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2004-02-09 Afghanistan/South Asia

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Posted by Dan Darling 2004-02-09 12:21:43 AM|| || Front Page|| [1 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Where do these guys get their ammo? If I was going to produce poppy, as a crop, and not to be to wordy, and also not to go on and on... Shipman I need an ending.

Posted by Lucky 2004-2-9 1:16:55 AM|| 2004-2-9 1:16:55 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 I've wondered the same.... where is all the worlds AK-47 ammo comming from? A significant portion of the ex Red Army war stocks must have been sold/used up by now.

Posted by Shipman 2004-2-9 7:22:38 AM|| 2004-2-9 7:22:38 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 I believe that we should dispence with the ridiculous formalities and declare ammunition as legal tender in Afghanistan, Somalia and the Sudan. Larger denominations would include the "clip," the RPG round, the motar round and the shoulder fired SAM.
Many of the AK's in Sadaam's arsenal were manufactured in Eastern European countries. With the poor condition of their economies, I expect that they are producing ammo in a three shift 7 day schedule at every factory available.

Posted by Super Hose 2004-2-9 7:40:52 AM|| 2004-2-9 7:40:52 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 Lucky, shipman - Peshawar

Posted by liberalhawk 2004-2-9 9:35:07 AM|| 2004-2-9 9:35:07 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 LH - Saw that coming ;-)

Posted by Frank G 2004-2-9 9:48:20 AM|| 2004-2-9 9:48:20 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 On of the smaller reasons that we see so much cultivation of poppies in a country like Afghanistan where there is a food shortage is that free aid, in the form of food depresses the price of what local farmers can grow. Food aid makes the poor farmers poorer.

Posted by Super Hose 2004-2-9 10:05:10 AM|| 2004-2-9 10:05:10 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 Ah LH... I believe there is a direct connection between the price of AK-47s in Peshawar and the price/availability of ammunition for same. If gasoline were unavailable the price of a SUV would be related to it's metal content not it's designed function.

Posted by Shipman 2004-2-9 11:05:59 AM|| 2004-2-9 11:05:59 AM|| Front Page Top

#8 Ah Shipman, I think LH was utililizing the literary convention of irony. For more on the poppies there is the BBC article, Afghanistan plea in war on opium. I saw no mention of the yellow brick road in the BBC article (gratuitous Wizard of Oz poppy reference.)

I guess my strategy against the poppy crop would be to do the following (in order):
1. Curtail aid in the form of free food over an extended period.
2. Subsidize the cultivation of agriculture other than opium with a standard amount given to any arable hectare (verified) that is producing something other than opium. Any revenue from the crop itself will be pure gravy for the farmer.
4. Destroy all gum making facilities which will force bulk opium transport.
5. Make opium transportation into a capital offence (or life imprisonment.)
6. Commence to capturing trafficers and vehicles egaged in traffic to drive heroine prices up and drive opium revenue for farmers down.
7. Commence destroying opium crops in the field. So that opium production becomes a finacial gamble for farmers rather than a cash cow.

Posted by Super Hose 2004-2-9 11:27:31 AM|| 2004-2-9 11:27:31 AM|| Front Page Top

#9 Ah! Irony!

Posted by Shipman 2004-2-9 12:11:42 PM|| 2004-2-9 12:11:42 PM|| Front Page Top

#10 how ilonic...

Posted by .comrade Won Hung Lo 2004-2-9 12:21:49 PM|| 2004-2-9 12:21:49 PM|| Front Page Top

#11 thanks SH,and Frank. And my sympathies to Ship - I was being ironic by giving a literal, direct reply to your questions - which literal meaning i had undermined by previosly using the word repetitivly as short form (theres some technical name for that aint it) for a rhetorical question. DO I win the rantburg prize for best post modern semiotics, or what? ;)

Posted by liberalhawk 2004-2-9 1:23:11 PM|| 2004-2-9 1:23:11 PM|| Front Page Top

#12 LH - How about RB's Dennis Miller Award for Most Arcane Reference?

Semiotics

Posted by .com 2004-2-9 1:33:54 PM|| 2004-2-9 1:33:54 PM|| Front Page Top

#13 LH... I'm on the verge of gettin it.

Posted by Shipman 2004-2-9 2:46:09 PM|| 2004-2-9 2:46:09 PM|| Front Page Top

#14
Semiotics is not a science.

Posted by Fred 2004-2-9 2:50:53 PM|| 2004-2-9 2:50:53 PM|| Front Page Top

#15 Fred, you have added a new favorite to my list of websites.

Posted by Super Hose 2004-2-9 3:59:31 PM|| 2004-2-9 3:59:31 PM|| Front Page Top

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