Afghanistan Update: Taliban Still Douches, Marines Still Awesome, and Twitter Feuds.

[s.rwitt]

A few interesting developments have happened over the past couple days in A-stan. First, the Taliban continued their campaign of failed spectacular attacks by valiantly storming a hotel, taking civilians hostage, and being taken out by Afghan Special Forces. They immediately claimed responsibility and claimed they did it because the female staff was being mistreated and there was alcohol being served. That's right, the Taliban attacked and held hostage civilians in an effort to protect women:

The Taliban quickly claimed responsibility. In a statement posted to their website, the group said insurgents targeted the hotel because it was a "hub of obscenity and vulgarity frequented by the lusty foreign and local top-level military and officials." Other Taliban statements say the hotel was attacked because it was serving alcohol, something the Taliban fiercely oppose, and that its female staff members were subject to mistreatment.

http://gma.yahoo.com/taliban-women-c...opstories.html

In Kajaki, the USMC proved that it still consists strictly of BAMFS when 2/5 spent two weeks clearing an insurgent stronghold, killing between 50-60 Talibs, capturing HVTs, and doing it all without a single Marine or civilian casualty, despite the Taliban's usual utilization of children as spotters. Our own Captain Jin was involved in this one:

“We definitely eliminated some of their key figures – high value individuals as we like to call them,” said 1st Lt. Benjamin Royal, a platoon commander with Golf Co.

Marines eliminated more than 50 enemy insurgents during the operation, destroyed numerous fighting positions, all without any civilian or Marine combat related casualties.

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2...RC=marine-a.nl

And finally, a new, unseen side of the war: TWITTER FLAME WARS. The Taliban and ISAF regularly, and hilariously, engage in Twitter flaming sessions with the latest round following a Taliban friendly account claiming an IED killed 8 American servicemen. This, of course, is hilarious considering ISAF's policy of releasing the name and circumstances behind every single American death in Afghanistan. Here's a small part of the latest skirmish:

It all began when a pro-Taliban Twitter feed boasted that a recent roadside bombing had killed eight coalition troops.

Lt. Col. Stewart Upton, a spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force’s Regional Command Southwest, was quick to debunk the claim. He tweeted: “Wow! 8 killed, don’t you think there would be some type of announcement from ISAF? how was your poppy harvest?”

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0612/77524.html
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories...#ixzz1yXTVuZR8

I hope to keep this thread going as a catchall for discussion of individual events happening in Afghanistan.

July 7- More Taliban infighting

July 12- Karzai offers Omar the opportunity to return to Afghanistan and form a political party. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...rzai-says.html


In other news, the recent Taliban infighting has convinced several leaders, including a head extortionist, along with their men, to surrender or defect to the government. Encouragingly, these deals are happening with almost no ISAF involvement. Also, the shadow governor of Herat is now on his way to Afghan jail.
http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat...dow_govern.php

July 24- Operations against IMU increasing throughout Afghanistan, resulting in the elimination of many of their leaders. http://www.longwarjournal.org/archiv..._imu_leade.php

[Kitsunegari]

I read that story earlier today, but it was presented as more of a "success" for the Taliban.

Pools of blood, broken glass and hundreds of bullet casings littered the floor in the main dining room, where three young Afghan men were shot dead as they sat at a table sipping energy drinks, cut down in the prime of life. Their blood-drenched bodies lay slumped out of their chairs on the floor.
A middle-aged man stood sobbing over the body of his nephew.
"Yesterday he told me they were coming to this place for a nice evening, now he's lying there dead," he cried.
The weeping of the bereaved and shouts of security officials alone broke the silence Friday at the Spozhmai Hotel, after the 12-hour siege finally ended. Sixteen people were killed.
On a balcony overlooking the glistening lake, a 22nd birthday cake lay half eaten on a table surrounded by a dozen empty chairs. Nearby sprawled the bloodied body of a young man shot repeatedly in the chest.

http://news.yahoo.com/kabul-birthday...112504749.html

[mrmouth]

The taliban amaze me. They routinely get their asses handed to them. Must be some incredible level of denial they live under at this point.

A reliable leader for Afghanistan, more cooperation from Pakistan, and this thing looks a whole lot different. I mean that attack yesterday/today at the hotel is a direct result of Pakistan not doing a damned thing about Haqqani. For years we have been asking them. They just stage on the border and kill civilians - no big deal.



I have no idea why mush mouth is narrating this video...

[Poet]

The taliban amaze me. They routinely get their asses handed to them. Must be some incredible level of denial they live under at this point.

A reliable leader for Afghanistan, more cooperation from Pakistan, and this thing looks a whole lot different. I mean that attack yesterday/today at the hotel is a direct result of Pakistan not doing a damned thing about Haqqani. For years we have been asking them. They just stage on the border and kill civilians - no big deal.



I have no idea why mush mouth is narrating this video...

Mighty Sir! I have nothing to do with the pleasure bigger oppressor enjoys by pawning smaller oppressor. You mentioned "more cooperation" from Pakistan. I request you to think above geographical limits answer two simple questions;

1: In last few weeks groups of militants crossed Af-Pak border and attacked our check posts, a few of our soldiers were martyred and many of militants were killed. While moaning all the time on "Pakistani nothing doing against Talibans", may I ask what our Afghan/US/NATO/ISAF partners are doing in annihilating same threat for Pakistan in their lands?

2: After losing nearly 80bn dollars in this war, we have never ending drones killing civilians with militants. UN human rights observer said just yesterday that this American attitude would have serious repercussions on respect of intl laws. What do you say about this?

[Smartbomb]

The taliban amaze me. They routinely get their asses handed to them. Must be some incredible level of denial they live under at this point.

A reliable leader for Afghanistan, more cooperation from Pakistan, and this thing looks a whole lot different. I mean that attack yesterday/today at the hotel is a direct result of Pakistan not doing a damned thing about Haqqani. For years we have been asking them. They just stage on the border and kill civilians - no big deal.



I have no idea why mush mouth is narrating this video...

I got some interesting stories about these hadjis(what the marines call em don't know why)
first off every thursday(or wednesday?) for some reason or another the muslim population engage in really odd homoerotic behavior. They call it man love thursdays. ughhh
The population despite what american liberals say is fully involved with the terrorist activity and you don't know who is going to pull a weapon or detonate a bomb.
These aren't just small militant factions. This is the mainstream ideology that the majority of the population in alfghanistan follows. They just follow jihad and everything it entails. They see life as a holy struggle against us "christian" forces.
My best friend was over there for a few months and he just got back to base in california and has been telling me some crazy stories. He told me that they found an ied and dug it up but planted another small explosive right next to it. They waited for the bomb planter to check it out and they detonated it right in his face. He has shown me some pretty gruesome pictures of some of the bodies.

Even after all he has been through he still tells me that he respects his enemy more than he respects any of the pathetic politicians we have lined up for election in our homestate (CT)

[s.rwitt]

I got some interesting stories about these hadjis(what the marines call em don't know why)
first off every thursday(or wednesday?) for some reason or another the muslim population engage in really odd homoerotic behavior. They call it man love thursdays. ughhh
The population despite what american liberals say is fully involved with the terrorist activity and you don't know who is going to pull a weapon or detonate a bomb.
These aren't just small militant factions. This is the mainstream ideology that the majority of the population in alfghanistan follows. They just follow jihad and everything it entails. They see life as a holy struggle against us "christian" forces.
My best friend was over there for a few months and he just got back to base in california and has been telling me some crazy stories. He told me that they found an ied and dug it up but planted another small explosive right next to it. They waited for the bomb planter to check it out and they detonated it right in his face. He has shown me some pretty gruesome pictures of some of the bodies.

Even after all he has been through he still tells me that he respects his enemy more than he respects any of the pathetic politicians we have lined up for election in our homestate (CT)

God, just stop...

[Sir Pignans]

The Taliban aren't failing when they're still making headline news attacks. I think even they know they are not going to win this thing conventionally, scare tactics for the Afghan people and killing the odd Nato soldier in order to drive up public opposition in the west to withdraw troops will be the only way they get any success.

[Surgeon]

I'd say terrorizing civilians will actually make them lose faster, that often seems to be the downfall of guerrilla groups.

[Sir Pignans]

I'd say terrorizing civilians will actually make them lose faster, that often seems to be the downfall of guerrilla groups.

Considering they're making headline news, what, 8 or so years (they 'begun' their insurgency proper in 2003 iirc) I'd say they're doing something right, and appealing to at least some of the population, considering the rate at which we're killing them. Not to mention we're at least considering negotiating with them (I think we have at some point).

[Imperial]

Considering they're making headline news, what, 8 or so years (they 'begun' their insurgency proper in 2003 iirc) I'd say they're doing something right, and appealing to at least some of the population, considering the rate at which we're killing them. Not to mention we're at least considering negotiating with them (I think we have at some point).

Terrorizing the civilians will not work, especially if there is a heavy presences of NATO troops nearby.

[Sir Pignans]

Terrorizing the civilians will not work, especially if there is a heavy presences of NATO troops nearby.

Why won't it work?

[SuperTechmarine]

Why won't it work?

Because Sun Tzu says so, In his art of war you need the Moral High ground and the support of the people to win.

[Kitsunegari]

I'd say terrorizing civilians will actually make them lose faster, that often seems to be the downfall of guerrilla groups.

This is a little different since they have a steady flow of cannon fodder from Pakistan and elsewhere as well as the visceral distrust of non-Muslims or other outsiders.

[justicar5]

This is a little different since they have a steady flow of cannon fodder from Pakistan and elsewhere as well as the visceral distrust of non-Muslims or other outsiders.

also the ability to take advantage of hospitality customs, designed to protect people from unjust oppression, not act as free billets.

[boofhead]

Our own Captain Jin was involved in this one:

Props for Capt.Jin!!!!

[motiv-8]

The support the Taliban has maintained over the long-term is not a result of terrorizing the local populace, it's due to pre-existing and harder-to-dissolve tribal and ethnic affinities. Intimidation might work to a certain extent especially in areas that traditionally have not known a heavy Taliban presence, but as soon as some other, stronger alternative is available like regular NATO patrol or reliable Afghan government garrison, it comes to naught.

In other cases however it unfortunately comes down to the local governance being so absolutely corrupt or inept that the order than the Taliban often brings with an iron hand in places they pacify is preferable to to chaos or exploitation, at least in the short-term.

Also, in my completely objective opinion, this is probably the most accurate thread title the D&D has seen in a long time.

[Burnum]

The support the Taliban has maintained over the long-term is not a result of terrorizing the local populace, it's due to pre-existing and harder-to-dissolve tribal and ethnic affinities. Intimidation might work to a certain extent especially in areas that traditionally have not known a heavy Taliban presence, but as soon as some other, stronger alternative is available like regular NATO patrol or reliable Afghan government garrison, it comes to naught.

In other cases however it unfortunately comes down to the local governance being so absolutely corrupt or inept that the order than the Taliban often brings with an iron hand in places they pacify is preferable to to chaos or exploitation, at least in the short-term.

Close, but not quite. Taliban's real Genius is taking local issues making them Taliban causes. America's insistence on taking it on a national level, even when it should be fought on a local level is really detrimental.

Not too mention the general ineffectiveness of the the Afghan Government, which to be fair too Karzai is partly America's fault. The American Government had a policy of encouraging Warlords and sidelining the Afghan Government in important decisions (and putting no effort into actually creating the Afghan Government).

What did you think the reason was?

Certainly not too improve the lives of the Afghan People.

[Imperial]

Close, but not quite. Taliban's real Genius is taking local issues making them Taliban causes. America's insistence on taking it on a national level, even when it should be fought on a local level is really detrimental.

Not too mention the general ineffectiveness of the the Afghan Government, which to be fair too Karzai is partly America's fault. The American Government had a policy of encouraging Warlords and sidelining the Afghan Government in important decisions (and putting no effort into actually creating the Afghan Government).

Fighting local issues on the local level will only break up the country even more than it already has. If Afghanistan is to have a prosperous future, it needs to have a strong centralized government, something that the people can rely on and respect.

[Katsumoto]

Fighting local issues on the local level will only break up the country even more than it already has. If Afghanistan is to have a prosperous future, it needs to have a strong centralized government, something that the people can rely on and respect.

Fighting local issues on the local & district level is precisely what ISAF and the Afghan Government should be doing. The country has always been 'broken up' and divided into tribes and the people like it that way, so unless you want to spend eons completely reshaping the century-old cultural landscape of Afghanistan, you're going to have to work with what you have.

[Imperial]

Fighting local issues on the local & district level is precisely what ISAF and the Afghan Government should be doing. The country has always been 'broken up' and divided into tribes and the people like it that way, so unless you want to spend eons completely reshaping the century-old cultural landscape of Afghanistan, you're going to have to work with what you have.

ISAF shouldn't be the ones resolving local issues, that should be the ANA and ANP's jurisdiction. That way, it gives more legitimacy to Karzai's government on a local level. I never said there shouldn't be any involvement from the Afghan government since that's their job.