Share This Page:

  

...

General Military Chat. New to the forums? Introduce yourself, Who are you and where are you from?
Post Reply
Rogue Chef
Guest
Guest

Post by Rogue Chef »

Ahoy there!
Sustained bombardment over protracted periods of time using napalm. Great idea - wait a minute hasn't that been tried somewhere else before?

On a slightly more serious note. It would be great if only it were that simple.
There are huge social, political, economic and cultural hurdles to overcome.
Bombing with napalm is not a precision weapon. Massive collateral damage and the political fallout.
Farmers earn relatively enormous amounts for growing poppies rather than cereals etc.
The farmers are Afghans and muslims as are their Taliban benefactors; many of them will be related. Blood being thicker than water etc.
User avatar
sneaky beaky
Member
Member
Posts: 1273
Joined: Mon 09 Sep, 2002 8:09 pm
Location: 19th hole

Post by sneaky beaky »

What abouit this solution.

Negotiate an official deal from the British Government to buy the poppy crop from the Afghani's.

This could then be used to manufacture drugs used by the NHS. (Morphine, springs to mind.)

Apparently, there is a supply problem with morphine!!

This would take the supply chain out of the hands of the drug barons and put it in the hands of the British government!

It would also be cheaper than the cost of the war in Afghanistan (and Iraq) so why don't we do it, instead of trying to fight a war that no one will win?
Sneaky
Former RM of 23 years.
Artist
Guest
Guest

Post by Artist »

Great minds think alike Sneaky. I've said this before on another thread both on here and over on Tony L's site.

Nice to dream int it?

Artist
Alfa
Guest
Guest

Post by Alfa »

Howardbliss wrote:Any more thoughts/suggestions about my elaborated arm-chair general plan?
Yes, it's a load of sh*t.

If we did that instead of fighting a few thousand Taliban we'd be fighting the entire country it would be the biggest recruitment coup the Taliban could hope for.

The idea of the government buying up the poppy crop is by far the better idea, however, if they did that then we'd be accused of being soft on drugs and that would never do now would it :roll:
Tam527
Member
Member
Posts: 183
Joined: Fri 26 May, 2006 6:34 pm
Location: Motherwell

Post by Tam527 »

It's a tough one to call, isn't it.
You don't want to be seen to be doing business with these people, although in the end there may be no alternative.
And you can't just do nothing.
I certainly don't think the 'wipeout' method you suggest is the way forward.
'Oi', 'You'!... 'Yes You'! Straighten that fu??ing arm or I'll rip it off and beat you round the head with the soggy end!!
Alfa
Guest
Guest

Post by Alfa »

They wouldn't necessarily have to deal with the Drug Lords to buy the poppy crop they could strike up a deal with the Afghan Government to buy it directly from the farmers thus they can still provide for their families but won't have to work for the Taliban/War Lords.

The things which would stop it happening is people accusing the goverment of going soft on drugs etc... plus they'd have to send more troops (yeah like that would happen) so they could provide sercurity for the farmers and no politician wants pictures of British soldiers standing guard over Opium fields on the front pages as you know how the media LOVES a good headline regardless of what the facts are.

Besides, apparently George Bush is against the idea when it was raised by the Foreign Office so it was never going to get approval after that was it :roll:
User avatar
Cobalt
Member
Member
Posts: 443
Joined: Sun 16 Dec, 2001 12:00 am
Location: Scotland

Post by Cobalt »

Howardbliss wrote:Well Sneaky, there is a slight problem with your suggestion. Yes it would be a great idea to buy up all of the drug crops, and put them to good use. However, by doing that the British Government would be paying the Taliban for the Opium.
The Talibs banned opium cultivation. It's local warlords who run the show. If HM Government purchased the opium for the NHS they'd be keeping the farmers and their families happy, the local economy going and in effect be buying information about the Taliban and the various groups that don't like us being in their provinces.
- Cobalt

"It's always funny until someone gets hurt - then it's hilarious"
harry hackedoff
Member
Member
Posts: 14415
Joined: Tue 19 Feb, 2002 12:00 am

Post by harry hackedoff »

A serious proposal some years ago, was to get the farmers to grow summat else. :o It isn`t rocket science :roll:
Then the Western countries who suffer most from Heroin induced social problems(smack-head related crime to you ) would pay the farmers more than they made from growing poppys. Coffee was suggested but who gives a shite what they grow as long as it isn`t poppys?
[url=http://www.militaryforums.co.uk/forums/groupcp.php?g=397][img]http://www.militaryforums.co.uk/forums/images/usergroups/listener.gif[/img][/url]
BigStevie
Member
Member
Posts: 218
Joined: Tue 08 Aug, 2006 10:07 pm
Location: Co.Antrim, N.Ireland

Post by BigStevie »

Well....given HMG's addiction to 'spin', might i suggest:

Announce that poppy production will now be from GM plants, resulting in non-addictive methodone.

Arrange transport of the crop by using RLC transport, thus stopping attacks on supply convoys immediately.

Export it to the US for the Medicare scheme, therefore reducing the burden on the US taxpayers.

Arrange 'tribute' payments to local warlords, utilising a slow-acting poison in whatever method of payment is used (cash, gold, cds, jeans etc) resulting in the gradual 'fadeout' of the warlords.

Announce a 'land for settlers' scheme, to induce the influx of workers from Eastern Europe into Afghanistan instead of them coming to Britain. Send as many as required until they form a voting majority.

Hearts and minds....get the civs onside, and taking out the Taliban should be a bit easier.

Anything else?
User avatar
Tab
Member
Member
Posts: 7275
Joined: Wed 16 Apr, 2003 7:09 pm
Location: Southern England
Contact:

Post by Tab »

You are not going to get any where by destroying the poppy crops, the people in this region have been growing nothing else for countless years. If you destroyed the crops then they would just join the Taliban and fight you as they have nothing else left to them. Now as Sneaky states you would pay them what the war lords pay for the opium which is very little, but every time it passes along the the line of middle men it just gets a little more expensive each time and there are a lot of people that will handle the crop before it gets on to the streets
Daka
Member
Member
Posts: 34
Joined: Mon 20 Feb, 2006 10:19 pm
Location: Hudds

Post by Daka »

I agree wholeheartedly with those who suggested buying opium from afghanistan.

I think this is possibly the only way we can leave the country with a positive outlook on both sides.

Trouble is, who supplies the opium for the methodone clinics and nhs at the moment? because if its a western company, chances are its not going to happen.
Artist
Guest
Guest

Post by Artist »

Spot on there Daka.

Shame but there you go hey?

Artist
Post Reply