Afghanistan: “Operation Mountain Thrust”
At least the Pentagon has no fear of gay mission names. How much more Brokeback can you get than “Operation Mountain Thrust”? Whoa.
In all seriousness, this new op in Afghanistan is a deadly business. The Taliban is back, funded by the booming heroin trade. And we now have more than 10,000 U.S. troops puting their lives on the line, again, to crush an enemy Rumsfeld & Co. failed to eliminate because they were more determined to make war against Iraq.
ABC’s The Blotter reports:
“The Taliban has made a comeback, and we have the next 90 days to crush them,” said a senior U.S. military official.
The Taliban has re-emerged as the Afghan government “has created vacuums of power” says the official. Proceeds from the growing opium trade in the region has helped the Taliban obtain new weapons and pay local officials.