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Afghanistan
Two Hundred Years and Nothings Changed
2008-02-11
Posted by:AlmostAnonymous5839

#1  This does raise a very good question: the US is itching to reduce troop levels in Iraq, pretty much across the political and even military spectrum. I suspect that we have a lot more forces there, now, mostly in case there are hostilities with Iran.

However, if that is the case, then it is just as valid to shift significant numbers of American troops to Afghanistan. Less as a fighting force, than as a large scale occupation of the opium growing area, making it pretty impossible to grow poppies and starving the Taliban, al-Qaeda, and drug gangs.

Properly, the idea would include a major agricultural shift, to produce some other crops, then introducing most likely a voracious insect that only like to eat poppies. Much like the boll weevil in the American South.

From that point, the extra US forces could head home, because much to the surprise of the Afghans, even though they would of course then plant poppies, their poppies would be gobbled up before they could produce resin.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2008-02-11 15:31  

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