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Afghanistan
Afghan coppers doubled in Paktika
2003-12-19
Police in south-eastern Afghanistan have been placed on alert, with their numbers increased in Paktika province. Afghan authorities have doubled the number of policemen in six districts near the border with Pakistan, to counter attacks by thousands of al-Qaeda and Taliban insurgents.
"Thousands"? At a time?
AFP news agency quotes a local police chief as saying that 56 policemen will be deployed in each of the districts, which have also been infiltrated by anti-western Arab and Chechen fighters. Pakistan’s military in October attacked the area in a massive air and ground operation, killing eight Taliban and al-Qaeda suspects and arresting 18 others.
Posted by:Dan Darling

#3  Sounds like someone's running a 'tripwire' operation, with a HUGE reserve somewhere, just waiting to hit the Blackhawks and go. I'll reserve judgment until we see what happens.
Posted by: Old Patriot   2003-12-19 12:08:11 PM  

#2  If you can kill eight and capture eighteen in one raid, that idicates that there might actually be thousands of sympathisers willing to participate in a odd operation or two in that area of Afghanistan.
We might be well advised to install basketball hoops throughout the region. The locals might begin to participate in pick-up basketball games instead of insurgency.
Posted by: Super Hose   2003-12-19 11:22:43 AM  

#1  "56 policemen" in each district vs. "thousands of ...insurgents."
Is this optimism, or exaggeration? Or both? Hope the cops are well-armed.
Posted by: Glenn (not Reynolds)   2003-12-19 12:41:50 AM  

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