Obama's war - Afghanistan

[yllus]

Originally posted by: heyheybooboo
Apparently. we have dropped aerial eradication of poppy fields in Afghanistan. I'm very uncomfortable with effectively protecting the drug trade. I understand why they are doing it but that doesn't make it right. If it is such a significant element of the economy AND financing the Taliban to the tune of $100 million a year, why are we not simply purchasing the crops and destroying them?

The question of why fight instead of just buying the Afghans off is coming up more and more lately - I guess mostly because it's a tactic that worked well in Iraq? Maybe it's politically unacceptable to buy and burn poppies, but it sure would be effective...

 

[JohnOfSheffield]

Originally posted by: yllus

Originally posted by: heyheybooboo
Apparently. we have dropped aerial eradication of poppy fields in Afghanistan. I'm very uncomfortable with effectively protecting the drug trade. I understand why they are doing it but that doesn't make it right. If it is such a significant element of the economy AND financing the Taliban to the tune of $100 million a year, why are we not simply purchasing the crops and destroying them?

The question of why fight instead of just buying the Afghans off is coming up more and more lately - I guess mostly because it's a tactic that worked well in Iraq? Maybe it's politically unacceptable to buy and burn poppies, but it sure would be effective...

No it would not be effective to supply the warlords with more money.

Think about it.

 

[TheSkinsFan]

Originally posted by: JohnOfSheffield

Originally posted by: yllus

Originally posted by: heyheybooboo
Apparently. we have dropped aerial eradication of poppy fields in Afghanistan. I'm very uncomfortable with effectively protecting the drug trade. I understand why they are doing it but that doesn't make it right. If it is such a significant element of the economy AND financing the Taliban to the tune of $100 million a year, why are we not simply purchasing the crops and destroying them?

The question of why fight instead of just buying the Afghans off is coming up more and more lately - I guess mostly because it's a tactic that worked well in Iraq? Maybe it's politically unacceptable to buy and burn poppies, but it sure would be effective...

No it would not be effective to supply the warlords with more money.

Think about it.

He's talking about the farmers themselves; but, you're right -- that money would just end up in the warlords' pockets anyways. If they don't get the opium, due to us buying it and paying the farmers, then they'd just come in and steal the money from the farmers. Either way, that money would still end up in the Talibans' coffers, and we're back to square one.

The one good result would be less drugs leaving the country, but the end result of the money financing terror would still be the same. Unless, of course, we can figure out a way to protect all of those farmers after we pay them... which is pretty much impossible in most of the outlying areas.

 

[JTsyo]

If you know where the poppy is grown why can't you follow the chain up and see who is getting the money? I would imagine we're talking truck loads of opium here not 3 people carrying it in backpacks.

 

[TheSkinsFan]

Originally posted by: JTsyo
If you know where the poppy is grown why can't you follow the chain up and see who is getting the money? I would imagine we're talking truck loads of opium here not 3 people carrying it in backpacks.

In SE Afghanistan, it's fucking everywhere. Conducting surveillance and tracking people is not as easy as James Bond movies might make it seem. It's not overly difficult to track it to Pakistan; but, once it's there, you can pretty much forget it.

Do you have any idea how many people, carts, and trucks travel between Afghanistan and Pakistan? How many routes?

This isn't an episode of CSI my friend.

Good luck.

 

[Modelworks]

Originally posted by: JTsyo
If you know where the poppy is grown why can't you follow the chain up and see who is getting the money? I would imagine we're talking truck loads of opium here not 3 people carrying it in backpacks.

Watch the video and look at the terrain and how they are spread out. And it is people carrying it on their backs. In one scene there is a little kid carrying crops on his back. He is about 7 years old and carrying what looks like more than he weighs.

These are people without running water. No tv, phones, etc. If you are out there in the middle of nowhere and people show up with guns you can't yell for help. So the villagers would rather lie or stay quiet to the marines because they know the marines will not kill them out of spite, but the taliban will definitely kill them if they speak.

Unless we can protect the public full time I don't see how we can win.