Local Resistance Stalls New Rule in Marjah, Afghanistan

FEBRUARY 19, 2010

MARJAH, Afghanistan—The Taliban grenade that whizzed overhead was John Kael Weston's first indication that this town might not be ready for an influx of diplomats, agriculturalists and economic-development specialists.

The U.S. State Department official visited Marjah on Friday to see whether the week-old allied military offensive had made enough progress to allow the U.S.-led coalition and the Afghan government to launch their main mission: Reintroducing Afghan civilian rule to a town that has been under Taliban control for years.

Instead, Mr. Weston found the battle still under way and the town so devastated by years of war and neglect that it was hard to imagine scores of civilians setting up shop there very soon.

"I don't think we're there yet," he told Sgt. Rian Madden, an infantryman grimy from a week of firefights.

"I think that's a pretty fair assessment," the sergeant responded blandly.


read: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703787304575074963455879280.html?mod=WSJ_World_LEFTSecondNews

related:

'Old-Fashioned War' in Marjah
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/19/AR2010021905294_pf.html

Fucking ingrates..

. . . (and their supporters) call those resisting, insurgent', 'militant', 'combatant', 'enemy', or al-Qaeda.

Why do you hate freedom?

get us out of there.

' . . . you're soooo much better for us than Bush!'

to your land!

(please ignore the OIL CORPORATIONS standing in the shadows)

Gee, I wonder why da wocals don't wub us?

Re-inforcing the absurd militarist policies of Chimpy & Evil Dick might make you look tough to the sacred "swing" voters, but to those of us who are paying attention, it's only going to kill more innocents abroad and bring more of our young men & women home in body bags.

I thought we all voted against this sort of thing???

. . . hearts and minds, you know.