fyi > Issues May 9, 2008

Issues

"Now they have to prove their claim that the summer of 2008 will be a hot one in Afghanistan." was the concluding statement of Syed Saleem Shahzad's article    The Taliban talk the talk in the April 11, 2008 Afghan update.

Taliban plans for the Khyber pass which had started out well, "Carryings on up the Khyber" , were scotched by a $150 000.00 payment to a trusted co-religionist Taliban bitten by a snake in the grass (Asia Times Online, April 26.).

Brains, not brawn, in Afghanistan (Apr 29, '08) details the manner in which both sides in the war have been effective in small but important engagements.  The insurgents in being able to launch a "brazen attack on a military parade in the Afghan capital Kabul at which President Hamid Karzai was officiating . . . within 500 meters of the stage." While "By being smart, rather than relying on "smart bombs", NATO has eliminated a highly skilled Taliban combat group."

Push comes to shove in Afghanistan (May 1, '08) relates the areas in which the Taliban is conducting operations and the push and shove of both sides to gain leverage with the tribes. The article explains why "US President George W Bush could not have summed up the situation better. In comments on Tuesday, he admitted the United States faced a "long struggle" in Afghanistan against a "very resilient enemy" intent on bringing the Taliban back to power."

The U.S. Marines first operation, taking control of Gramsir, is considered in context of both the insurgency and the related heroin trade Taliban claim victory from a defeat (May 3, 2008).  This area along the Pakistan border is strategic for both the Taliban and the drug lords.  The task of the Marines is complicated however  for "The area is central to the country's flourishing opium trade. On the Afghan side of the border, it is run by elements in the Afghan administration and security forces. ( The Taliban's flower power Asia Times Online, February 1, 2007. ) "

This article in to-days Asia Times, Afghan army far from fighting fit  (May 9, 2008) considers the positive developments within the Afghan National Army as well as the obstacles to be overcome before the ISAF troops can be withdraw from combat, let alone from Afghanistan.