From: "Rich Gauszka" 


"George Sherwood"  wrote in message
news:644rs3xeps.ln2{at}athlon.p3pilot.gotdns.org...
> On Sun, 03 Sep 2006 10:01:16 -0400, Rich Gauszka wrote:
>>
>> Southern Afghanistan in early stages of collapse?
>>
>> http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/World/2006/09/03/1798198-sun.html
>>
>> Costa warned the south was "displaying the ominous hallmarks
of incipient
>> collapse, with large-scale drug cultivation and trafficking, insurgency
>> and
>> terrorism, crime and corruption."
>>
>> The bulk of the increase was recorded in Helmand province. The province
>> is
>> facing an upsurge in attacks by Taliban-led militants fighting NATO
>> forces.
>
> I don't know.  Seems like the flavor of the week.  I was in Brussels at
> NATO last week and while acknowledging the problems there, they certainly
> aren't looking at a collapse.
>
> George

Hopefully the Taliban comeback will be short lived but the signs of their
activity in the south from public executions to targeting NATO troops are
troubling.  I didn't add opium production in as that could just be the free
market at work as Afghanistan is the Microsoft of opium production ( 90
percent of the world supply )


http://english.ohmynews.com/ArticleView/article_view.asp?menu=A11100&no=314988&
rel_no=1&back_url=

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060902/nato_casualties_06
0903/20060903?hub=TopStories

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