American soldiers search for caves concealing weapons in eastern Afghanistan. (PHOTO CREDIT: GETTY IMAGES)Tales Of Our Time: How Not To Enter A Valley In Afghanistan -- Foreign Policy
Here is a smart guest report from Mac Mccallister, freshly returned from a long tour of duty in Afghanistan. "FID" is foreign internal defense, or training the locals to provide security. "CT" is "counterterror." "Close air" is of course helicopters or airplanes that fire in support of troops on the ground. And "COIN" is counterinsurgency. But you knew that.
Navy Commander and platoon of artillery men converted into infantry seek to enter valley to do some nation-building. Local police chief strongly advises against plan for there be bad men in the valley who had not invited the good guys for tea. Navy commander disagrees and enters the valley anyway for he fears no one. A little while later his command is hammered... The artillery men fight well and disengage with small loses. Doesn't matter though for the word spreads quickly that a band of local fighters has defeated a great invading force. More young men rally to the cause.
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My Comment: A sobering tale of Afghanistan. A world that almost all of us back home rarely hear and/or know about.
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