Article

2008-05-15 Afghanistan

Marines stay in Afghan town after Taliban influx

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Fred 2008-05-15 00:00|| || Front Page|| [1 views ] Top
File under: Taliban

#1 Happy hunting, Marines!

Posted by trailing wife ">trailing wife 2008-05-15 07:10|| 2008-05-15 07:10|| Front Page Top

#2 Helmand is the hub of opium production in Afghanistan, which accounts for more than 90 percent of the global supply of this raw material of heroin. The Taliban are believed to derive tens of millions of dollars from the trade.

Destroy the fields and pay the farmers........otherwise, this just sets up a realignment for continuing drug trade......that aint good. Reduces our efforts to a pretense.

Posted by Thraviper Panda2099 2008-05-15 07:35|| 2008-05-15 07:35|| Front Page Top

#3 Destroy the fields and pay the farmers

That's the best option. Give the farmers seed grains and tell tell them we will buy the next harvest at a set price. If they grow poppies then the field will be destroyed and they will get nothing.

Posted by ed 2008-05-15 08:38|| 2008-05-15 08:38|| Front Page Top

#4 Failing the above option, at least start tracking and destroying the stockpiles of opium. Start taking apart the Taliban economic base.

Posted by Grunter 2008-05-15 08:45|| 2008-05-15 08:45|| Front Page Top

#5 is it actually necessary to destroy the fields? from what I can gather, this is a fly paper strategy. The simple presence of the USMC makes it hard for the Taliban to collect revenues from the opium farmers. Which FORCES them to engage in offensive, quasi-conventional tactics, which results in dramatic Taliban casualities.

Key graf - 'The number of fighters that stood and fought is kind of surprising to me, but obviously they're fighting for something," Clinton said, alluding to poppies. "They're flowing in, guys are going south and picking up arms. We have an opportunity to really clear them out, cripple them, so I think we're exploiting the success we're finding."'

Happy hunting indeed!

Posted by liberalhawk 2008-05-15 10:02|| 2008-05-15 10:02|| Front Page Top

#6 "U.S. Marines who once planned to be in this southern Afghan town for just a few days are extending their mission by several weeks after facing an influx of ~~Taliban~~ Pakistani fighters."

as we say, fixed it.

Posted by Procopius2k 2008-05-15 10:23|| 2008-05-15 10:23|| Front Page Top

#7 Agree with lh on this one. Who cares where we kill them or why. As long as the talibunnies are dead.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2008-05-15 10:46|| 2008-05-15 10:46|| Front Page Top

#8 Destroy the fields and pay the farmers

I posted an article on this the other day. It looks like we won't have to take nearly so active a role in the situation -- the price of wheat has tripled at the same time as that of opium has fallen, so in the pacified areas the farmers are making the switch in their own financial interest. The Afghan farmers around Garmser no doubt would prefer to make the switch, too, if the Marines are staying to protect them from bad guys.

Posted by trailing wife">trailing wife 2008-05-15 12:32|| 2008-05-15 12:32|| Front Page Top

#9 i kind of like the idea of squashing the talibunnies, THEN destroying / buying out the fields' best of both worlds.

Posted by USN, Ret. 2008-05-15 13:58|| 2008-05-15 13:58|| Front Page Top

23:45 crosspatch
23:43 crosspatch
23:27 JosephMendiola
23:23 Frank G
23:22 Frank G
23:08 JosephMendiola
23:07 RWV
23:06 DMFD
23:04 Andy Phineth9348
23:00 DMFD
22:59 DMFD
22:57 John Blutarski
22:55 DMFD
22:48 Procopius2k
22:48 SteveS
22:42 Hupomong the Bunyip2147
22:40 Snash Oppressor of the Mohammatans aka Broadhead6
22:20 USN,Ret. (from home)
22:18 SteveS
22:09 Frank G
22:07 Asymmetrical Triangulation
22:05 Don Vito Thinetle3187
22:04 Frank G
22:03 rjschwarz