U.S. Troops Fight Taliban, With Jobs
Soldiers Up Against Bombers In Afghanistan Say Best Weapon Is "Anything But Bullets"
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Two U.S. soldiers set up a mortar position during an operation to clear Afghanistan's southern Paktia province of weapons and Taliban fighters, Jan. 20, 2008. (CBS/Cami McCormick)
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An American soldier keeps watch over Afghan police as they stand guard outside a meeting of local tribal leaders in Zormat, Afghanistan, Jan. 21, 2008. (CBS/Cami McCormick)
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Tribal leaders meet in the village of Zormat, in eastern Afghanistan, to express their concerns about what they see as un-kept promises by the government in Kabul, Jan. 21, 2008. (CBS/Cami McCormick)
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U.S. and Afghan forces search a village near Zormat, Afghanistan, Jan. 20, 2008. (CBS/Cami McCormick)
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A U.S. soldier (left) and Afghan security forces enter a home in a village near Zormat, Afghanistan to search for weapons in an operation involving 500 troops, Jan. 20, 2008. (CBS/Cami McCormick)
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"This has been a Taliban area for years," said Lt. Col. Dave Woods, who commands U.S. Forces in Paktia, one of the eastern provinces in Afghanistan which shares a small slice of border with Pakistan.
In the extreme cold, on un-paved roads that slowed their progress to a crawl, 500 U.S. and Afghan forces fanned out from the village of Zormat, searching for weapons, Taliban fighters and their sympathizers.
"Zormat has had a lot of enemy activity in the past four months," said U.S. Army Maj. Greg Stephens. "We're hitting five different objectives all at the same time. They're all hot spots for IED detonations or discoveries."
Roadside bombs in this area have killed two American soldiers, wounded more than 60, and destroyed as many as 30 military vehicles. They are often pressure plate devices made of anti-tank mines, sometimes stacked two or three high to create more force. They are planted on the very dirt roads the U.S. military hopes to rebuild, to improve the lives of the villagers here and turn them against the Taliban.
Already, 400 local men have been put to work. They line one main road, armed with shovels. U.S. commanders admit the work is labor intensive for a reason.
The workers are paid five dollars a day. The Taliban tried to stop the project, issuing threats over its radio station and through "night letters", which appeared on residents' doorsteps, warning that them and their families would be killed if they participated. But the men showed up for work anyway. In the months ahead, the road will be paved.
It is an important trade route.
"The roads all run through here," Woods said, standing near a heavily bombed bridge where he has just won permission from tribal leaders to remove trees, which provided the bomb planters with cover.
The operation in Paktia comes as senior officials in the Bush administration signal a looming shift in the focus of the entire war on terror - back to Afghanistan and, increasingly, to neighboring Pakistan.
Tribal cooperation is key to the U.S. Military, but winning their support is not always easy.Listen To Cami's Report: "Anything But Bullets"
"The tribes here don't get along," Maj. Stephens said. "If one tribe talks to the Coalition, the other tribe will talk behind them to the Taliban or bad guys and say 'that guy just gave you up'."
The U.S. is also trying to convince the tribes to support the central government. But at a recent tribal council meeting in Zormat, tribal leaders vented their frustrations with Kabul.
"The people of Zormat don't have any hope from the Afghan government," one tribal leader complained. "No one is trying to do anything in this district." He and others said the government had failed to build roads, schools and clinics.
"If the people saw those projects, they would be hopeful," added another, insisting that despite the violence, Zormat only wants security and stability.
By Cami McCormick
© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Re: "Soldiers Up Against Bombers In Afghanistan Say Best Weapon Is "Anything But Bullets"
This is an excellent observation made by these soldiers, but it does not stand much chance of succeeding, since it comes some 6 years to late.
Better we had never invaded and (further) destroyed Afghanistan in the first place. There was really no valid reason to invade in the first place, other than corporate financial and logistical interests.
Better we get out of there ASAP, or risk sharing the demise of the Soviets in Afghanistan.
This has got to be one of the most ignorant comments I''ve ever read. For starters, the invasion was a real coalition - if we hadn''t invaded there''s no guarentee the rest of the countries wouldn''t have invaded anyway. All of them have skyscrapers - do you think they want them knocked down as well? The government of Afghanistan was run by people who were heavily intermarried with Taliban members, it was effectively the Taliban that was running the government. Please, go back to Iraq-war bashing and stop talking about something you obviously know nothing about.
The Mayor of Kabul, Hamid Karzai, is now blaming the Brits for the mounting tactical defeat in Afghanistan:
"Karzai blames Britain for return of Taliban"
January 25, 2008
CBC News
"Afghan President Hamid Karzai has accused British troops of making the security situation worse in parts of southern Afghanistan, saying the area "suffered" after their arrival."
www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/01/25/karzai-britain.html
On the other hand, the warlords and druglords are in control, and opium production has been revived from negligible, under the Taliban, to 93% of the total global supply.
Mission Accomplished.
The plan to invade Afghanistan was planned well in advance of 9/11/01, as we now know.
Osama probably had little, if anything, to do with it. That''s why his is not listed as "wanted" by the FBI for the events of 9/11/01. That was merely the excuse given for invading.
That''s why we have not killed or captured him, because there is probably little point, and he has probably been dead for years, in any case.
Fanatics in the mountains of Pakistan and Afghanistan probably pose about as much threat to us as Saddam''s yellow-cake.
It''s time to get out of Afghanistan. It was a mistake to invade it.
how novel that would be!
Jobs for americans, who would of thought!
Real funny to see a Chevron ad with this article, who has profited so handsomely from torturing, raping, maiming, and raping the "Human Energy" out of people caught up in this global mess, for profit.
joyous88,
Re: "these wars are all about the big corporations making money, nothing more than that."
That''s about the size of it.
Dutch Politician: Islamic Culture Is ''Retarded''
Dutch Politician Plans to Air Film Criticizing the Koran
A Dutch politician known for his views against Islam plans to air a film he produced that is critical of the Koran, which he likens to Adolf Hitler''s hateful writings.
Parliamentarian Geert Wilders spoke to FOX News about the documentary, insisting the Muslim holy book is dangerous and should be banned.
"I believe the Koran is, indeed, ''Mein Kampf.'' They are the same package," Wilders said. "I believe that our culture is far better than the retarded Islamic culture."
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,325305,00.html
Dutch Braced For ''Koran Insult'' Backlash
If I insult you, am I responsible for your violence?
It''s a question being debated in the Netherlands this week as Dutch embassies around the world beef up their security ahead of the release of a film on the internet which allegedly insults the Koran. It''s reported to show the Koran being torn up and otherwise desecrated.
http://martinstanford.typepad.com/foreign_matters/2008/01/dutch-braced-fo.html
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Posted by tmittelstaed at 04:35 AM : Jan 28, 2008
+ report abuse
Why do you fascist do this? It makes it so clear and obivous why you are unfit to lead this nation. This is one of the people who were screaming their heads off when Lies-A-Lot left the Taliban and Al Queda to go into Iraq. He is one of the people who was trying to tell the families of America that they were being LIED into a war there and we should stay with our allies. Now the lest you cowards could do is LISTEN this time... after all they have been right up to this point now haven''t they? Now go back to sucking your swastika in the corner, you and your fuhrer have screwed this country up quite enought thank you!! Sieg Heil Bush!!
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Posted by tmittelstaed at 04:35 AM : Jan 28, 2008
+ report abuse
With ever passing day you cultist get worse... much worse! It''s hard to imagine why or how an American Citizen can pick out something like this, COMPLETELY change the meaning of their fellow citizens post and then attack them. God where do you people come from? To be honest with everyone these people are begining to scare me much more than the Taliban or Bin Laden. I''ve come to the conclusion there is NOTHING they won''t say, no lie they won''t tell or no right they won''t give up to protect the "Party". I mean it, they are scary!!
Right on cue, CBS puts their terrorislam6/arse008 spambot/stinkbot to work, spreading poo on the walls.
still supporting retarded fascist nazi terrorislam slavers i see
you must be proud
you weep for slavers
i weep for the non-muslim slaves
Posted by terrorislam6
You weep for no one, death worshiper, I have yet to see you weep for one dead US soldier.
You enjoy their deaths, all of them.
you enjoy the deaths of non-muslims
and weep over the deaths of retarded fascist nazi terrorislamic slavers
disgusting
Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves. ~Abraham Lincoln
No one is free when others are oppressed. ~Author Unknown
Men fight for liberty and win it with hard knocks. Their children, brought up easy, let it slip away again, poor fools. And their grandchildren are once more slaves. ~D.H. Lawrence, Classical American Literature, 1922
I prefer liberty with danger to peace with slavery. ~Author Unknown
Freedom has a thousand charms to show, That slaves, howe''er contented, never know.~William Cowper
If I disgust people like you, then I am happy. you still have yet to show any sympathy for the US soldiers killed because of Bush''s lies.
Like I said, you are simply a death worshiper, nothing more.
bush did not lie, but of course i honor our heroes fighting the retarded fascist nazi terrorislamic slavers and murderers
"It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather, we should thank God that such men lived." George S. Patton
Posted by kellyzy116
I''m a happy poor mature gentleman! Happy because I don''t have gold diggers raping my wallet.
you hit the nail on the head, sadly we have president that lives on greed,
his war is just another way for his rich friends to make money
Most of the men here have already donated their money to the SPCA (real dogs). There''s none left over for poor girls paying their way thru college. (snort)
Well, for some of us! lol
OMG, rofl!
;)
My opinion is that religion is one of the tools of brain washing that gets the poor to do the killing for the rich.
I''m sorry to break this to y''all, but there is no such place as heaven. This is a fairy tale made up by some very smart people to brain wash others into doing their bidding for them.
But government (the Beast) corruption, deception and greed has awaken the darkness to promote hatred, violence, and murder . . . it will be our end. You know, God warned the Israelites of the perversion which followed a King that was flesh . . . but the people wanted a King they could see and touch.
Posted by mcv57 at 09:36 AM : Jan 28, 2008
You have a valid point. People under the influence (of evil or what ever) do not want constraints in their lives. The majority want religion rendered impotent as it affects themselves. They also want the rest of the world bound by laws that do not impact them. (What better victim than one that is held by a chain). They wish to have what ever they want without regard to anyone elses well being. The more enlightened ones realize that to have a steady supply of victims they must insure that the cattle thrive. This is known as "the human condition". There are a minority that truly want to help and they have learned to keep a low prrofile so they don''t attract unwanted attention. You will probably never hear of these Godly people because they will never blow their own horns. I will close by saying, "This is everything that Jesus said or taught in a nutshell). A wise person will think on this.
Your parody was priceless, and a well needed laugh this Monday morning....
January 24,2008 India announced a plan for a 2,775 km Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline. Union Petroleum Minister Murli Deora said, "Iranian ambassador spoke to me tuesday and they are very keen that the project takes shape as it is in the interest of all three countries ". Times of India
This is a new twist that does not fit Cheney''s energy policy for the Caspian Sea Oil & Gas pipelines headed for Pakistan to supply Asian markets.
Will Musharaf dump the USA''s Caspian Sea Pipeline now that he has Iran on line in this new deal? Or will he take both pipelines through Pakistan for Asian markets ?
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by samsel3
January 28, 2008 2:23 PM PST
- February 12, 1998 John J. Maresca vp of UNOCAL oil appeared before a House sub committee. The purpose of the meeting was to gain support for exploitation of oil & natural gas resources purchsed by BIG OIL in the Caspian Sea area. In his testimony he stated, "The key question is how the energy resources of Central Asia can be made available to nearby Asian markets ". The exploitation option stated : "One obvious route south would cross Iran, but this is foreclosed by American companies because of U.S. sanctions (with Iran ) . The only other possible route is across Afghanistan, which of course has it''''s own unique challenges. "
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See all 40 CommentsHe continued saying, " the pipeline we have proposed across Afghanistan could not begin until a recognized government is in place that has the confidence of governments,lenders (world monitary fund & world bank ) ,and our company "......
" UNOCAL and other American companies are prepared to undertake the job ".
More than a year and half before 911 the CIA Special Activities Division was conducting operations in Afghanistan, trying to topple the Taliban regime for the Caspian Sea Oil & Gas Pipelines.