Civilians flee Afghan town ahead of US assault

[Adsos Letter]

Source: AP

NEAR MARJAH, Afghanistan – Cars and trucks jammed the main road out of a besieged Taliban-held town on Friday as hundreds of civilians defied militant orders and fled the area ahead of an anticipated U.S.-Afghan assault.

Tribal elders pleaded for NATO to finish the operation quickly and spare civilians — an appeal that offers some hope the townspeople will cooperate with Afghan and international forces once the Taliban are gone.

Thousands of U.S. and Afghan troops have ringed the town of Marjah in Helmand province, poised to enter the farming community, drive off the Taliban and restore government control over a major insurgent supply base and opium-poppy center 380 miles (610 kilometers) southwest of Kabul.

Once the town is secured, NATO hopes to rush in aid and restore public services in a bid to win support among the estimated 125,000 people who live in Marjah and surrounding villages.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100212/ap_on_re_as/as_afghanistan

[Mari333]

1. securing tracts of corporate contracts one village at a time

oh yeah, Vietnam.
god help us.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

2. Yup, Baskin Robbins can't wait to open a new franchise in Marjah.

Kohl's is already looking at some rezoned commercial land.

[maxsolomon]

3. It sounds as if they're being very deliberate and careful.

But there will be civilian casualties and they'll be hated for it no matter how careful they are. I don't know that there was ever a clear hearts-&-minds strategery during the * years.

I hope at least that NATO is smart enough to meet or exceed what the Taliban pays for opium poppies.