Warlords Hand Over Weapons to Afghan Army

[charrison]

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GONDI VOLGA, Afghanistan - Feuding warlords in northern Afghanistan handed over tanks and cannons to the fledgling national army Tuesday in a move greeted by war-weary residents as a chance for peace after more than two decades of fighting.

The region around the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif has been plagued by violence between two powerful factions who helped the United States drive the Taliban from power two years ago.

But after the latest burst of deadly fighting in October drew the ire of the central government, factional leaders agreed to a truce brokered by British peacekeepers that included the impounding of their big guns.

At Gondi Volga, a former Soviet military base some 19 miles east of Mazar-e-Sharif, officials inspected the first results of that month-old accord: dozens of tanks, cannons, rocket launchers and anti-aircraft batteries from the fighters of Atta Mohammed, lined up in a dusty field.

Gen. Ishaq Noori, leading a delegation from the Ministry of Defense in Kabul to the base Monday, said a similar compound to the west of Mazar was filled with heavy cannons and other weapons collected from Abdul Rashid Dostum, Mohammed's rival.

 

[Red Dawn]

Imagine how much we could of accomplished if our effort wasn't compromised if Bushes Neocon handlers wouldn't have hijacked the war on terrorism to pursue their "Excellent Adventure" in Iraq!

 

[Witling]

With respect to the war on terrorism, at least we're not getting reports that "We've almost captured Osama bin Laden." The U.S. news industry is more and more like the entertainment industry.

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

Originally posted by: Red Dawn
Imagine how much we could of accomplished if our effort wasn't compromised if Bushes Neocon handlers wouldn't have hijacked the war on terrorism to pursue their "Excellent Adventure" in Iraq!

It must boggle your mind that some people can chew bubble gum and walk at the same time.

 

[PaperclipGod]

Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor

Originally posted by: Red Dawn
Imagine how much we could of accomplished if our effort wasn't compromised if Bushes Neocon handlers wouldn't have hijacked the war on terrorism to pursue their "Excellent Adventure" in Iraq!

It must boggle your mind that some people can chew bubble gum and walk at the same time.

LOL

 

[Witling]

Alas, the Bush administration isn't among the fortunate who can walk and chew gum at the same time.

EDITED: Let me give you some examples. Afghanistan is going down the toilet. That country has settled back into "business as usual." How much do you hear about the "war on terrorism?" I'll grant you that there is an attempt to equate what we're doing in Iraq as "fighting terrorism," but there is no creditable connection betwee Sadaam and Osama bin Laden. Osama bin Who? Don't hear about that much, do you? Remember "We've almost got him?" from a year ago?

 

[miguel]

Originally posted by: Whitling
Alas, the Bush administration isn't among the fortunate who can walk and chew gum at the same time.

I dunno Whit. I mean, I don't think I'm a "sheep" as others here have called me because they disagree with what I'm saying, but this administration seems to be pulling through. The economy seems to be picking up and the war on terror keeps on going. Sure, it's not as clean cut as people would like, but isn't war always like that? Didn't Japan and Germany take many, many years to calm down?

What exactly is the administration doing that proves that it's stupid (can't walk and chew gum at the same time)?

 

[Witling]

"What exactly is the administration doing that proves that it's stupid (can't walk and chew gum at the same time)?"

1. The invasion of Iraq, particularly in view of the almost unanimous world rejection of the idea.
2. Attempting to solve the terrorism problem by armed means.
3. The budget deficit.
4. Pissing off the Vermont? New Hampshire? Republican senator so much that he became an independent.
5. Telling us that "We've almost got Osama."
6. Telling us that "We've almost got Sadaam."
7. Telling us weapons of mass destruction, link with Al Queda, Sadaam dangerous to us.
8. Armed National Gaurd guys in the airport. (Oh yeah, that made me feel more secure.)
9. Checking my 82 year old Mom's shoes when she flies.
10. Having a double standard in the Middle East. Not the usual Israel/Palestine double standard but the announcement that we're going to crack down on nondemocratic governments in the Middle East -- unless the produce oil.

The administration has done some things that I admire and never expected.

 

[miguel]

Those seem to be things that you disagree with. How is that the same as not being able to chew gun and walk at the same time?

 

[Witling]

"We've almost got Osama." etc. These aren't just things I disagree with. As I mentioned in an earlier post, Afghanistan is going down the toilet. I don't want to go through the list item by item. I'll grant you that "the invasion of Iraq" is an opinion. But, it's the one you'll have too in five years.

 

[seti920]

Actually, Whittling, my take on Afghanistan is that things are looking pretty good.

The Constitutional Cmtee released their revised draft about 5 weeks ago. In 7 days the constitutional Loya Jirga will be conveined under the former king (honorary role). They're very likely to adopt it as is; if it is adopted this does several things:

fulfills most of the outstanding Bonn agreement responsibilities
forms a permanent goverment appealing to most stable Afghan cultural institutions, but tweaked to a presidential system rather than a monarchy

The Afghan army is looking up with an extra thousand recruits recently; while they're not going to make the goal of 70K trained men under arms and central control by '05 at this rate, it's a step.

The last significant warlord groups which had clear control over more than part of a province are now dead, in Guantanamo, or hiding. Their power is broken. While there are several minor tribal / village groups under factional control, these can't ally with each other and as such don't pose a threat to Kharzai's government.

Thoughts?

 

[charrison]

Originally posted by: seti920
Actually, Whittling, my take on Afghanistan is that things are looking pretty good.

The Constitutional Cmtee released their revised draft about 5 weeks ago. In 7 days the constitutional Loya Jirga will be conveined under the former king (honorary role). They're very likely to adopt it as is; if it is adopted this does several things:

fulfills most of the outstanding Bonn agreement responsibilities
forms a permanent goverment appealing to most stable Afghan cultural institutions, but tweaked to a presidential system rather than a monarchy

The Afghan army is looking up with an extra thousand recruits recently; while they're not going to make the goal of 70K trained men under arms and central control by '05 at this rate, it's a step.

The last significant warlord groups which had clear control over more than part of a province are now dead, in Guantanamo, or hiding. Their power is broken. While there are several minor tribal / village groups under factional control, these can't ally with each other and as such don't pose a threat to Kharzai's government.

Thoughts?

They are making progress and it is going to take before Afghanistan is stable. That is probablywhy the military is planning to be there for at least the next 10 years.

Increased food production and reduced the number of Afghans dependent on food aid in 2002 from approximately 10 million to 6 million. Further progress will be made in 2003.

Contributed to an 82 percent increase in fall 2002 wheat yields by providing fertilizer and improved wheat seed to 113,000 farmers in 12 provinces. The resulting estimated increase in wheat production translates into an additional $69 net income per farmer?whereas average family income in similar countries is only $100?$200 total per year.

Established a crushing facility in Helmand to produce and market peanut and other oils from the high-value crops produced with USAID assistance.

Promotes high-value crop diversification (e.g., grapes, olives, peanuts, cotton) in poppy-growing areas for approximately 18,000 farmers. In exchange for participating in the program, farmers must give up producing poppy and are closely monitored. Since this program started, cotton production in the program area increased three-fold.

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