The other war (the one where, you know, we were attacked by people on 9/11) doesn’t seem to get much coverage lately, but this appears to be decidedly good news:
Afghanistan’s government flag was raised Wednesday on what had been one of the biggest strongholds of the Taliban and al Qaeda in Afghanistan and a leading world center of heroin production.
The town of about 45,000 people was secured at about 9:30 a.m. as Afghan troops, steered by British soldiers and U.S. Green Berets, drove out remnants of the Taliban resistance from Musa Qala in the opium poppy region of northern Helmand.
What it all means in the big picture is beyond me, but it certainly does seem to be a positive step.
Zifnab
This would be great news if we weren’t hearing it five years AFTER we went in there to begin with. We blitzed Afghanistan in an instant in ’02. Taliban and al Qaeda strongholds should be a bad memory, not a new triumph. I mean, kudos to the troops, but wtf continues to go on at the Pentagon when we’re quagmired in yet another Mid-East mudslinging fest.
TenguPhule
What it means, John, is that they’re retaking territory that they LOST to the Taliban a couple of years ago after winning it the first time.
The Dope is Roped again.
Five years from now, a variation of the same good news will appear again.
Dreggas
It means your heroin will come with the afghan governments seal of approval.
fester
John — I am arguing the opposite over at the Newshog — launching and winning a division sized assault against indigenous guerrilla forces to control a town six years into a counter-insurgency campaign is a significant tactical success, but an indication of strategic failure as the counter-insurgent’s abiltiy to credibly promise security for its cooperative locals is severely compromised, and it indicates a very high level of organizational capacity for the Taliban if they are able to field units of 2,000 fighters who are trained and disciplined enough to break contact and retreat to better dispersal/defensive positions under pressure.
alphie
Saw a report on this campaign by a BBC reporter in the city.
The Taliban pulled out because we were blowing the crap out of the city.
They left to stop us killing indiscriminately civilians…sigh.
CFisher
Kind of 50-50. In guerrilla warfare, territory is far less important than actually capturing/killing the enemy or undercutting his base.
If we manage to turn the town against the Taliban, or killed a significant number of them, the gain will be positive. If, on the other hand, we bullocks things up again, the victory will be meaningless.
BruceR
Alphie: What you saw was a BBC report repeating a claim by a Taliban spokesman that they “left” to prevent civilian casualties. That is what a military spokesman will always say when their army evacuates a city, whether it’s true or not. (Also see “Manila, Open City of”.)
So basically, you used an open forum to repeat a Taliban talking point unaltered without acknowledging that or adding any caveat of any kind. Whether you meant to or not, your act is clearly aiding and abetting a national enemy, making you a “Taliban sympathizer” by definition. Just wanted to point that out.
As this site has shown consistently for several years, there are plenty of ways to critique an active combat mission one disagrees with without reciting the other sides’ propaganda points verbatim.
Libby Spencer
What Fester said and as also noted in comments on his post, this is something like the fourth time they had to ‘take back’ that town.
Andrew
I wonder why we don’t have enough troops to secure afghanistan…
Prolific Programmer
Actually, this isn’t necessarily good news, because the Taliban stamped out the poppy crop wherever they controlled. Now that they’re out of power, the drugs are returning to Afghanistan.
Bubblegum Tate
About damn time we get some quality control!
OK, seriously, this seems to be something of a mixed blessing, but can you imagine how much better things would be if we had actually stayed focused on Afghanistan instead of peeling off to go have an Excellent Iraq Adventure? Talk about a missed opportunity.
robroser
“The war where…we were attacked by people on 9/11”
We’re at war with the Saudis?
Cyrus
Not that I enjoy being all pessimistic and it’s not like we should say “I told you so,” too often, but wow. The first few commenters were, if anything, too generous.
Becoming refugees is better than becoming corpses, I guess, so that’s something. (But did the article give any number or estimate at all of casualties who weren’t part of American or British forces, the Taliban or Al Qaeda? I couldn’t see one.)
And hey, at least the locals are used to it.
Wait a second. This was opium country, but the Taliban cracked down ruthlessly on growing for opium. So wouldn’t this city have been especially oppressed back when the Taliban was in power in all of Afghanistan?
Ali Gator
Yes, the Taliban really cracked down on opium production, which is why it skyrocketed once the US went in. There are some questions though, about whether or not the Taliban have backed down now that they need the money they could get from opium. I’m really not sure which way they are going. Do you stick to your religious convictions or go for the money to fund your group?
alphie
Bruce,
The Taliban aren’t afraid to die.
If they pulled out of this city, it’s because we were “pacifying” it the coward’s way…with air power.
Xanthippas
Whereas repeating the talking claims and assertions of the U.S. military public relations officers is doing your patriotic duty, right?
You probably think the answer to question is yes, don’t you? Moron.
BTW, having to “retake” anything in Afghanistan, especially in an operation that large, is most certainly NOT a good sign. Six years after the invasion of Afghanistan, did anyone imagine we’d be having to recapture cities taking by the Taliban on a semi-regular basis? Did anybody imagine that the Taliban would even be relevant at this point?
Here’s my note for you Bruce; invading a country in such a manner that it frees up our enemy in Afghanistan to conduct battalion-size operations against us and the government, seems to “aiding and abetting” them just a wee bit right? Maybe more than just going on some blog comments and repeating something you heard on the news somewhere? Get back to me when you’ve chewed that conundrum over a little bit. And honestly, try to think about it for five minutes before going into right-wing “catch-the-traitor” mode ok?
Suckers like you are the reason we’re even in Iraq in the first place. But if you want to come on this blog and prove even further to everyone here how much of a simple-minded buffoon you are…I won’t try to stop you. In fact, I’ll even “aid and abet” the process, and I doubt I’m the only one.
Barry
Read his blog ‘Flit’; he’s just another 28%-er.
BruceR
Note how Alphie’s “rejoinder” repeats Taliban Main Talking Points #1 and #2 uncritically. They should be paying you, chief.