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Afghanistan
Petraeus Anticipates Bloody Spring This Year
2011-02-10
[Tolo News] The US top commander of foreign forces in Afghanistan predicted a deadly spring ahead of troops in Afghanistan.

The US and Nato commander, General David Petraeus said he is expecting a brutal fight in the spring when Taliban bully boyz try to return from their winter safe havens to areas already in control of international forces.
Key word in that sentence being try.
"We have taken away areas that matter to the Taliban and they have to fight back," he said in an interview with Nato television that was aired on Wednesday.

During the interview, the US four-star General did not provide an exact number of the troops that would leave Afghanistan as part of July 2011 drawdown plan.

"We"ll have to get a good bit closer to that, needless to say, to see what the conditions on the ground may be, and then make recommendations,"" he said.

Presently foreign forces fighting insurgency number at 150,000 and President Hamid Maybe I'll join the Taliban Karzai is planning to have an Afghan army of nearly 300,000 by next year.
Good luck with that. A third of new recruits toddle off when they realize soldiering is hard work.
Last year was the deadliest of the nearly decade-long war for foreign troops, with more than 700 killed in line with duty.

With two Nato service members killed in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday, the number of international troops killed this month reach 10.
Rest in peace, with our thanks.
Posted by:Fred

#13  However there are only a few copies of the XM-25 in existence right now.

Turn the design over to the master machinists, and have them return a share of the profits to the patent holder(s). No problem getting a least a trickle until the factory lines are up and running.
Posted by: trailing wife   2011-02-10 19:51  

#12  It's matured nicely and those troops who have tested it like it (with suggestions for even more improvements). However there are only a few copies of the XM-25 in existence right now.
Posted by: lotp   2011-02-10 19:35  

#11  I wonder if Petraeus said this tongue-in-cheek, with the idea that this new toy would be in the field.
Posted by: gorb   2011-02-10 15:57  

#10  I hope it is the enemies' blood.

I would hope that we would make this conflict so costly to the enemy that they would not want us to return or they would not want to f^ck with us in the future.
Posted by: JohnQC   2011-02-10 14:32  

#9  - when they send in the old men and boys, they're down to their last reserves -

Take them out. They are the type-As we could do without.
Posted by: gorb   2011-02-10 11:46  

#8  I know as a former infantryman, the troop's response is usually, "Bring it, fuckers!"
Posted by: DarthVader   2011-02-10 11:33  

#7  Petraeus Anticipates Bloody Spring This Year

aka a target rich environment

- when they send in the old men and boys, they're down to their last reserves -
Posted by: Procopius2k   2011-02-10 09:19  

#6  Ft. Detrick?
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2011-02-10 09:19  

#5  Alas, water modem, Ft. Meade is not the home of such research. But I echo the sentiments.
Posted by: lotp   2011-02-10 09:08  

#4  Pray for the troops, even if you're not the praying type.

I do and I am. Godspeed and straight shooting
Posted by: Frank G   2011-02-10 08:58  

#3  Thank you, Besoeker. They make us all proud. It's going to be a very interesting year, I suspect.
Posted by: trailing wife   2011-02-10 08:20  

#2  E-mailing from the PAX terminal USO. 4 hour flight to nowhere and return. Fogged in at destination. Bird was not ISR capable. These young soldiers and Marines are READY for the bastids General Petreaus! Let em bring it on! Makes an old man proud. Should make everyone back in the world proud also. These young people are the best.

My take on it is the so called Spring TB offensive won't amount to a pale of warm piss. I could be wrong, but think ISAF has crippled the buggers good. Pray for the troops, even if you're not the praying type.

Posted by: Besoeker   2011-02-10 05:09  

#1  How this humble person would prefer to see Afghanistan done...
1) spend a small portion of the budget on Fort Meade to come up with several killer virii for opium poppies and pot that will live in the soil for decades ..
2) spread the virus strains all over Afghanistan and Pashtunistan.
3) if they work the operating capital of the talibunnies suffers a major major impact.
and ... the whole Kar-brother bs gets diminished...
see what that gains...
Posted by: Water Modem   2011-02-10 01:16  

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