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Some Friday Odds and Ends

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04.17.2009 at 09:07pm
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Guess which countries are in deep trouble or bordering on the same? Matthew Bandyk at US News & World Report highlights the countries most in danger from the global recession. Countires in deep trouble include Mexico, Pakistan, Ukraine, Venezuela, and Argentina. Countries to keep an eye on include Latvia, Croatia, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, and Belarus.

Read Greg Burno and Robert McMahon’s interview with General Abdul Rahim Wardak, Minister of Defense of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan at the Council on Foreign Relations. Wardak is “unhappy with the Obama plan”.

In northern Iraq Kurds and Arabs are maneuvering ahead of United Nations reports that are expected to propose joint administration of Kirkuk and make a case for the annexation of some districts to the Kurdistan Regional Government. Ernesto Londoí±o at The Washington Post has more.

Jane Perlez and Pir Zubair Shar at the New York Times are reporting that the Taliban are exploiting class rifts in Pakistan.

Just a taste – add your Friday odds and ends – or an odd or an end in comments below – thanks…

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Ken White

I ran across a column today containing two items re: Afghanistan that were bothersome:

“The Taliban are in charge across the board,” the officer told special correspondent Rowan Scarborough. “We don’t like to admit it, but they are. We just need to figure out which ones we can work with. No easy task, but there are, in fact, good Taliban.”

Assuming that’s an accurate quote, it implies the goal is to effect an agreement regardless of the validity of the deal, the capability of the bargainers to provide adherence to their agreement and / or the desires of the Afghan people. That is poor. It may express a desire to help the Army by a rapid withdrawal but the sentiment expressed does the USA no favors.

Then this from the same or possibly another person:

“Afghanis have “been doing it for generations and are far better at it than the Iraqis were or ever will be,” said the officer, who daily reads intelligence on the war. “They are ready and hungry for this fight. We’ll have a tough go, and I expect there will be plenty of opportunity for the press to take pictures at Dover Air Force Base.” Dover is the first U.S. destination point for American war dead.”

I’m very familiar with gallows humor and inside the service vernacular. However, there’s a time and a place — and there are some thing best not said to some people. For an Officer in the US Army to add that last phrase referencing Dover is crass and stupid and does the Army no favors. If he has the wherewithal to say either or both those things, he should have had a little more and allowed his name to be used.

Both quotes are located at this LINK.

I’d hope that both are misquotes but I’m afraid they aren’t. Pretty poor.

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