Over at the Stars & Stripes, Martin Kuz describes the latest attempt to enter and hold part of the valley. ...The intensity of their resistance provoked questions among U.S. soldiers about whether the 2-35th will have the resources to prevail in the Pech. One high-ranking officer, talking on condition of anonymity to avoid reprisals from superiors, wondered aloud whether returning to the valley would succeed only in inflaming enemy forces. “Is there an insurgency if we’re not here? It’s a valid question,” he said. “There’s a reason we left before.” Defiance of authority is a birthright in the Pech, with fathers bequeathing blood feuds to their sons. Tuley nonetheless talked with upbeat resolve about the coming months. “It’s tough terrain, it’s a tough enemy,” he said, staring at the distant peaks shielding the Korengal. “But I believe we can create the time and space for the Afghan government to build up their presence in the area.”...
Read the complete post at http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Blackfive/~3/Fk_m9pkGe38/americans-go-back-into-the-pech-valley.html
Posted
Aug 04 2011, 06:03 AM
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