Afganistan 2007

[PrincepsAmerica]

Apparently, one of the big problems in Afghanistan is the aabsolutely huge forests of giant Marijuana growing around.

Taliban troops have a habit of using them to hide from coalition troops, seeing as there's no way to see them, and the crops are too thick for any kind of thermal imaging.

The coalition has so far been confused about what course of action to follow, given that burning the crops isn't a viable solution....

There is some marijuana but thats not the real drug problem in Afghanistan when they talk about the drug problem there.

Its opium, and its made Afghanistan the source of, if I'm remembering correctly, 90% of all opium used for heroin in the world.

 

[GenMarshall]

Afganistan is just a quiet place, unlike Iraq where there are Iraqis blowing themselves up in a Sectarian Civil War.

 

[incantrix]

Perhaps we should no longer be in the business of building democracies anymore. However, you are right about one thing. Saddam Hussein was our perfect man, except that he wasn't put in there by us and he was not directly under our control. What we need now is another strongman, but one who is directly under our control. I would prefer another Sunni.

Why would you prefer another Sunni?

 

[Desmond Hawkins]

Woe hoe, hey now folks, the Saddam comment was meant to point out an example of a strongman that didn't care about democracy but kept internal security.

It wasn't meant to turn this AFGHANISTAN thread into an Iraq thread.

There is some marijuana but thats not the real drug problem in Afghanistan when they talk about the drug problem there.

Its opium, and its made Afghanistan the source of, if I'm remembering correctly, 90% of all opium used for heroin in the world.

The opium is an underlying social and economic issue. The marijuana issue is a tactical issue. In fact, my desktop is a Canadian soldier taking cover in a huge marijuana plant, with leaves all over his helmet and clothes for camoflauge.

 

[Bill3000]

Apparently, one of the big problems in Afghanistan is the aabsolutely huge forests of giant Marijuana growing around.

I don't really see how th at's a problem.

 

[FriendlyFire]

There calling Afganistain the new Iraq
meanwhile Iraq has been upgraded to Vietnam

 

[Desmond Hawkins]

There calling Afganistain the new Iraq
meanwhile Iraq has been upgraded to Vietnam

And Somalia in 1994 has been downgraded to minor incident (in comparison).

 

[CCA]

This is why legalizing drugs will benefit the Afghani Economy

 

[storealex]

To be fair, Afghanistan is not as bad as Iraq. There's fighting, but not secterian killings. And I think, and hope, that it's just a matter of time (Years) before we've won.

 

[nonconformist]

I don't really see how th at's a problem.

Neither do the Canucks

 

[Narz]

They still don't have much oil therefore nobody cares.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

There's dutch soldiers there with a mission to rebuild the place. So far most they've done is fighting Talliban. Talliban is up and about and growing in strength, soon their influence could be back to pre-war levels. I saw a shot in the news the other day of a boy hanging from a tree because he had helped the 'infidel invaders'. There are quite extensive areas that are under Talliban control, and all the troops there can do is trying to avoid they don't expand.

But no one cares, the focus is on Iraq. Afghanistan is going swimmingly. It might take more troops to make an impression, I don't know, but there are no troops available. Or are there?

 

[storealex]

There's dutch soldiers there with a mission to rebuild the place. So far most they've done is fighting Talliban. Talliban is up and about and growing in strength, soon their influence could be back to pre-war levels. I saw a shot in the news the other day of a boy hanging from a tree because he had helped the 'infidel invaders'. There are quite extensive areas that are under Talliban control, and all the troops there can do is trying to avoid they don't expand.

But no one cares, the focus is on Iraq. Afghanistan is going swimmingly. It might take more troops to make an impression, I don't know, but there are no troops available. Or are there?

Dude, Talliban is still weak. The major cities and the north is calm, and Talliban is taking heavy casualties in the South. The new Afghan army is growing in strenght. This is not like Iraq.

 

[FriendlyFire]

Dude, Talliban is still weak. The major cities and the north is calm, and Talliban is taking heavy casualties in the South. The new Afghan army is growing in strenght. This is not like Iraq.

Think back WAY BACK to the third year of US occupied Iraq. Before the mosque bombings and tiltering on the blink of civil war.. Yes it was last throes

The situation is unstable and deterioating, While things are stil possible i.e the situation is still salvagable and there room to move. Things are comming to a head.

 

[Yoda Power]

Dude, Talliban is still weak. The major cities and the north is calm, and Talliban is taking heavy casualties in the South. The new Afghan army is growing in strenght. This is not like Iraq.

You mean the new Afghan army that attacks the population in southern Afghanistan?

Remember in many areas the Taliban pretty much equals the local villagers. To me this looks more and more like an etnic cleansing, from the goverments side. But hey, maybe that's just me!

NATO is doing alright, with the resources they got. They need more though.

 

[Desmond Hawkins]

I agree with Storealex that Afghanistan is not quite like Iraq. The Canadians are in a relatively brutal area and therefore casualties are high. But the problems of Afghanistan are different and probably less severe.

However, that doesn't mean Afghanistan will be easy, or that the mission is even assured to succeed. It is just that unlike Iraq, it is very possible.

 

[Stylesjl]

Afganistan is just a quiet place

Do you realise how wrong you are?

 

[storealex]

Think back WAY BACK to the third year of US occupied Iraq. Before the mosque bombings and tiltering on the blink of civil war.. Yes it was last throes

Afghanistan is not composed of three different large religious groups that utterly hate each other. They might fight each other over land, drugs and money. But not for hatred.

The situation is unstable and deterioating, While things are stil possible i.e the situation is still salvagable and there room to move. Things are comming to a head.

In Iraq, the cities are extremely dangerous to coalition troops. In Afghanistan, the Talliban can't enter the large cities, but hides in the mountains and villages. In the south. It's an entirely different situation.

 

[storealex]

You mean the new Afghan army that attacks the population in southern Afghanistan?

It's a different world overthere. You can't expect these troops to reach western standards. Plus we also see western troops comitting attrocities. My point was, however, that the army is growing in seize and strenght, not that they were fair.

Remember in many areas the Taliban pretty much equals the local villagers. To me this looks more and more like an etnic cleansing, from the goverments side. But hey, maybe that's just me!

It's just you, and some of the media. What would the government gain from cleansing out the Pashtuns? Half the government is Pashtuns...

NATO is doing alright, with the resources they got. They need more though.

Yes, that's the real problem. Countries like France and Germany should do more.

 

[CaptainF]

Perhaps we should no longer be in the business of building democracies anymore. However, you are right about one thing. Saddam Hussein was our perfect man, except that he wasn't put in there by us and he was not directly under our control. What we need now is another strongman, but one who is directly under our control. I would prefer another Sunni.

Well hey, now at least all the war hawks can throw out all the BS about spreading democracy and fighting terrorism and all that.

Let's take off the kid gloves and roll the empire dice, see if they aren't loaded against us this time...