HowardAfghanistan: the New In-style Place- to Die
Real Crash- Looking at the Financial System and the War Drive:
Yes, it seems that for the time being, Iraq is relatively peaceful. Now the new "in" place to die is Afghanistan, with the death rate of American soldiers there over 4 times the current death rate in Iraq for American soldiers. Just this week, 3 NY Guardsmen were killed outside of Kandahar, when they were on their way to train Afghan police officer. The only thing keeping the US forces deaths down in Afghanistan is that we only have about 22,000 soldiers there.
What is the point in doing this? Afghanistan sounds to me like what was called in the Vietnam War, largely, a free fire zone. We send soldiers in there, and they end up shooting at everything and everybody, including at Pakistani soldiers over the Afghan border.
I was just reading an excellent book about the Vietnam War, "The Killing Zone" by (former Lt.) Frederick Downs. We would just bring in men by helicopters into the mountains and jungles, especially in the Central Highlands and northern South Vietnam. The troops never controlled any more territory than they occupied. When the decision was made to leave Vietnam, it had to be political. Otherwise, we could still be fighting the Vietnam War.
What is the point in doing this? Afghanistan sounds to me like what was called in the Vietnam War, largely, a free fire zone. We send soldiers in there, and they end up shooting at everything and everybody, including at Pakistani soldiers over the Afghan border.
I was just reading an excellent book about the Vietnam War, "The Killing Zone" by (former Lt.) Frederick Downs. We would just bring in men by helicopters into the mountains and jungles, especially in the Central Highlands and northern South Vietnam. The troops never controlled any more territory than they occupied. When the decision was made to leave Vietnam, it had to be political. Otherwise, we could still be fighting the Vietnam War.
