U.S. launches attack in east Afghanistan

[Jcrowley]

U.S. launches attack in east Afghanistan
By FISNIK ABRASHI, Associated Press Writer Wed Sep 6, 2:25 PM ET

KANDAGAL, Afghanistan - U.S. troops on Wednesday launched a fearsome barrage of artillery and rockets into a mountainous militant stronghold in eastern Afghanistan where they suffered their deadliest combat loss more than a year ago.

Despite high casualties suffered by Taliban-led militants since the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001 and tough military action to root them out, insurgents still pose as deadly a threat as ever to the scores of troops from the New York-based 10th Mountain Division deployed near the Pakistan border.

No militant casualty figures were immediately available from the heavy bombardment that sent plumes of smoke rising over the tops of pine tree-forested mountain ranges.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060906/ap_on_re_as/afghan_wild_east_1

[FloridaPat]

1. Someone pointed out that the last person to conquer Afghanistan

was Alexander the Great. Too bad our original plan was not to bring peace to Afghanistan, but oil profits through US oil companies. THe people of Afghanistan originally wanted to run the ex-king to see if he could unite the country. Of course, that wasn't in the best intersted of * oil companys.

[enigma000]

3. There's oil in Afghanistan? n/t

[Igel]

5. The story is that a decade ago somebody proposed a

pipeline to bring Central Asian oil and gas to S. Asia, and from there to the world market.

The plans were shelved, and the route settled on was across the Caspian Sea. Turkmenistan recently went on record saying that a pipeline through Afghanistan is a non-starter, they're content with the one running west, and they're more interested in pipelines running north to Russian and east to China.

But it doesn't matter: one was proposed, it provides a reason to justify imputing the desired motivation to the Other, and so it must be true. No facts of recent or even older vintage must be allowed to encumber the Truth.

[enigma000]

6. Oh....I see..... thanks for clearing that up for me. n/t

[FloridaPat]

9. One of the first things * did when he got in office was wine & dine the

Taliban people to get them to sign a contract for the pipelines. They signed with a South American firm in April or May. That's when * started planning for the invasion in September.

[Igel]

10. And where are the plans now? n/t

[FloridaPat]

11. They were used for the Afghanistan invasion in 2001.

[peacebird]

2. wait, wait, wait... Afghanistan is a shining beacon of Democracy

not a war in progress.... Didn't you get the memo?

:sarcasm:

[legin]

4. I think a book on the Soviet invaison of Afghanistan

might be a useful read.

I should imagine the coalition are doing the same stupid things.

[daleo]

7. Maybe we could find Rambo

He cleaned up the Russians single handedly. Maybe he can do the same to his old ex-allies, the Mujahadeen (now Taliban).

[bemildred]

8. LOL. Why aren't those movies shown more these days?

Those were great flicks, Stallone at his best.