American weapons in Hands of Taliban

[Guest American Woman]

Our allies in Pakistan and Afghanistan are using our money to pad their pockets—or worse, giving it to terrorists.

link

According to this article, weapons and large amounts of money have gone missing in Afghanistan. Some of the weapons are ending up in the hands of the Taliban, and it may be because our allies are selling them to them. Private DynCorp contractors working for the United States have reported "multiple instances" of Afghan National Police personnel allegedly selling weapons to anti-American forces.

Furthermore, America has sent about $12 billion since 9/11 to help neighboring Pakistan crack down on Al Qaeda operatives camped out along its border. Much of that, too, "has been stolen," says California congressman Howard Berman.

... many U.S. government officials and analysts believe Islamabad deliberately keeps the Taliban and Al Qaeda strong so it can milk us for more aid.

Pretty upsetting all the way around, to say the least.

[eyeball]

... many U.S. government officials and analysts believe Islamabad deliberately keeps the Taliban and Al Qaeda strong so it can milk us for more aid.

Pretty upsetting all the way around, to say the least.

Many believe the US military-industrial complex deliberately makes the world a dangerous place so it can milk you for more money.

Its what makes the world go around.

[Guest American Woman]

Many believe the US military-industrial complex deliberately makes the world a dangerous place so it can milk you for more money.

Its what makes the world go around.

Milk who for more money? Who's giving the United States money that we are living off of instead of using as intended? Seriously. The article I linked to isn't making a broad, undocumented statement like you did.

But thanks for your input.

[DogOnPorch]

Our allies in Pakistan and Afghanistan are using our money to pad their pockets—or worse, giving it to terrorists.

link

According to this article, weapons and large amounts of money have gone missing in Afghanistan. Some of the weapons are ending up in the hands of the Taliban, and it may be because our allies are selling them to them. Private DynCorp contractors working for the United States have reported "multiple instances" of Afghan National Police personnel allegedly selling weapons to anti-American forces.

Furthermore, America has sent about $12 billion since 9/11 to help neighboring Pakistan crack down on Al Qaeda operatives camped out along its border. Much of that, too, "has been stolen," says California congressman Howard Berman.

... many U.S. government officials and analysts believe Islamabad deliberately keeps the Taliban and Al Qaeda strong so it can milk us for more aid.

Pretty upsetting all the way around, to say the least.

Pakistan has been infamous for this for many decades, now. Their gun markets churn out copied versions of captured US weapons as well as every other weapon you can think of. All they need is an example to reverse-engineer from.

[DogOnPorch]

dp

Edited September 6, 2009 by DogOnPorch

[eyeball]

Milk who for more money? Who's giving the United States money that we are living off of instead of using as intended?

Milking you, the taxpayer. Apparently a lot of your government's money (your money) also comes from China and I think it is being used as intended, its being handed it over to countries like Pakistan.

Seriously. The article I linked to isn't making a broad, undocumented statement like you did.

But thanks for your input.

Read between the lines, the article is also reinforcing what it is that's at the root of some of your countries worst effects in the world, your military-industrial complex. Don't let corporations like DynCorp (which are also being handed lots of borrowed Chinese dollars) fool you, they stand to make a fortune defending you from the money you're handing over to places like Pakistan. Its just like a Ponzie scheme only its more obvious.

[Shady]

Many believe the US military-industrial complex deliberately makes the world a dangerous place so it can milk you for more money.

Many of those same people wear tinfoil hats, and live in their mother's basement. And at the sametime, have little to say when it comes to Russian and Chinese weapons finding their way across the globe.

[GostHacked]

American Woman.

Some of the same was reported in Iraq a few years ago as well. Money went missing, speculation of that fueling the insurgency.

[Guest American Woman]

American Woman.

Some of the same was reported in Iraq a few years ago as well. Money went missing, speculation of that fueling the insurgency.

I remember that money had gone missing, but this was different, to my knowledge -- that our allies might actually be giving the money and missing weapons to the enemy. I thought the article I referenced was a good article because it put criticism all the way around. The author wasn't afraid to criticize the U.S. for it's part in it, either. And he had sources, not just baseless speculation. Furthermore, main concern seemed to be for the soldiers who are fighting over there, and with that I have to agree. Also, he gave sources to contact about the problem. Reading the article really affected me because I just wasn't aware of all that's going on-- especially in regards to Pakistan -- and I wonder more than ever what all of our troops are being put up against.

[eyeball]

I wonder more than ever what all of our troops are being put up against.

Will you ever truely wonder why though?

[Guest American Woman]

Will you ever truely wonder why though?

I find this comment insulting. I've wondered that from the beginning and don't know why you would assume otherwise. Just so happens this thread isn't about that, so my comment wasn't in regards to that. Or can't I wonder about any other aspects of the war? Do all of my comments and thoughts have to pertain to "why" the troops are there? Should I dismiss my reaction to this article and dismiss my concern for the troops and have only one, single thought?

So I repeat: I wonder more than ever what all of our troops are being put up against. That's the point I raised in regards to the issues brought up in this thread, and that's the point I'm interested in discussing here.

[bush_cheney2004]

Milking you, the taxpayer. Apparently a lot of your government's money (your money) also comes from China and I think it is being used as intended, its being handed it over to countries like Pakistan.

More of "our money" (and debt) goes to social programs and entitlements.....but that's OK, right?

Read between the lines, the article is also reinforcing what it is that's at the root of some of your countries worst effects in the world, your military-industrial complex. Don't let corporations like DynCorp (which are also being handed lots of borrowed Chinese dollars) fool you, they stand to make a fortune defending you from the money you're handing over to places like Pakistan. Its just like a Ponzie scheme only its more obvious.

You mean like the bundle Canada made during the Vietnam war? Or the bundle that Ontario makes manufacturing LAV's? Or all that uranium headed south? Or........

[DogOnPorch]

I find this comment insulting. I've wondered that from the beginning and don't know why you would assume otherwise. Just so happens this thread isn't about that, so my comment wasn't in regards to that. Or can't I wonder about any other aspects of the war? Do all of my comments and thoughts have to pertain to "why" the troops are there? Should I dismiss my reaction to this article and dismiss my concern for the troops and have only one, single thought?

So I repeat: I wonder more than ever what all of our troops are being put up against. That's the point I raised in regards to the issues brought up in this thread, and that's the point I'm interested in discussing here.

Eyeball is enlightened. We are not. Back to Fox News.

[eyeball]

I find this comment insulting. I've wondered that from the beginning and don't know why you would assume otherwise.

Just so happens this thread isn't about that, so my comment wasn't in regards to that. Or can't I wonder about any other aspects of the war? Do all of my comments and thoughts have to pertain to "why" the troops are there? Should I dismiss my reaction to this article and dismiss my concern for the troops and have only one, single thought?

So I repeat: I wonder more than ever what all of our troops are being put up against. That's the point I raised in regards to the issues brought up in this thread, and that's the point I'm interested in discussing here.

I'm sorry you feel insulted but the threads we use to discuss these issues interconnect and intersect on so many levels that I can't always engage in them in such a linear or one dimensional way.

[eyeball]

You mean like the bundle Canada made during the Vietnam war? Or the bundle that Ontario makes manufacturing LAV's? Or all that uranium headed south? Or........

You do realize Canada is with the west don't you?

[Moonlight Graham]

Don't mean to offend, but this subject is kinda old news.

Heck, i bet the Taliban are still using weapons the U.S. gave/bought them in 80's.

[Guest American Woman]

Don't mean to offend, but this subject is kinda old news.

Heck, i bet the Taliban are still using weapons the U.S. gave/bought them in 80's.

Is it "old news" that they are getting some of the weapons through our allies? That there's credible belief that Pakistan is deliberately keeping al Qaeda and the Taliban strong to get more aid from us? Because I've sure never heard that before.

But I would think people who know weapons can tell the difference between weapons that were used in the 80's and weapons currently being used in this war.

[eyeball]

Many of those same people have little to say when it comes to Russian and Chinese weapons finding their way across the globe.

Not me, I've clearly expressed my disdain for super-rogues everywhere. If you've seen one you've seen them all.

[eyeball]

So why are bullets for Kalishnikov AK-47's being manufactured in California? I suppose if people are going to be killed by bullets they may as well be American bullets. Economics trumps virtue all the time.

A check of 30 magazines taken from the dead insurgents' rifles found that at least 17 held ammunition that bore the distinctive factory stamps of U.S. suppliers in California and the Czech Republic.

I can almost imagine what the factory stamps on these looked like; "Warning. In California lead is known to cause cancer".

[DogOnPorch]

Many AK-47s now fire the standard 5.56mm NATO round rather than the 7.62mm ex-USSR round...that's why.

[Guest American Woman]

Many AK-47s now fire the standard 5.56mm NATO round rather than the 7.62mm ex-USSR round...that's why.

So the weapons being used now would be distinguishable from those used in the 80's, right?

[DogOnPorch]

Yes...there are many ways to tell a weapon's origin. Red Chinese made AK-47s have a triangle with the number 66 etched into the gunmetal for example. This signifies the factory where it was made...Norinco's factory #66 in this case. Fewer and fewer AK-47s use the larger Soviet round due to the round's comparative rarity on the battlefield. With the NATO round, a Taliban fighter need only find an old M-16 or AR-15, etc for ammo.

http://www.ak-47.us/AK47_Factories.php

[Guest American Woman]

Yes...there are many ways to tell a weapon's origin. Red Chinese made AK-47s have a triangle with the number 66 etched into the gunmetal for example. This signifies the factory where it was made...Norinco's factory #66 in this case. Fewer and fewer AK-47s use the larger Soviet round due to the round's comparative rarity on the battlefield. With the NATO round, a Taliban fighter need only find an old M-16 or AR-15, etc for ammo.

http://www.ak-47.us/AK47_Factories.php

Thanks for the explanation, and thanks for the link; I was looking for something like that earlier, but couldn't find it since I didn't know what to search for.

[DogOnPorch]

You're most welcome.

[Moonlight Graham]

Is it "old news" that they are getting some of the weapons through our allies? That there's credible belief that Pakistan is deliberately keeping al Qaeda and the Taliban strong to get more aid from us? Because I've sure never heard that before.

I do remember a story not long ago of large caches of U.S. weapons disappearing or going unaccounted for in Afghanistan. Ok found the article, from Feb 2009: http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/...pons/index.html

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- More than one-third of all weapons the United States has procured for Afghanistan's government are missing, according to a government report released Thursday.

The U.S. military failed to "maintain complete inventory records for an estimated 87,000 weapons -- or about 36 percent -- of the 242,000 weapons that the United States procured and shipped to Afghanistan from December 2004 through June 2008," a U.S. Government Accountability Office report states.

I'm sure many of those weapons were stolen and/or sold, and by both sides of the conflict.

As for getting weapons through our "allies", Pakistan's ISI has been supporting the Taliban which is no secret. Everything from money, weapons, planning guidance etc.