Truckin' : Got My Chips Cashed In
Wall Street Journal, June 22, 2010 p A10:
The report singles out an Afghan warlord called Commander Ruhullah -- known to locals as
"The Butcher" for his violent tactics -- as "the single largest security provider for the
U.S. supply chain in Afghanistan." Commander Ruhullah guards some 3.500 U.S. supply trucks
a month for several contractors, charging up to $1500 per truck for their safe arrival in
Kandahar. His forces guard trucks with heavy guns that are technically off limits to US
contractors. The forces of Commander Ruhullah operate under contract with Watan Risk Management,
a security firm owned by Ahmed Rateb Popal and Rashid Popal, cousins of (Afghan president)
Mr. Karzai.
Let me get this straight. We have troops in Afghanistan chasing around regional warlords trying to eliminate them. At the same time, we are paying the local warlords (through a middleman on the establishment side) to allow our convoys through. I'm no expert on military theory or international diplomacy, but I have some insight into economics and human behaviour. If we are paying the "good guys" to ensure the safety of our convoys, and they are subcontracting some of this to the "bad guys," I have a very, very difficult time visualizing how the "bad guys" give up, or how the "good guys" prevail. I do, however, have a very easy time visualizing the "good guys" and the "bad guys" laughing their fucking asses off while smoking some great dope together.
I so wish I'd thought of this.
The report singles out an Afghan warlord called Commander Ruhullah -- known to locals as
"The Butcher" for his violent tactics -- as "the single largest security provider for the
U.S. supply chain in Afghanistan." Commander Ruhullah guards some 3.500 U.S. supply trucks
a month for several contractors, charging up to $1500 per truck for their safe arrival in
Kandahar. His forces guard trucks with heavy guns that are technically off limits to US
contractors. The forces of Commander Ruhullah operate under contract with Watan Risk Management,
a security firm owned by Ahmed Rateb Popal and Rashid Popal, cousins of (Afghan president)
Mr. Karzai.
Let me get this straight. We have troops in Afghanistan chasing around regional warlords trying to eliminate them. At the same time, we are paying the local warlords (through a middleman on the establishment side) to allow our convoys through. I'm no expert on military theory or international diplomacy, but I have some insight into economics and human behaviour. If we are paying the "good guys" to ensure the safety of our convoys, and they are subcontracting some of this to the "bad guys," I have a very, very difficult time visualizing how the "bad guys" give up, or how the "good guys" prevail. I do, however, have a very easy time visualizing the "good guys" and the "bad guys" laughing their fucking asses off while smoking some great dope together.
I so wish I'd thought of this.