Welcome back to Afghanistan Taliban shoppers

[LittleApple81]

Good article on the situation in Afghanistan... Not pretty.

Bush's Afghanistan predicament
Bill Berkowitz - WorkingForChange
10.24.03 -

After nearly two years of upbeat progress reports by President Bush, thanks to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's recently disclosed memo, we now know -- to put it in Rumsfeld-speak -- we know what we knew: The global war on terrorism is not going as well as the administration would have us believe. Case in point: Afghanistan.

While most Americans paid little attention to anything other Arnold Schwarzenegger's impressive victory in the California gubernatorial recall election on Tuesday, October 7, a bunch of guys who have proudly rejected most things Western and modern were at the tail end of the mother of all shopping sprees. On the second anniversary of the U.S. bombing of Afghanistan, London's Telegraph reported that more than 2,500 Taliban have been gathering in the Baluchistan province of Pakistan in preparation for what appears to be a major attack on Afghanistan. Along with purchasing more than 1,000 mostly Honda motorcycles -- apparently the vehicle of choice for attacking Taliban -- they have also bought hundreds of satellite telephones from the Arab Gulf states, "because those bought in Pakistan are closely monitored by America's Central Intelligence Agency." The Taliban, it is being reported, have been stashing significant amounts of arms and ammunition inside Afghanistan.

Taliban shoppers have also bought up hotels, houses and shops, and after evening prayers they are seen gathering to "take tea, eat ice-cream and plan their raids." The Telegraph report claimed that the Taliban have "virtually taken over several suburbs of Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan, and are being supported by Pakistani religious parties, the drug trade and Al-Qaeda." The drug trade has been especially profitable, raising as much money for the Taliban as the country has received in reconstruction aid.

more...

http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?itemid=15864

[DemLikr]

1. Compliments on your thread title.

:)

[mmm]

2. Holiday in Baluchistan

Holiday in Baluchistan
ice cream and tea with the Taliban
riding our Hondas thru the burning sands
meet Al-Qaeda down in Que-tta (we can catch a band)
sit with Mullah Omar in his Club Pakistan
all on our Holiday in Baluchistan

[Kamika]

3. Honda motorcycles

The vehicle of choice for the Taliban

[Mikimouse]

4. Attention K(alashnikov)-Mart shoppers!