Canada troops battle 10-foot Afghan marijuana plants

[AngryAmish]

<http://robots.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/americas/10/12/canada.troops.marijuana.reut/index.html>

OTTAWA, Canada (Reuters) -- Canadian troops fighting Taliban militants in Afghanistan have stumbled across an unexpected and potent enemy -- almost impenetrable forests of marijuana plants 10 feet tall.

General Rick Hillier, chief of the Canadian defense staff, said Thursday that Taliban fighters were using the forests as cover. In response, the crew of at least one armored car had camouflaged their vehicle with marijuana.

"The challenge is that marijuana plants absorb energy, heat very readily. It's very difficult to penetrate with thermal devices. ... And as a result you really have to be careful that the Taliban don't dodge in and out of those marijuana forests," he said in a speech in Ottawa, Canada.

"We tried burning them with white phosphorous -- it didn't work. We tried burning them with diesel -- it didn't work. The plants are so full of water right now ... that we simply couldn't burn them," he said.

Read the whole thing. Ha!

[central scrutinizer]

1. Are they drafting any new soldiers?

Where do I sign up?

[AngryAmish]

2. Another take on the 'running to Canada because of the draft"?

[Jed Dilligan]

3. Best... news story... ever. nt

[leftofthedial]

4. try burning them with Zig Zags

and a Bic

[IdesOfOctober]

5. That's a bit like Starship Troopers...

... and those over-sized bugs!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120201/

Are they battling these mammoth marijuana plants with flamethrowers?

; )

That could mellow out the whole region right quick!

Just make sure the prevailing winds don't shift to North Korea ... he's paranoid enough.

Ides

[Bandit]

6. This keeps up and they will need a Pizza Hut near by

:shrug: I could handle being engaged against that enemy...

[niceypoo]

7. Apparently 'burning' them is having an "ill effect" on soldiers...

"A couple of brown plants on the edges of some of those did catch on fire. But a section of soldiers that was downwind from that had some ill effects and decided that was probably not the right course of action," Hiller said dryly.

*lol*