U.S. troops use new tactics to hunt down a resurgent Taliban

[Rose Siding]

PARLE, Afghanistan - The loudspeakers atop the Humvee crackled to life: "The Taliban are women! They're bitches! If they were real men, they'd stop hiding under their burkas and they'd come out and fight!"

It was high noon in the remote and stony heart of Taliban country, and 34 cavalry scouts from the U.S. Army were looking to pick a fight. Three hours later, they had all the fight they could handle.

The Taliban were driven from power nearly three years ago, but they've staged a ruthless comeback throughout southern Afghanistan. They're recruiting fighters, slitting the throats of local officials and terrorizing rural villagers who have dared to register to vote in Afghanistan's first presidential election.
...
"Those speakers are our primary weapon system," said Staff Sgt. Bill Clark, 34, the PsyOps team leader.
...
"They're scared. They don't want us here," said Clark. "They say the Taliban will come back when we leave. It's a shame. They should finally be able to get some peace after 30 years of fighting. They're tired."

Clark knows that the illiterate, half-starved farmers in these godforsaken mountains will probably vote the way the village elder tells them to - if they vote at all. They don't have a clue, he said, about elections, presidents or democracy.

"Democracy, no, they don't get it. But the more we reach out to them, the more courage they'll maybe have to say no to the guys coming off the mountain."


http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/9611543.htm

[Aidoneus]

1. bombing and torturing having failed to endear others to the occupation,

they're now resorting to ridiculous trash talk? This is what our fucking money is going towards?

[JoFerret]

2. Pathetic

<<The loudspeakers atop the Humvee crackled to life: "The Taliban are women! They're bitches! If they were real men, they'd stop hiding under their burkas and they'd come out and fight!" >>

It has come to this. Pathetic.

[Rose Siding]

3. At least they didn't call them "girlie men"

VERY pathetic.

[daleo]

4. A secret weapon, straight from Monty Python and the Holy Grail

"French guard: I don't wanna talk to you no more, you empty headed animal food trough wiper! I fart in your general direction! Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!"

[A_Possum]

5. A picture of Bush's success in Afghanistan

Man, I feel so bad for that country. We had a chance to really do something there, and we've just blow it to the wind.

I feel for the guys who are doing their best; I wish Bush hadn't deserted them.

[Rose Siding]

6. It was never a lock that we could have actually improved anything for them

I don't think you can impose democracy on anyone and we suck at chosing dictators. But I really wish we'd tried.

[A_Possum]

7. no, I don't think we could have imposed democracy

But we could have done so much for security and infrastructure and economy and just overall simple charity toward some of the suffering people of the earth...

I remember so clearly, one child of about 8-9 on TV...a reporter asked what he'd like more than anything, and he said, "I'd like to have a goat." That was the pinnacle of his ambition. To own his own goat.

But no. We're busy killin' bad guys.

The world did not step up in Afghanistan either, many other countries have broken their promises, but a real leader with some actual human compassion, instead of the stuffed sock pretending to be a Christian we have now, would have gotten them in there.

[Yupster]

8. I don't think a larger US presence

would have helped things in Afghaniistan.

I agree with you on the rest of the world though.

[Rose Siding]

9. Yeah, but Bush is still responsible

His inability to work with others (who were, at one point, so willing to help us) and his manic pursuit of Saddam alienated the rest of the world.

He did pull resources from A. too soon- troops, equipment and money.