6 years after invasion Bush's puppet government in Afghanistan seeks more help as violence soars

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.swissinfo.org/eng/international/ticker/detail/Afghanistan_seeks_more_help_as_violence_soars.html?siteSect=143&sid=8329314&cKey=1192748884000&ty=ti

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Afghanistan's defence minister asked on Thursday for more money and equipment to fight soaring Taliban violence as America's Pentagon chief criticized NATO allies for failing to deliver promised aid.

Afghan defence Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak said suicide bombings were up 50 percent from a year ago and that the Afghan army needed more troops and equipment.

"We have achieved a great deal with limited manpower and old weapons and equipment," Wardak said after meeting with U.S. defence Secretary Robert Gates at the Pentagon. "Imagine what we could do with better equipment and additional help."

Despite six years of war in Afghanistan, the Taliban regained strength in 2006 and has ramped up attacks on U.S., Afghan and NATO forces this year. NATO forces also have begun to intercept convoys of bomb technology coming into Afghanistan from Iran, according to NATO and U.S. military officials.

[The_Casual_Observer]

1. Time is on their side, they have been at this for 1000's of years.

jr figured he'd drop a few bombs, pay off some opium farmers & it would be like buying off Jed Clampett.

[Rex]

5. Hey it is hard being a crime/druglord

AND a warmonger! My goodness, don't you know how hard this man works? :sarcasm:

[nightrider767]

2. I don't blame them

I'd guess they're fighting for their lives at this point. If the Taliban take over again, they're toast....

Yikes.

[NNN0LHI]

3. Actually it usually doesn't work that way in Afghanistan

If Karzai was to fall he would just be flown back to the US and resume his old gig at UNOCAL. The rest of the thugs would most likely join the Taliban.

I read somewhere years ago that you can never buy an Afghani. You can only rent them.

Don

[nightrider767]

4. Strong words my friend

And I'm sure only said in jest. I'd guess that most of the problems we have in afghanistan is from some rather head-strong Afghans.. But it certainly is a mess.

You're dead on about Karzi...

What was it we all sort of liked about Bush initially? The,,, oh yeah,,, no nation building thing.

That's it if I remember it correctly.

And why? Hmmm,,, well,,,, oh yeah, because it always turns into a huge disaster.

:nuke: