Article

2007-02-27 Afghanistan

Britain switches tactics to undermine the Taliban

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Posted by Steve White 2007-02-27 00:00|| || Front Page|| [4 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Lets do, I agree a little care may be taken when it can be done without much trouble and the Afghani govt/NATO can help the farmers with seed, tools and a contract to buy the alternative crops. Too bad the Afghani Gubmint is more talk than action...eh!

Posted by RD 2007-02-27 00:45|| 2007-02-27 00:45|| Front Page Top

#2 Need to also cut the funding from Saudi, Pakistan and no doubt Iran!!!!

Posted by Ebbolump Glomotle9608 2007-02-27 06:11|| 2007-02-27 06:11|| Front Page Top

#3 Officials say the new tactics are to identify "Talibs who are sick of fighting" and persuade them to rejoin their tribes and benefit from the human rights laws and state structures being set up in the country.

I imagine approximately 50% of the population are women. Try arming them and provide them with a feminist/Amazonian interpretation of their holy scrolls. Then it's popcorn time in the 'stan!

Posted by Excalibur 2007-02-27 09:38|| 2007-02-27 09:38|| Front Page Top

#4 For about $1B, the US could start a vast public works project in Afghanistan that would be a tidal wave of employment. Literally trying to employ half the country for about a year.

The trick would be to have them doing low skilled improvement projects that would then be "instant real jobs" after they were done. For instance, 100,000 men can turn a large amount of mediocre land into prosperous farmland with canal irrigation, and plant enormous groves of faster growing trees. They can also build housing for those who will occupy the land and be farmers.

If what they have improved will provide jobs for 10,000 to 30,000 people, then they can set them to managing their new farmland for a year, setting up co-ops, getting transportation and markets organized.

Then, what's left of the 100,000 gets more unemployed until it is 100,000 again, and moves on to its next project.

It doesn't have to be in the countryside, either. They can be paid to re-create entire towns and cities. Literally tearing them down and rebuilding them to make them more modern and higher quality. And building much better roads between towns, preparing them for professional road building and paving later.

Such towns could then be set up with micro banks, which are a big hit in India, and a big boon to small business, which is usually the biggest employer in any country.

The rebuilding of the major cities in Afghanistan alone would take a million men. And with some experts in urban design, they would be a lot more efficient as cities than they are now.

The bottom line is to look at the country as a huge reservoir of manpower, and come up with ways to use it that will make jobs a year or two down the road.

Economic development in real democracy is the stake to the heart of both terrorism and organized crime.

Posted by Anonymoose 2007-02-27 09:46|| 2007-02-27 09:46|| Front Page Top

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