone is wondering WHY??? I hope Obama knows how to take out the garbage at least.

By: TYC

TYC — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:50:42 +0000

Geez, we can’t learn or remember our history. These folks have lived this way for thousands of years. A foreigner with a gun in their backyard isn’t going to make the locals change the way they do business. They know that eventually the foreigner will leave and they will go back to their opium. Nothing short of turning that sand box into a glass parking lot will change that.
Now, U.S. General John Craddock, the NATO Supreme Commander wants to go after opium farmers and dealers. Sure, kick that hornets nest and see where that will get you. Wouldn’t it be cheaper to just buy the entire harvest of opium for a little more than the taliban pays? I understand there’s a shortage of morphine anyway. But no, we’ll seize it and burn it in honor of the drug war. That’s a sure fire method of winning over the farmers. Is a complete misunderstanding about the situation on the ground a prerequisite for becoming a U.S. General? Even our coalition partners understand the insanity of going after the opium farmers and want no part of it. Learn from history. The British and the Soviet Union tried it and it didn’t work. We’re about to get our hind quarters handed back to us unless we learn how to deal with these people on equal terms or become permanent occupiers.