Article

2009-08-05 Afghanistan

Talibs launch barrage of rockets on Kabul

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Posted by Steve White 2009-08-05 00:00|| || Front Page|| [3 views ] Top

#1 counterfire?

Posted by 3dc 2009-08-05 00:21|| 2009-08-05 00:21|| Front Page Top

#2 Counterfire on a delayed-fire launcher on a timer doesn't seem like a useful response. The only things that will end this sort of attack are

A) regular foot-patrols to spot the big honking launchers sitting around waiting to go off
B) check-points to stop guys with launchers hanging off their trucks' tail-hitches
C) the Taliban running out of money for disposable rocket-racks.

You know, even I can't tell if I'm being sarcastic any more... It's not the Green Zone rocket-siege of 2007, but it ain't good, either. Bad memories of the 1990s for Kabul.

Posted by Mitch H.">Mitch H. 2009-08-05 10:17|| http://blogfonte.blogspot.com/]">[http://blogfonte.blogspot.com/] 2009-08-05 10:17|| Front Page Top

#3 Interesting perspective from Max Boot on the Commentary magazine website:

Kabul Is Shelled by the Taliban reads the dramatic headline in the Wall Street Journal a newspaper that is a byword for serious, nonsensationalistic news coverage. Variations appeared in newspapers around the world. From the headline, you would think the capital of Afghanistan was under incessant barrage from enemy artillery as it was in the 1990s during its civil war. But when you read the actual stories (I wonder how many will actually bother to), a slightly different picture emerges:

Taliban militants fired rockets into Afghanistans capital from about 12 miles away before dawn Tuesday. . . . The attack was the first on Kabul in nearly six months, and relatively minor, wounding two people and damaging a few buildings.

So let me get this straight: a handful of militants unleash a few long-range inaccurate rockets that cause little damage and this is supposed to be the shelling of Kabul? Actually, its a sign of how safe the Afghan capital is that such a minor attack makes the news at all. In the case of Baghdad, it would have taken dozens of casualties for an attack to get this much media play. But even in Baghdad, it was easy to overhype such attacks. I remember how during visits to the Iraqi capital in the past, I would sometimes get worried e-mails from back home wondering if I was OK after some attack or another. Invariably, the folks back home knew more about it than I did because they were watching CNN, whereas when you are actually in a sprawling city like Baghdad, it is quite possible to be completely oblivious of a bombing that has taken place a few miles away.

I am by no means suggesting that the media suppress the news of such attacks, but I wish they would keep in mind that the only reason the Taliban stage them is to garner this kind of overwrought press coverage.

Heck of a statement of intent by the Taliban: one out of nine rockets is a dud, the eight that go off manage to inflict splinters on two people (although perhaps Purple Hearts should be awarded nonetheless), and the brave Talib Lions of Islam only dared come as close as twelve miles away, and even then they didn't dare stay long enough to remove their launcher for re-use. Soon little Afghan children will be taunting their neighbors with

Cowardy cowardy custard,
Your Mama's made of mustard,
Your Papa is a Taliban,
Who runs away from mouse and lamb,
And you're just like that scared old man,
You cowardy cowardy custard!*

*It scans better in the original Pashto, of course, but note the near-rhyme in line four. ;-)

Posted by trailing wife">trailing wife 2009-08-05 14:27|| 2009-08-05 14:27|| Front Page Top

#4 Actually, TW, that particular rocket-launcher has 12 tubes - three layers of four. Probably Russian-made, dating from WWII (the "Great Patriotic War"). Probably dragged into place by human mules, "aimed" in the general direction of Kabul, and partly camouflaged so it wouldn't be detected before the rockets were launched. Too bad the operation wasn't detected by a drone and Hellfire-zapped.

Posted by Old Patriot">Old Patriot 2009-08-05 14:32|| http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/]">[http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/] 2009-08-05 14:32|| Front Page Top

#5 Worse and worse, Old Patriot. Of twelve, eight went off as planned, one was a dud... What happened to the other three? Or did the Taliban only have nine of the things lying about?

Posted by trailing wife">trailing wife 2009-08-05 14:51|| 2009-08-05 14:51|| Front Page Top

#6 good catch TW. Taliban may still be strong in Helmand, and in some rural areas in the east, but the meme that the whole country is falling is based on not reading past the headlines.

Posted by liberal hawk 2009-08-05 15:29|| 2009-08-05 15:29|| Front Page Top

#7 ION TOPIX > CENTRAL ASIAN STATES [Ex-USSR/Soviet STANS]PROFESS UNITY, BUT INSTEAD ARE GOING THEIR OWN WAY.

Posted by JosephMendiola">JosephMendiola 2009-08-05 23:24|| NA]">[NA] 2009-08-05 23:24|| Front Page Top

23:59 Thing From Snowy Mountain
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