Almost five years to the day, a battle took place in the town of Tarin Kowt in Southern Afghanistan. In less than three weeks, the successful outcome of the battle in the capital of Uruzgan province led to the fall of the Taliban regime in the entire region right up to Afghanistan's second largest city, Kandahar. Just eleven US 'Green Berets' with air support; a few dozen Afghan guerrilla fighters and an assorted group of local inhabitants from the town fought off a massive onslaught of some 1000 Taliban fighters.So begins a fascinating story over at Radio Netherlands. Do not miss the group picture. How things have changed. Was it inevitable that the US consensus on WOT would end? Would a President Kerry have made a difference. That was the Choice! Read the article and send your reaction to RN. They provide an interesting English Language service.
Whit, ever on the lookout for something interesting found this little gem. Is there a story here?
From the New York Times.
US Find Iraq Insurgency Has Funds To sustain Itself.I heard somewhere this week that of the 3000 tanker trucks used to transport oil to Turkey, 2000 are involved in smuggling. Googling Iraqi Oil smuggling shows that if there's anything the Iraqis can do well, it's smuggle oil. They have years of experience during the "embargo."
BAGHDAD, Nov. 25 — The insurgency in Iraq is now self-sustaining financially, raising tens of millions of dollars a year from oil smuggling, kidnapping, counterfeiting, corrupt charities and other crimes that the Iraqi government and its American patrons have been largely unable to prevent, a classified United States government report has concluded.
Smuggling, that means Borders. The US demands that others secure the borders of Countries for which the US has responsibility.
ReplyDeleteThe United States and Iraq.
In the US on it's Southern Frontier the Bush Administration wants Mexico to stop the flow north across the Border. It does not see the US Government as having any responsibility with upwards of 5,000 infiltrators per day crossing the desert frontier.
In Iraq, the US says that Syria does not do enough to stop smugglers from leaving Syria and crossing the desert frontier into Iraq. Syria must do more to help secure US in Iraq!
I never hear about Iraqi oil production, but Debka was reporting on the oil smuggling months ago. So what's the American cut?
ReplyDeletedesert rat wrote:
ReplyDeleteIn the US on it's Southern Frontier the Bush Administration wants Mexico to stop the flow north across the Border. It does not see the US Government as having any responsibility with upwards of 5,000 infiltrators per day crossing the desert frontier.
In other words, the US expects Mexico to construct a Berlin Wall to keep their own citizens IN, while refusing to even pay for a fence 700 miles long to keep illegals OUT.
that picture looks like Hoss Cartwright after a three week meth run.
ReplyDeleteAl Sadr's so tuff, i'd like to see him deal with THIS.
ReplyDeleteWhere are the comedic stylings of habu and his multiple shizoidisms?
ReplyDeleteHabu and Allen were fighting to probe the depths of resonable discourse. They were exploring new territory. I always try and attack the message, although I fell off the edge with Peter boston, whoever and wherever he is.
ReplyDelete