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NORTH from 8 In Washington and Ka-
bul, they describe “part- nering” as the “next-to- last step to a full transi- tion.” The goal: By the end of 2014, Afghan na- tional security forces are supposed to be fully re- sponsible for security and stability in this country. It’s the final phase of this transition, “sustaining,” that has people here -- Af- ghan, allied and American -- so concerned because of proposed funding cuts. In short, the government in Kabul cannot afford to keep 305,000 Afghan soldiers and police in the field without major out- side financial support. The specter of a future
funding cutoff hasn’t af- fected the performance of the troops -- American or Afghan -- we’re seeing here. On previous trips, our Fox News team has been embedded with U.S. units across the length and
THE WEIRS TIMES & THE COCHECO TIMES, Thursday, July 7, 2011
breadth of Afghanistan. We’ve accompanied highly trained, well-equipped Afghan commandos and special police units part- nered with American spe- cial operations forces and Drug Enforcement Ad- ministration agents from the mountains north and east of Jalalabad to the western border with Iran and here in the southern desert in Helmand and Kandahar provinces. We expected them to be good, and they are. Surprising to us are the effectiveness and capabili- ties of the “conventional” military and police forces we’re seeing on this trip. Apparently, I’m not the only one. Lt. Col. Harrill put it succinctly: “We’re ahead of where I thought we would be. Working and fighting beside us, they have come a long, long way in the last five months.” Unfortunately, that
perspective doesn’t get covered by the so-called mainstream media very often. Instead, the Ameri- can people are fed a steady diet of bad news from this decade-long war. This week, the InterContinen- tal hotel in Kabul was assaulted by nine suicide terrorists, who killed 10 hotel guests and staff members and two Afghan policemen before the at- tackers were killed by Af- ghan police and soldiers. For days afterward, the potentates of the press described the event as “proof the Taliban can at- tack at will” and evidence “the Karzai government cannot even protect the capital.” Here’s some good news that you didn’t see or hear. The Kabul hotel attack
-- a smaller, less sangui- nary version of the one in Mumbai, India, in Novem- ber 2008 -- was against a “soft target” that was “pro-
tected” by a private securi- ty force, not a government facility. Afghan police and military units responded immediately, cordoned off the site and cleared the building without the aid of any coalition forces. A night vision-equipped NATO helicopter was pro- vided to deal with three terrorists who made it to the roof of the building. Not impressed? For those who think Afghan troops aren’t doing enough of the fighting, try this: Last week, two Afghan
police officers were alerted by locals that a Taliban suicide bomber was en route to kill the district governor during a meeting with U.S. officials. When the two policemen con- fronted the terrorist, he opened fire, killing one of the officers and seriously wounding the other. Though shot in the chest,
the wounded officer, Mo- hamad Dhalan, was able to return fire, killing the terrorist before he could detonate his bomb. The wounded Afghan police- man was treated at the scene by a U.S. Navy med- ical corpsman and then airlifted by a U.S. Army “Dustoff” helicopter to the 115th Combat Support Hospital at Camp Dwyer,
headquarters of U.S. Ma- rine Regimental Combat Team 1. The officer’s left lung was punctured, and he had lost nearly half of his body’s blood through a severed artery. When the U.S. doctors put out a message throughout the Marine camp that there was an urgent need for AB-negative blood to save the life of a wounded Af- ghan cop who had saved the lives of several Ameri- cans, scores of Marines, soldiers, sailors and civil- ian contractors lined up to donate blood. (Look for the video on my Facebook page.) U.S. Army Col. Trish
Darnauer, commanding officer of the hospital, says “the blood drive saved the life of a lifesaver.” Marine Lt. Col. Don Wright, the RCT-1 executive officer, summed it up: “It’s the right thing to do, and brave men like him are our tickets home.”
Oliver North is the host
of “War Stories” on Fox News Channel, the found- er and honorary chairman of Freedom Alliance, and the author of “American Heroes in Special Opera- tions.”
Skelley’s Market
Whether you are a vacationer or a full time resident of the Lakes Region,
Skelley's Market is the place to go for your shopping needs. Located on route 109 in beautiful Moultonboro, New Hampshire, we are very easy to find.
Skelley's Market services include:
• Gas 24 hours a day • Fresh pizza
• Bailey's Bubble Ice Cream • Pizza Special • Maps
• NH Lottery tickets • Movie rentals • Beer and Wine • Sandwiches • Daily papers
• Famous Lobster Rolls • Fish and Game, OHRV licenses
2 for $18 • 2 Toppings
Every Sat. Night • 5-9 p.m. • Clam & Scallop Special Every Fri. Night • 5-7 p.m. Summer Only!
Stop by Skelley's Market today and enjoy some great food, Bailey's Bubble Ice Cream, a lobster roll or anything else you may need. You will be glad you did.
374 Governor Wentworth HWY • Moultonboro, N.H. 03254 Call 603-476-8887 • F: 603-476-5176 •
www.skelleysmarket.com
Come visit our other location: Skelley’s Market of Wolfeboro
35 Center St. • Wolfeboro, N.H. 03894 Call 603-515-1212 • F: 603-515-1183
NEW!
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