Comments on: What Would Sarah Chayes Say?

By: e

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 02:37:28 +0000

There is a picture of her here:

http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=5213783&page=1

She’s training more NATO troops.

Mercy Corps just said they’re staying again.

By: Inkan1969

Inkan1969 — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 17:31:38 +0000

Yes, there are a lot of conflicting statements, most sounding like they’ve been construed to suit the speakers’ own agendas. NATO is now claiming that the Taliban have been cleared from Arghandab. I would assume that the Taliban pulled back to avoid engaging ANA/NATO forces, just like last year. News reports are just not emphasizing the fact that the Taliban are still dangerous in this area. I wish I knew a doable strategy for the ANA/NATO to hold Arghandab such that the Taliban could not reinfiltrate the area.

Actually, b, if all of this is only a tribal feud, that makes me feel better. The situation in Arghandab could then be settled by settling the dispute between Wali and Jan, negating the Taliban’s threat to take over the city.

By: b

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:02:33 +0000

The stuff in Kandahar is mysterious. The governour says “100s of fighters” NATO says “a few”.

I believe this is part of a feud between Wali Karzai, informal boss in Kandahar, and Haji Habibullah Jan, head of the Alazai. That feud led to the prison break and the retaliation attaemp by the governour.

NATO was used as a tool here fro some internal fight over loot.

http://www.moonofalabama.org/2008/06/haji-habibullah.html