Afghanistan: Russia steps in to help Nato

[Lars77]

Source: The Independent

Russia has agreed to return to the war in Afghanistan at the request of the Western states which helped the mujahedin to drive its forces out of the country 21 years ago.

The Independent has learnt that Moscow is engaged in training the Afghan army and counter-narcotics troops and has agreed in principle to supply Nato with several dozen helicopters for use in Afghanistan.

A number of aircraft have already been sold to Poland, a member of the US-led coalition, for use in the conflict. Now Nato is in talks with the Russians over direct supplies of more helicopters, training the pilots, and allowing arms and ammunition to be transported through Russian territory as an alternative to a Pakistani route which has come under repeated Taliban attack.

Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/exclusive-afghanistan-russia-steps-in-to-help-nato-2117468.html

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More kids are coming to play with their toys in the sand, to use an expression from the great George Carlin.

[charlie and algernon]

1. Ok, raise your hands if you ever thought the US and Russia would be allies in Afghanistan

*crickets*

[bemildred]

4. Well, I thought it was possible, they have "common interests".

Though it would not have happened without Obama (or the equivalent "realist" sort of President), and I doubt that Russia will get deeply involved, it's more of a PR thing. The other fellow is quite right that Russia has a lot of issues with Islamic insurgencies too.

[Ghost Dog]

7. Well, a distinction should be made between NATO and just US alone,

don't you think?

[ixion]

8. It wouldn't be the first time we've allied with the Russians...

and in this case, I'm sure:

a) They want a piece of the profit that is flowing through Afghanistan, and;

b) They'd like to get back to occupying Afghanistan, for the same reasons we're doing just that.

[Odin2005]

2. I'll guess Russia is concerned about millitancy spilling over to their Muslim population.

[Vehl]

12. Yep, Chechnya

If i rem correctly, the Islamic militants from Chechnya and and other parts of Russia have ties with the Taliban/Al-Quaida. Thus Russia seems to be bagging two birds with one stone. Preventing Taliban aid/training to the Chechnyan's and at the same time making some $$$ selling stuff/supplies to the Coalition forces

[Red1]

3. Drugs

I am sure Russia has concerns of the opium/heroin traffic being so close

[pjt7]

5. Can anyone link the best journalist

covering details & all angles of the Heroin trade out of Afghanistan?

At least 80% of the Worlds Heroin is coming from Afghanistan.

[denem]

6. Boycott the Olympics!

:evilgrin:

[herbm]

9. Well if we haven't entered CooCooland before, we just did.

Karzai takes Iranian money. We threaten Iran with invasion, boycotts, sanctions. We are there building a democracy and our candidate used trickery at the polls, we have more hired thugs than US forces there and Blackwater protects the US Ambassador, we armedthe Taliban to drive out the Russians, we still haven't caught Osama who is somewhere in Afghanistan, we are using drone missiles to kill Pakistanis in our ally Pakistan's territory without thier knowledge, and now we've asked the Russians to help drive out the Taliban. Have I missed much? How much more screwed up is this picture going to get??????

[karynnj]

10. That means O'Donnell who wants to fight the Russians in Afghanistan is -- on the side of the Taliban

[armodem08]

11. Ruh roh...

Yeah, that'll show the Afghanis we're there for their own benefit... I mean seriously, who comes up with this shit?!