Posted on 12/15/2003 8:30:44 AM PST by 2banana
Some comments of the ground war in Afghanistan from a Special Forces ground pounder.
The Good:
1. Most of the people are on the side of the coalition/Karzai government and hate the way the Taliban ran Afghanistan. The only thing they "fondly" remember about the Taliban is law and order. That should come back after the country is more stabilized.
2. Schools, roads, water, hospitals, farms, etc. are all being rebuilt.
3. Cars are everywhere.
4. Most afghans are hard workers and decent fighters (on the individual soldier level). If left alone, their country will prosper.
5. Schools, including girl's school, are opening everywhere.
6. Business is booming. People want to work. Wages are going up because of the shortage of workers and the growing demand for them from new businesses.
7. American soldiers and the coalition soldiers are excellent, they want to be there and they want to kill bad guys and genuinely help the Afghan people. I never saw any type of unprofessional behavior This probably has alot to do with many "high caliber" units being sent there (SOF, Rangers, 10th Mountain, etc.)
8. The people are very hospitable and welcome strangers.
The Bad:
1. There are still enough bad guys running around to keep most people quiet on their support. They are still afraid if they talk, they or their family, will be targeted especially if the Taliban ever regains power. The National Government is weak and cannot protect the population (yet).
2. Drugs (hashish and opium) are grown and sold everywhere. The farmers get alot more money for drugs than food crops. It will destroy their country if left alone but they can't see that.
3. Corruption. From mayors, governors, warlords and afghan army officers, they are mostly corrupt. All want to know what is in it for them and could care less for a better Afghanistan. You could bring all the materials needed to build a necessary bridge to a village for free but the local elder will want to hire the labor to build it so he can skim 50% of the top. When you tell him the Americans will hire the labor directly, he then says no bridge.
4. Afghan national army officers are corrupt. Most will sell out their men in a heartbeat for cash. We eventually gave up and led Afghan soldier ourselves (with pretty good results).
5. I have had more than a few operations to get bad guys canceled at last minute for "political reasons" for short term gain. Excuses like "That area has been pacified and it would look bad if a shoot-out occurred there" were often given. How about looking bad when these same terrorists plan, train and carry out operations that kill American soldiers? It really reminded me of the Vietnam stories I had read about where higher level officers wanted only the "good" news for a bullet in their OER. Highers are also deathly afraid of any civilian casualties when going after bad guys. I have had air support canceled because a known terrorist might have his family with him in a compound. By the time you get the Afghan militia in place, word has gotten out and the bad guys are gone. This is a sure way to lose a war. Of course, we eventually stopped telling higher what we were doing and just went out to get bad guys on "visiting orphanages and handing out school supplies" missions.
6. Everyone switches sides and does it often. I have led Afghan militia that fought for the Russians, against the Russians, for the Taliban and against the Taliban. Most Afghan militia units are lead by ex-Taliban leaders. Makes you wonder what side they will be on tomorrow or if the Coalition/ National Government stumbles.
7. Women and girls are still treated like dirt. They really have no future except to make children and to work in the house/fields. The "joke" is if you are being reincarnated as a donkey or a woman in Afghanistan, which would you choose - That is a tough decision!?
8. Islam sucks. I don't care how many times Bush says "Islam is the religion of peace and tolerance" it is the most intolerant, brutal, hypocritical, anti-women and anti-peaceful way of life I have ever seen. It is good if you are a fat, 45 male, rich warlord married to four 13 year old wives though. They look at every non-Muslim male as an infidel and every non- Muslim female as a prostitute.
9. The place is biblical. Anything you can make out of mud and sticks is here (houses, ovens, sewers, stables, roads, walls, wells, etc.). Which is funny since they have about half of the world's rocks there. They should take a trip to Ireland and learn some masonry skills.
10. Equipment is getting old/worn out (especially HUMVEES) and hard to get. Sometimes I think they we are trying to conduct the war "on the cheap."
The Ugly:
1. Don't know how the Russians ever lost here. I think the Russians were even more incompetent and brutal than the Afghans (which is saying something).
2. The Taliban were extremely brutal. I have seen more than enough mass graves. They liked stoning people to death (feet and hand tied up and people throw rocks at your head until you are dead) for transgressions against Allah at the local Mosque. One misspoken word could get you killed and your family imprisoned. Even wearing your hair the wrong way or playing music could get you in trouble. They remind me of Communists and Nazis.
3. Afghans do not trust their neighbors, the local police or the local mayor. I guess 25 years of war will do that.
4. Afghans do not see themselves as "Afghanies" but rather as a tribe or other nationality living in Afghanistan. And most tribes hate the other tribes. Most fighting, even under the Russians, was tribal.
5. The CIA is paying everyone off. I suppose it is cheaper than occupying the country with 10 divisions but eventually Afghans are going to have to do what is right without being prodded by Uncle Sam's money.
The Funny:
1. What do you call a boy on a bike with an AK? A shepherd. You see them everywhere. I am going to open a bar one day and call it "The bicycle and the AK."
2. Afghans can not shoot for sh*t. Their weapons work fine (I have tested many). For them, it is not "manly" to get in the prone behind a rock, get a good site picture and fire well aimed shots. They would rather blast away on the run (or at least standing). Most probably need glasses but can't afford them. Cleaning a weapon is done once every 6 months whether the weapon needs it or not. The right sized rock will fix any malfunction. Like I said, I don't know how the Russians lost.
3. Women and children ride in the trunk of cars. A funny site to see 6 of them crammed in an open trunk with their Burkas flapping in the breeze.
4. Most women still wear the Burka. Often you can see western style shoes underneath (even high heels) as they walk. Talk about checking out T&A (toes and ankles).
5. The afghans can make anything, especially special "antique" stuff. More than a few GI's went home with an authentic "Greek" vase from Alexandria the Great made only last week.
6. The asinine "no alcohol" policy for US troops in theatre. All of our allies (British, Norwegians, Slovaks, Italians, etc.) have their own national pubs set up in their compounds. They are great places to unwind, blow off steam and build comradeship. For some reason, the US commander of forces in Afghanistan trusts "his boys" with multi-million dollar machines and hunting down and killing people, but not with a Budweiser. The funny thing is that all American troopers have a "secret stash" of alcohol. I wonder if higher level officers think there is a rampant problem with bad breath as it seems everyone has "super size" Listerine bottles shipped to them from the states.
Oh gosh, that's just heartbreaking to contemplate what the Afghani grunts must have been dealing with prior to our arrival.
ping
LOL
Natural born Democrats!
10. Equipment is getting old/worn out (especially HUMVEES) and hard to get. Sometimes I think they we are trying to conduct the war "on the cheap."
If true, this is outrageous. Thought that Bush was giving his commanders the leeway to conduct their operations instead of phoning in as was done during the Johnson administration! And there is absoluetly no excuse for a war on the cheap. Granny should NOT be getting free pills while our solidiers make do with inferior equipment. The Bush folks better alter this BS.
The Good:
1. Most of the people are on the side of the coalition/Karzai government and hate the way the Taliban ran Afghanistan....
The Bad:
5. I have had more than a few operations to get bad guys canceled at last minute for "political reasons".... I have had air support canceled because a known terrorist might have his family with him in a compound... Of course, we eventually stopped telling higher what we were doing and just went out to get bad guys on "visiting orphanages and handing out school supplies" missions.
The Ugly:
2. The Taliban were extremely brutal. I have seen more than enough mass graves.
The Funny:
2. Afghans can not shoot for sh*t.
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First-hand Freeper account of the situation on the ground in Afghanistan.
The Afghan Army is doing well under U.S. leadership / training after corrupt Afghan officers were let go....they are teachable.
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Thanks for the ping, Ernest!
Rise of Islam?
Not sure if the date is right or not?
Shalom.
Now that is scary!
Does that mean we have to convert them to Christianity?
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