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Canada troops battle 10-ft Afghan marijuana plants
Reuters on Yahoo ^
| 10/12/06
| Reuters
Posted on 10/12/2006 1:14:36 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian troops fighting Taliban militants in Afghanistan have stumbled across an unexpected and potent enemy -- almost impenetrable forests of 10-feet (three metre) high marijuana plants.
General Rick Hillier, chief of the Canadian defence staff, said on Thursday that Taliban fighters were using the forests as cover. In response, the crew of at least one armored car had camouflaged their vehicle with marijuana.
"The challenge is that marijuana plants absorb energy, heat very readily. It's very difficult to penetrate with thermal devices ... and as a result you really have to be careful that the Taliban don't dodge in and out of those marijuana forests," he said in a speech in Ottawa.
"We tried burning them with white phosphorous -- it didn't work. We tried burning them with diesel -- it didn't work. The plants are so full of water right now ... that we simply couldn't burn them," he said.
Even successful incineration had its drawbacks.
"A couple of brown plants on the edges of some of those (forests) did catch on fire. But a section of soldiers that was downwind from that had some ill effects and decided that was probably not the right course of action," Hiller said dryly.
One soldier told him later: "Sir, three years ago before I joined the army, I never thought I'd say 'That damn marijuana'."
TOPICS: Canada; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: afghan; canada; libertarianparadise; marijuana; ohwow; sparkaspleef; troops; whoadude
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To: NormsRevenge
"Cheech And Chong Go To War!"
yeah, I think there's a movie in there someplace...
2
posted on
10/12/2006 1:16:07 PM PDT
by
VOA
To: NormsRevenge
I used to have a special technique for dealing with marijuana plants... I can't seem to remember what it was though...
3
posted on
10/12/2006 1:16:13 PM PDT
by
Triggerhippie
(Always use a silencer in a crowd. Loud noises offend people.)
To: NormsRevenge
I'm sure they'll manage to smoke them out.
4
posted on
10/12/2006 1:16:51 PM PDT
by
steve-b
(It's hard to be religious when certain people don't get struck by lightning.)
To: NormsRevenge
Herbicide?
To: NormsRevenge
The lessons of jungle fighting from Vietnam return...
6
posted on
10/12/2006 1:17:03 PM PDT
by
2banana
To: NormsRevenge
7
posted on
10/12/2006 1:17:21 PM PDT
by
dersepp
(I Am A Militia Of One)
To: NormsRevenge
Oh wow...
Canada troops battle 10-ft Afghan marijuana plants
8
posted on
10/12/2006 1:17:25 PM PDT
by
Ready4Freddy
(We didn't have air conditioned schools, we had ROCKS! And we LIKED it!! ;>)
To: NormsRevenge; fanfan; Pikamax; Former Proud Canadian; Great Dane; Alberta's Child; headsonpikes; ...
PING!
9
posted on
10/12/2006 1:17:27 PM PDT
by
GMMAC
(Discover Canada governed by Conservatives: www.CanadianAlly.com)
To: Ready4Freddy
At least they aren't up against killer Christmas trees....
10
posted on
10/12/2006 1:18:12 PM PDT
by
BenLurkin
("The entire remedy is with the people." - W. H. Harrison)
To: NormsRevenge
To: NormsRevenge
soldiers that was downwind from that had some ill effectsOops
To: NormsRevenge
"We tried burning them with white phosphorous -- it didn't work. We tried burning them with diesel -- it didn't work. Try a Bic lighter.
13
posted on
10/12/2006 1:18:46 PM PDT
by
Mr. Mojo
To: Triggerhippie
Ive run onto a few tall pot plants in the woods back in the day, but none ten feet tall.
I'd like to spend some time studying them. 8-)
14
posted on
10/12/2006 1:19:01 PM PDT
by
Armedanddangerous
("Personal weapons are what raised mankind out of the mud..." Jeff Cooper)
To: NormsRevenge
Start up a cottage industry turning the Hemp fibers into rope and clothing.
To: NormsRevenge
Forrests of marijuana plants? I heard that yarn many years ago too, when I was briefly in my hobo phase (my hobo name was Kumquat Kaker), riding the freight trains out West. We also talked about cigarette trees and streams of alcohol. Honest to betsy, I never done believed it. But I do now...
16
posted on
10/12/2006 1:19:11 PM PDT
by
Alter Kaker
("Whatever tears one sheds, in the end one always blows one's nose." - Heine)
To: NormsRevenge
"We tried burning them with white phosphorous -- it didn't work. We tried burning them with diesel -- it didn't work. The plants are so full of water right now ... that we simply couldn't burn them," he said. I bet they tried lots of different methods for burning it.
17
posted on
10/12/2006 1:19:20 PM PDT
by
avg_freeper
(Gunga galunga. Gunga, gunga galunga)
To: NormsRevenge
To: BenLurkin
The Taliban cut down all the Christmas trees long before they blew up Buddhas...
At least they aren't up against killer Christmas trees....
19
posted on
10/12/2006 1:19:32 PM PDT
by
Ready4Freddy
(We didn't have air conditioned schools, we had ROCKS! And we LIKED it!! ;>)
To: steve-b
"I'm sure they'll manage to smoke them out."
Bring in some San Fran patients for medicinal purposes.
20
posted on
10/12/2006 1:19:56 PM PDT
by
Tulsa Ramjet
("If not now, when?" "Because it's judgment that defeats us.")
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