Attacks Signal End of Poppy Harvest in Afghanistan

[Flaneur]

Source: Associated Press

GHUNDY GHAR, Afghanistan (AP) -- The gunfire and explosions echoing across this Taliban-infested district in southern Afghanistan on Friday signaled the end of the opium poppy harvest as militants again turned their attention from agriculture to attacking NATO and Afghan forces. U.S. Army soldiers perched on this small hilltop base in Kandahar province's Zhari district had a ringside seat to the early morning fighting. It snapped a lull in violence that had lasted almost three weeks while the Taliban focused on taxing the poppy crop, one of its main sources of revenue.

Building up resources is especially important for the Taliban this year as NATO is ramping up its latest military operation in Kandahar, the group's spiritual heartland. Military commanders have characterized the Kandahar mission as the make-or-break battle of the nearly 9-year-old war.

"This is the most gunfire that has happened in weeks," said Staff Sgt. Aaron Christensen, looking down from Strong Point Ghundy Ghar as helicopter gunships pounded Taliban militants who had attacked a U.S. patrol about 1.5 miles (2.5 kilometers) away. "The poppy harvest is definitely over."

<snip>

"I really underestimated how much the poppy harvest would impact the Taliban's operations out here," said Capt. Ryan Sheeran, the company commander whose First Platoon is currently based at Ghundy Ghar but also operates in Maiwand. "Taliban operations literally went down to nothing."

That all changed abruptly on Friday. The morning dawned with a roadside bomb attack against Afghan army troops as they traveled along the main highway that runs through Kandahar about a mile (2 kilometers) north of Ghundy Ghar, said Lt. Jonathan Lessman, the commander of First Platoon. The blast triggered an intense firefight that lasted nearly 10 minutes. About an hour later, militants holed up in a mud compound attacked a U.S. platoon that had set up a temporary observation post east of Ghundy Ghar, Lessman said. Over the next 30 minutes, the soldiers responded with a punishing barrage of grenades and gunfire, while Kiowa helicopters pounded the militants with rockets, sending up clouds of dust and smoke


Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_AFGHAN_RESURGENT_VIOLENCE?SITE=CAANR&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

---

The poppies are harvested, now it's fightin' season.

[mdmc]

1. We are just two or three havests from total victory

USA!USA!

[slackmaster]

2. Interesting article, thanks for posting, K&R

The red Afghan opium poppies that have naturalized in my garden are in mid-bloom now. They were all buzzing with honey bees this morning.

[Flaneur]

4. We have some, too. You can make a wicked opium tea with 'em.

Just don't drink too much and OD yourself to death like a couple of college kids in Boulder did.

I wish I had me one of those little curves knives they have over there to score the pods.

[unhappycamper]

3. Today the Army Times reported "U.S.: Too few Afghans to take control in Marjah"

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/unhappycamper/426

Maybe there's too many Afghans. :sarcasm:

[conspirator]

5. The "funny" thing is that they exchange some of the dope for ammo from the CIA or the MIC

Profits demand it