Must see video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBy0y2jAHpI&feature=player_embedded of the Assault Breacher. Nobody doubts that we will take over Marjah, not even the Taliban, many of whose commanders have already escaped. But nobody is so sanguine on what comes next: establishing the government of Afghanistan and reconstruction.
I wouldn't doubt our success their either but for one fact: the area's economy is based on opium production. The drug war could end up poisoning the entire operation. It's one thing to replace the Taliban with rulers who are not our enemies. It's another, more difficult, thing to attack people's livelihoods.
The only way out is for us to buy their opium crops, all of it. The government could sell it to someone who can make narcotics for hospitals. Or just throw it in the ocean. Whatever. It's a small price to pay for stabilizing a nation with Afghanistan's history.
I wouldn't doubt our success their either but for one fact: the area's economy is based on opium production. The drug war could end up poisoning the entire operation. It's one thing to replace the Taliban with rulers who are not our enemies. It's another, more difficult, thing to attack people's livelihoods.
The only way out is for us to buy their opium crops, all of it. The government could sell it to someone who can make narcotics for hospitals. Or just throw it in the ocean. Whatever. It's a small price to pay for stabilizing a nation with Afghanistan's history.
 clipped from www.theweeklystandard.comThe BBC is reporting that Operation Moshtarek has finally launched in Afghanistan's Helmand province. The principle objective will be to seize Marjah, the fortress city owned by the Taliban. Marjah is a key node for Taliban operations and resourcing, so expect the good guys to sweep it, clear it, and hold it ... permanently. The mission appears to have kicked off during the early morning hours, when NATO forces have a decisive advantage in night fighting. Marines will also be unveiling a wicked looking new infiltration vehicle, unsubtly dubbed the Assault Breacher.
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