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Hard fight in the desert, soft targets in the cities
London Times ^ | 10/31/2009 | Stephen Grey

Posted on 10/31/2009 4:20:23 PM PDT by Saije

Under the harsh sunlight, a lone grey donkey sauntered across one end of a silent street; halfway down the far end, a US marine lay in the dirt, exposed and alone — brushing the dust from a pressure plate linked to a massive bomb.

A few days ago this town, deep in Taliban territory, was thronged with up to 800 residents and traders. This is Helmand’s biggest drugs market, but today all but a handful of Kuchi, the Afghan nomads, have vanished.

Somehow the Taliban knew the marines were coming. Rather than fight openly, they left behind a booby-trapped ghost town littered with improvised explosive devices (IEDs).***

For all the techniques they employ, this work still boils down to one man of courage making a lonely walk. The man I was watching asked not to be named. “I am just glad to be helping save lives,” he told me.***

A year ago, a strike like this into the Taliban’s heartland would have led to a gunfight. But by using explosives made from fertiliser, the insurgents have mastered the IED. Their next best choice is a stand-off weapon like a mortar or a rocket...

Last summer the US marines brought 10,000 soldiers to join British and other Nato forces in Helmand. But the existence of Taliban strongpoints such as Safar Bazaar is testament, said marine officers, that the number deployed is still far too short of that required to control this province.

...Lieutenant Colonel Tim Grattan, the battalion’s commanding officer, said the best that could be done was to disrupt Taliban havens. “They can’t be left thinking any place is safe,” he said.

Deploying to Helmand with only two companies of infantry, less than 40% of his battalion’s strength, Grattan blamed an “artificial cap” on troop numbers set in Washington

(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; marines; taliban
"This work still boils down to one man of courage making a lonely walk."
1 posted on 10/31/2009 4:20:23 PM PDT by Saije
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To: Saije

It shouldnt, If the people have left the city a ghost town-—destroy it. Blow it down. Destroy the explosives with explosives. Bomb it until it no longer exists. If they dont want to live there any longer there is no need for that city.

Bomb it level and move on the the next city.


2 posted on 10/31/2009 4:25:04 PM PDT by Venturer
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To: Saije
Somehow the Taliban knew the marines were coming.

As we saw in Iraq, it's very hard to tell our allies from our enemies. Some guy can seem to be a cop or a sentry, and suddenly he starts shooting Americans. Presumably some Muslim politician, or allied soldiers we are training, or spy, let the secret out.

3 posted on 10/31/2009 4:27:49 PM PDT by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: Saije
Last summer the US marines brought 10,000 soldiers to join British and other Nato forces in Helmand

Blimey! Bloody Brits... Marines don't "bring any soldiers" to anywhere... And for future reference, Please capitalize the M in Marines would ya? The nerve of this bloke..


4 posted on 10/31/2009 4:31:30 PM PDT by DirtyHarryY2K (The Tree of Liberty is long overdue for its natural manure)
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To: Venturer
"Bomb it level and move on [to] the the next city."

Hmmmm.. Let's see...

A bunch of heavily armed thugs invade your little part of Earth and start setting up explosives -- so you and your family head for the hills and relative safety.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Bomb it level and move on [to] the the next city."

Still think that is the right answer?

5 posted on 10/31/2009 4:35:15 PM PDT by TXnMA ("Allah": Satan's current alias...!!)
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To: TXnMA

Yes:


6 posted on 10/31/2009 4:43:32 PM PDT by Venturer
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To: Saije

Leave them some nice parking lots...and move on...

God bless our brave troops...and God **** the bloody moron in our White House...

I was so proud of those families at Dover that wouldn’t let the hateful moron use their young soldiers for a photo-op session! Had it been my child and I’d have seen his bloody cameras rolling, I’d have made the biggest scene and asked the Marines to remove the man and his cameras from the premises! You’d have seen me on tv in a cold dead stare telling them to get that man off the premises and away from my family!


7 posted on 10/31/2009 4:44:00 PM PDT by RowdyFFC (The opinion of a wise Welshtino woman...)
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To: TXnMA
A bunch of heavily armed thugs invade your little part of Earth and start setting up explosives,

Mr armed thug,, meet better armed citizen. !!!!!!! Sorry, I ain't running.

8 posted on 10/31/2009 4:54:44 PM PDT by MrPiper
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To: Venturer

...until you and your troops have to take that same road back home...


9 posted on 10/31/2009 5:20:36 PM PDT by TXnMA ("Allah": Satan's current alias...!!)
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