Daylong Battle In Afghanistan
KABUL, Afghanistan — A daylong battle Tuesday near a Taliban-controlled town in southern Afghanistan’s poppy-growing belt killed more than 60 Taliban outlaws and one soldier from the U.S.-led coalition, military officials said.
Several dozen gunmen attacked a joint coalition-Afghan patrol near the town of Musa Qala in Helmand province with machine guns, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades, the U.S.-led coalition said in a statement. Taliban reinforcements flowed in from Musa Qala all day, it said.
The coalition returned artillery fire and called in fighter aircraft, killing more than 60 of the Taliban fighters, the coalition said. One coalition soldier was killed and four were wounded.
“The end is near for the Taliban that believe Musa Qala is safe from Islamic Republic of Afghanistan forces,” said Maj. Chris Belcher, a coalition spokesman. “This combined operation is just one more step to securing the Musa Qala area of the Helmand Province.”
Taliban militants overran Musa Qala in February, four months after British troops left the town following a contentious peace agreement that handed over security responsibilities to Afghan elders. Musa Qala has been in control of Taliban fighters ever since.
Situated in northern Helmand province, Musa Qala has seen the heaviest fighting in Afghanistan this year. It is also in the middle of the country’s poppy-growing belt. Afghanistan produces more than 90 percent of the world’s heroin, made from opium poppy.
More than 4,400 people — mostly militants — have died in insurgency-related violence this year, according to an Associated Press count based on figures from Afghan and Western officials.
The head of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, Karen Tandy, said counternarcotics forces will soon work alongside counterinsurgency troops to try to bust the drug lords that have helped Afghanistan produce a record amount of opium poppy this year.
“The alliance between these high-value drug traffickers and the insurgents clearly has grown, and it is through the relationships and work and partnerships that we have built on the interdiction side together with the military side that is our way forward,” Tandy said during a three-day visit to Afghanistan.
NATO troops, she said, would not “pull plants or spray plants,” but would support interdiction efforts.
(AP)
Be respectful of others and their opinions. Inflammatory remarks and inane leftist drivel will be deleted. It ain’t about free speech, remember you’re in a private domain. My website, my prerogative.
If you can't handle using your real email address, don't bother posting a comment.
Why do we have a female as the head of the drug enforcement agency.We dont f=need a touchy feelie response to the growing of opium, we need action.
September 26th, 2007 at 4:34 amWhere are the planes from Vietnam filled with agent orange to spray the ENTIRE CROP and stop the ENTIRE drug effort.
Christ we could easily afford the compensation for the population and even do it better, as the Taliban would just piss off whenthey see they aint going to make a buck from the drugs. Nasty shit is the only way to go, as its them, or us and I feel that us is better.Never mind the genetic fallout thats only a communist beatup.The locals will be pleased to grow real food once they get paid properly to do it.
Aussie snark
It’s opium sales that are causing the locals to side with their teletubby buddies. Buy up all their opium and compensate the farmers. Then destroy it or refine it into medicines…and kill every goat-fucking child-molesting Talibastard in sight.
Better still tell Musharaff to shit or get off the pot. Kill the terrorist scum in western Pakistan or we will.
September 26th, 2007 at 5:32 am[…] Daylong Battle In Afghanistan — Pat Dollard […]
September 26th, 2007 at 1:23 pm