BBC: Toughing it in the Afghan army ("Everyone wants to run away," )

[rainbow4321]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4080578.stm

Dwarfed by the air conditioned sprawl of the nearby US airbase, the barracks of the Afghan National Army's 205th "Atal" (Hero) corps outside Kandahar are, to put it politely, extremely basic

The ANA soldiers take their water from the non-potable tap that feeds the toilet block; they have not received mineral water or canned drinks for months. They wash their dishes in the showers, outside which a green pool of sewage festers. Their food comes topped with buzzing clouds of flies.

The ANA receive their wages from the US government, and at a starting salary of $75 a month they are comparable or slightly better to those of most civil servants.

But this is before taking into account the risks that the troops in the southern command face. Many men talked bitterly of a $2 a day bonus they say they were promised for "dangerous operations". It has never been paid. The Defence Ministry say it will be. The soldiers also said food and conditions were very poor and deteriorating.

[neweurope]

1. What? Now you're not only paying mercenaries but whole

national armies?

And badly, at that. But they're only sand niggers, after all, aren't they.

---------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[ConfuZed]

3. Tut Tut! we don't want to fund tourists.

*heh* *heh* *shrug* *shrug* *smirk*

[meganmonkey]

2. Can't they get kickbacks from the Opium farmers for letting

them grow poppies and use that money to finance their army?

:crazy:

:banghead:

[lala_rawraw]

4. Oh Brad...

What did I say on your show? See how psychic I am? :D

[BradBlog]

5. Yup...Larisa had it first on The BRAD SHOW!

Larisa broke this story as "coming soon" on last Saturday Night's BRAD SHOW via RAW RADIO!

To listen to the interview with LaLa, go to http://www.BradShow.com, scroll to the Archives 7/23/05 show, HOUR 2 (Larisa was on in the second half of that hour).

Brad
---
Brad Friedman
THE BRAD BLOG - The uprising continues...
http://www.BradBlog.com
VELVET REVOLUTION - The revolution begins...
http://www.VelvetRevolution.us

*** The BRAD SHOW On the Air via RAW RADIO!
*** http://www.BradShow.com
*** Now LIVE on Saturday Nights from 7p - 11p ET!
*** Broadcast coast-to-coast and around the globe
*** via the IBC Satellite Radio Network! Listen Online!