Article

2008-07-09 Afghanistan

US(MC) says 400 Afghan insurgents killed since April

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Posted by ed 2008-07-09 08:25|| || Front Page|| [11129 views ] Top
File under: Taliban

#1 The militants use that country's lawless border areas as a base for staging their attacks against Afghan and foreign troops here.

Well, then, take your best Afghan troops and give the Pakies a return visit. Think Northwest Passage. Just skip the head trophies.

Posted by Procopius2k 2008-07-09 09:35|| 2008-07-09 09:35|| Front Page Top

#2 Napalm and cluster munitions. Fill the passes except for a small, narrow path that leads across. Set up a kill-zone focused on that path. Have a Predator with a couple of Hellfires on call if the bad guys try to move beyond the pass and cross bare rock. Make crossing the Afghan/pak border suicide for the taliban. It can be done. It just takes a strong will and a deaf ear.

Posted by Old Patriot">Old Patriot 2008-07-09 13:31|| http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/]">[http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/] 2008-07-09 13:31|| Front Page Top

#3 OP, maybe they can hire some old East German border guards. They have the skills and ~~lack of scruples~~ will and demonstrated deaf ears. Could pretty much be assured they're not enjoying gainful employment these days anyway. Square peg, square hole type deal. Should work as well in keeping bodies out as keeping bodies in.

Posted by Procopius2k 2008-07-09 14:43|| 2008-07-09 14:43|| Front Page Top

#4 I have to say that we have long needed to rethink the Afghan campaign, as it is militarily far harder than Iraq ever was. And, if there are any real Vietnam comparisons, they apply a lot more to Afghanistan.

The easiest way to imagine this is to think of Afghanistan as South Vietnam, and Pakistan as a combined, North Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

http://www.mapsofworld.com/vietnam/vietnam-road-map.gif

The enormous contiguous border provides numerous easy routes for infiltration, even though in either case there are major natural obstacles. But add to that a seemingly endless supply of enemy foot soldiers, and you have a problem.

Eventually, the Afghans have to take control of their own country for NATO to leave. And they will be the ones who determine who they will tolerate in their country and who they will not.

But they cannot act in a vacuum. Until Pakistan controls itself, Afghanistan will never be at peace.

Posted by Anonymoose 2008-07-09 16:45|| 2008-07-09 16:45|| Front Page Top

#5 'moose, I'm all for a "linebacker-2" if everyone else is.

Posted by Alistaire Snavith3832 AKA Broadhead6 2008-07-09 18:28|| 2008-07-09 18:28|| Front Page Top

#6 A bit of history if I may : Afghanistan has NEVER been at peace, anytime in recorded history. The best that one can hope for in that tribal mishmash is that there is an outside force attempting to control the country and that the tribes band together against the outsider. If the Afghanis are not fighting an outsider, they are fighting each other.
Fortunately for the West, Pakistan is starting to become the boogie man for the Afghan public - due in no small part to the activities of the ISI. The useful role of outside agitator being taken, the Afghanis in the main will unite in hostility to the same.

Posted by Shieldwolf 2008-07-09 18:30|| 2008-07-09 18:30|| Front Page Top

#7 A bit of history if I may : Afghanistan has NEVER been at peace, anytime in recorded history. The best that one can hope for in that tribal mishmash is that there is an outside force attempting to control the country and that the tribes band together against the outsider. If the Afghanis are not fighting an outsider, they are fighting each other.
Fortunately for the West, Pakistan is starting to become the boogie man for the Afghan public - due in no small part to the activities of the ISI. The useful role of outside agitator being taken, the Afghanis in the main will unite in hostility to the same.

Posted by Shieldwolf 2008-07-09 18:30|| 2008-07-09 18:30|| Front Page Top

#8 TCB

Posted by bigjim-ky 2008-07-09 21:21|| 2008-07-09 21:21|| Front Page Top

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