Article

2008-02-29 Afghanistan

29 Taliban killed protecting Afghan opium: police

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 2008-02-29 00:00|| || Front Page|| [4 views ] Top
File under: Taliban

#1 Not that I'm not an enthusiast for the concept of dead Taliban, but what's the likelihood that these guys were organization Taliban and not just local gunsels for the local chapter of the Black Hand with a presumable interest in the crops being threatened? How did they tell the difference? Is it known that the Taliban proper had a direct interest in the crops in the field? I would have thought, given their position on the border, that the Taliban would have had a more up-stream placement in the opium economy.

Yeah, you have a spokesman claiming that the Talibs were involved, but they tend to have an interest in pretending to involvement in all gunplay, whether or not they're actually in the neighborhood. It helps to be thought to be more aggressive and omnipresent than you actually are, from the guerrilla point of view.

Posted by Mitch H.">Mitch H. 2008-02-29 09:39|| http://blogfonte.blogspot.com/]">[http://blogfonte.blogspot.com/] 2008-02-29 09:39|| Front Page Top

#2 Eradicating the source of their funding sounds like a good way to lure them into a fire fight.

Posted by Ebbang Uluque6305 2008-02-29 12:18|| 2008-02-29 12:18|| Front Page Top

#3 I have to wonder just how much Opium has to do with their fanaticism?
The guy at the airport pouring flaming gasoline over himself was found to be doped to the gills so it woudn't hurt.
If they had to be "Martyrs" stone sober, would reason raise it's ugly head?

Posted by Redneck Jim 2008-02-29 12:28|| 2008-02-29 12:28|| Front Page Top

23:57 Icerigger
23:52 Icerigger
23:47 SteveS
23:46 Icerigger
23:42 Icerigger
23:39 Barbara Skolaut
23:37 crosspatch
23:26 ex-lib
23:19 trailing wife
23:14 trailing wife
23:12 trailing wife
23:11 Ol Dirty American
23:09 trailing wife
22:56 trailing wife
22:50 Executive VP Sock Puppet of Doom
22:37 Executive VP Sock Puppet of Doom
22:27 3dc
18:22 CrazyFool
18:12 Alaska Paul
18:11 Captain Lewis
17:59 Col. Bat Guano (ret.)
17:54 mojo
17:51 Jomosing Bluetooth8431
17:49 M. Murcek