Special Forces Have Afghan Drug Lords In Sights

The London Daily Telegraph ^ | March 22, 2008 | Tom Coghlan

[RDTF]

British Special Forces are conducting covert operations against drug smugglers in southern Afghanistan for the first time.

The operations represent a shift from the British military's long-held opposition to direct involvement in Afghanistan's drugs war. British Special Forces in Helmand province had previously been limited to targeting members of the Taliban leadership.

A British Army patrol passes a field of poppies in Helmand province

The operations are being conducted at night with members of Battalion 333, a secretive unit from the elite Afghan counter-narcotics police.

Nato commanders have long been resistant to taking a direct role in the drugs war, arguing that it would undermine the central plank of the alliance's counter-insurgency strategy in Afghanistan: the need to win the support of the Afghan populace.

However, this position has faced increasing pressure from Afghan and Western counter-narcotics officials as well as the United Nations, all of whom argue that the interests of the Taliban insurgency and narcotics criminals are inextricably entwined in Helmand.

The dangers in the new British strategy have already been highlighted by the killing of an alleged drug smuggler and his six-year-old son in Helmand last week in an operation believed to have been undertaken by the Special Boat Service.

The incident was not reported by the Ministry of Defence.

The deaths occurred in Nad Ali, one of the few areas of relative government support in the province, and led to widespread protests and anger against British forces.

-snip-

[Rikstir]

interesting change of tactics by the Brits. Its got potential risks in alienating the rural Afghan, but then we do need to stop the heroin from coming out of the country.

[sinanju]

First things first: Hand me my smelling salts, the Brits are actually “getting involved” rather than “softly, softly” leaving the wogs to their own devices.

Secondly, that the allies in Afghanistan are beginning to end this Gilber & Sullivan farce over the afghan poppy trade.

The best course of action would be a Ranch Hand II spraying op. Who cares if it “drove Afghans into the arms of the Taliban” if said afghans no longer had anything of interest to them?

[ASA Vet]

SOCOM Ping

[Rudder]

This will win the hearts and minds of the locals.

[fantom]

It's long overdue. Tell these goat fu//ers to play ball or burn a field a week. They have it both way's , they get to harvest without interruption , at the same time back our attackers. Even this lot will get the message.

[CholeraJoe]

The Military Channel had a special on this weekend about USAF Pararescue jumpers. (PJ’s) The bravest men I ever met were PJ’s but they were never conceited or braggarts.

[paratrooper82]

That is just great! Thanks for giving AQ and the tali-ban a heads up; SOG units are in the area. We work behind enemy lines in “secret” and once we are discovered we fall back. We avoid any kind of detection.

The best source of intelligence for the enemy is the news and newspapers.

loose lips, sink ships!

[Lurker]

Tell these goat fu//ers to play ball or burn a field a week.

Actually we should be buying every scrap of opium they can produce at market prices or greater. There's a world wide shortage of morphine right now and this would be the perfect opportunity to introduce a free market based solution to the problem.

Then the US could sell the product to pharma companies for refining into legal medicinal products.

The farmers would love us, the Taleban would be cut out of the market, and pain sufferers the world over would get relief.

It's a win-win-win.

L

[orlop9]

Good idea, too bad it won’t be attempted.