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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Interactive Rebuilding Afghanistan Learn about the nation's geography, history and people and find out what is being done to rebuild.
"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.
More From War On Terror
Michelle Obama tells how her role as the First Lady has changed her perspective.
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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.
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 ?
Your parody was priceless, and a well needed laugh this Monday morning....
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.
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.
;)
OMG, rofl!
Well, for some of us! lol
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)
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
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