!CAUTION!
YOU ARE IN A "VERBAL SHRAPNEL" RICH DOMAIN
28 October 2008
The Butter-Cutter On Attacking Taliban Funding
“Have you heard? The forces in Afghanistan are going to attack the source of the Taliban's funding,” I said to The Butter-Cutter. *
“Huh? Waddaya talkin' about?” he answered.
“On 10 October, it was announced that the multinational forces in Afghanistan have been given permission to attack the drug networks that funnel some $100 million per year to Taliban insurgents and corrupt Afghan officials,” I explained.
“So, what are we supposed ta do? When we stop somebody, we say: 'Show me the money er I'll blow yer ass away!' ” he said while laughing.
“I don't think that's the way the forces there are going to attack the money flow,” I corrected The Butter-Cutter.
'Well, what then? Do they have ATM's all over Afghanistan that the Tali-banners use when they need money 'n' we're gonna capture them machines 'n' rip-off their cash?” he said in laughing still louder.
“Hey, I wanna be involved with that. I'm sure there's an extra handful er two o' cash in them machines fer us,” and he continued to laugh.
“You are just not taking this issue seriously!” I said in frustration. “This yearly infusion of $100 million dollars constitutes major support to their operations; and, absent that cash, they are sure to be slowed in what they do. Why don't you understand that?” I pursued.
“Oh, I understand it alright. I just don't see HOW Snuffies like me are gonna get involved in turnin' off this money valve. Anyhow, where are these druggies gettin' this money they give ta the Tali-banners?” he asked.
“Oh, from the opium they sell. Last year, according to the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, Afghanistan set a record by providing some 93 percent of the world's needs from over 477,000 acres of opium-producing poppies,” I answered.
“WHAT? They had 477,000 acres o' this shit? Why don't we just wipe out the crops before they harvest 'n' sell it? Wouldn't that be easier?” The Butter-Cutter suggested in surprise.
“Apparently that's not an option for the multinational force. A Pentagon spokesman said, 'that has to be an Afghan responsibility,' ” I explained to The Butter-Cutter.
“Wait a freakin' minute. Didn't ya say that 'corrupt Afghan officials' were on the take fer this drug money? With them bein' paid-off, how can we expect them ta do somethin' ta them crops?” he asked.
“Well, you raise a good point. However, our forces will be kept from destroying the crops because that action, as the article I read stated, 'would alienate working-class Afghans who grow the plants in the economically depressed area.' " I continued to explain.
“We're gonna piss 'em off by wipin' out the crops? What the f*** d'ya think's gonna happen when we rip-off the money the're supposed ta get fer them poppies? Them Afghans gonna say, 'Oh, thank you, oh mighty Yankee Doodle?' Like shit! Them rag-heads gonna sing, 'Ya Yanked My Doodle 'n' It Ain't No Dandy!' Maan . . . tell me! Was this them freakin' DoD--Dumbest o' Dumb--Spear-Chuckers that came up with this dip-shit idea?” he asked.
“As I understand, this was a NATO determination,” I answered gritting my teeth.
“NATO? NATO! Ya mean the No Ability To Operate mother f***ers have told us ta let 477,000 acres o' poison get out ta the world 'n' only run down the MONEY spent fer it. Us Good Guys are really 'n' truly gonna do that shit? We're gonna let all that poison get out ta the people? Hey, former intelligence officer, is that what Good Guys are supposed ta do?” he asked, lastly, with a look of disgust replacing his earlier boisterous laughter.
I dug frantically for an answer and then blurted out, “Hell NO!” In embarrassment, I left hurriedly rather than continue to face that line of questions from The Butter-Cutter.
Semper GOOD GUYS,
Anthony F. Milavic
Major USMC (Ret.)
* http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2008/10/marine_afghanpoppies_102508/
Waddaya think?
AW said: October 29th, 2008 5:52 am
Let me understand this. The farmers in Afghanistan grow opium poppies because this is a crop that makes them enough money to survive and support their families. Other crops are less lucrative. But I understand that the amount of money the farmers get is negligible compared to the amount paid for the finished product. So, instead of wiping out the crops, and making enemies of the farmers, why don't we just pay the farmers 10% more than what they are getting now so that they don't grow poppies? They'll be happy, the world opium supply will drop drastically, and the Taliban will lose their major source of cash. We could even pay off the corrupt politicians as well - I bet in the end it would be cheaper and better for our image. Waddaya think?
HJT said: October 29th, 2008 8:10 am
I think logic and common sense would go a long way here without this NATO stupidity. Surely someone in NATO has figured out a way to get rich from this approach. Logic ie: Teach a man to fish---- would work here in that - Teach a man to farm foodstuffs vice low yield (to him) return poison and his wealth would be equal or even increased. However, NATO has never been known to err on the side of logic. Allowing this product to continue hitting the streets and then chasing after the money is a fools errand. With foodstuffs absolitely everyone benefits.
TW said: October 29th, 2008 5:46 pm
Face it, we have a "Faith based" foreign policy. It is based on the holy trinity of "Drugs, Guns & Oil". Sell drugs for money to buy guns to protect the oil.
DC Wright, SSgt USMC Retired said: October 29th, 2008 7:58 pm
My personal opinion is that we'd go a LONG way to eliminating the monies that the talibunnies get from drugs by eliminating the utterly failed war on (some) drugs. Besides eroding our Constitution here at home, it makes us NO FRIENDS anywhere else in the world. And all the monies involved mean rampant corruption in the political sphere, justice and foreign affairs. With no war on drugs, there are no huge profits with which to corrupt our border forces, our legislators, our cops and our prisons. We would no longer be filling our prisons with minor and/or non-violent druggies and would have room for the murderers, the rapists, the embezzlers, the CRIMINALS. Not to mention that our Constitution nowhere grants the government the authority to wage war on our own citizens who are not in open rebellion against it. While I have never used illicit substances, I have long felt that it is CRIMINAL what the government has done to our own. And this is just another episode of its criminal stupidity.