An F/A-18C Hornet aircraft from Strike Fighter Squadron 113 refuels from a U.S. Air Force KC-10 Stratotanker aircraft over southeastern Afghanistan during a mission supporting international security forces in the Helmand province on Oct. 6, 2008. The squadron is embarked aboard the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) to provide support to coalition ground forces in Afghanistan. DoD photo by Cmdr. Erik Etz, U.S. Navy. (Released)From McClatchy Newspapers:
DELARAM, Afghanistan — On a sunset patrol here in late December, U.S. Marines spotted a Taliban unit trying to steal Afghan police vehicles at a checkpoint. In a flash, the Marines turned to pursue, driving off the main road and toward the gunfire coming from the mountain a half mile away.
But their six-ton vehicles were no match for the Taliban pickups. The mine-resistant vehicles and heavily armored Humvees bucked and swerved as drivers tried to maneuver them across fields that the Taliban vehicles raced across. The Afghan police trailed behind in unarmored pick-up trucks, impatient about their allies' weighty pace.
The Marines, weighted down with 60 pounds of body armor each, struggled to climb up Saradaka Mountain. Once at the top, it was clear to everyone that the Taliban would get away. Second Lt. Phil Gilreath, 23, of Kingwood, La., called off the mission.
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My Comment: Finally some elements of the main stream media are learning what blogs like the Captain's Journal and the Long War Journal have been saying for the past year .... the war in Afghanistan is going to be different than the war in Iraq.
Bottom line .... the Afghan war is going to be very difficult. With mountains, desolate communities, an absence of a road network, and an enemy that has been fighting wars for 3 decades ..... this war is going to be long and arduous with no guarantee in success.
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