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US Troops: It's 'Vietnam Without the Napalm'

By John Johnson,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 1, 2009 4:45 PM CDT
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(Newser) – The US troops patrolling the Arghandab River area in southern Afghanistan have one of the most arduous tasks of the war: winning the support of the locals in a region where the Taliban is gaining strength. Hal Bernton of McClatchy Newspapers checks in with the soldiers of Bravo Company and finds they have christened their valley—where 10 soldiers have been killed and 30 wounded since August—as "Vietnam without the Napalm."

"We have had enemy contact almost every day," said one lieutenant colonel. The Arghandab region is a Taliban staging area for attacks in Kandahar, and insurgents have riddled the area with road bombs and booby traps. They've also intimidated the villagers, vastly complicating the task of securing the area. The company arrived with 152 soldiers, already a dozen short, and has since been depleted by casualties. "I don't have enough troops for everything they want me to do here," said Bravo's commander.

U.S. soldiers in armored vehicles patrol in Arghandab district of Kandahar province in 2008.
U.S. soldiers in armored vehicles patrol in Arghandab district of Kandahar province in 2008.   (AP Photo/Allauddin Khan)
A US Army soldier keeps watch.
A US Army soldier keeps watch.   (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
US soldiers drill in Afghanistan.
US soldiers drill in Afghanistan.   (AP Photo/David Goldman)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 15 comments
I_hate_to_say
Oct 2, 2009 8:38 AM CDT
For pity's sake Jester, I don't hate you. You're one of the rnore interesting rnenbers of the newser cornrnunity, and now that C_k is gone I'd hate to think about having to do without you. I even credited you with occasional flashes of brilliant hurnor a few days ago. And if you were paying attention you'd see I posted rny cornrnent 2 rninutes before Roger's correction, but as a reply to "Reader" whose rnernory was also faulty. You rnust adrnit that it's not really a rninor error. It's a farnous, easily googled quotation--probably the rnost quoted of all the staternents ever uttered by the greatest Republican President of the 20 century, next to Teddy Roosevelt, of course. Ike got us out of the Korean War, and probably could have won a third terrn if the Republican Party hadn't shot itself in the foot by passing the 22nd Arnendrnent as a posthurnous slap at FDR. I think you should ask yourself how rnany other things that you believe to be true should perhaps be exarnined again in the light of a little rnore research and study?
oldgoat
Oct 2, 2009 8:23 AM CDT
Of course if Bush would have stayed with the original intent of defeating the Taliban and getting OBL dead or alive maybe we wouldn't be in this mess. As it is the Talibn and AQ have had plent of time to learn our tactics and develop tactics against us.
Rob
Oct 2, 2009 6:15 AM CDT
What the hell are you talking about?
US • World

 
Afghanistan • Taliban • US Army • Afghanistan war • Arghandab • Afghanistan exit strategy

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