Hybrid Airship Will Deploy to Afghanistan in 2011

via gizmodo.com

Found this via Slashdot, and it fit well into my Afghanistan reading this morning.

The video is of the Lockheed Martin prototype flying in 2006. The newer version is bigger.

http://gizmodo.com/5366082/250+foot-long-hybrid-airship-will-spy-over-afghanistan-battlefields-in-2011.

This technology is coming fast, and may prove to be a very cost effective way to get sensors over the battlefield, particularly in environments like Afghanistan and Iraq where there is no air defense.

I wonder what William Gibson thinks of this?

Posted via web from merrick.stream.data('all')

Afghan Warlords are Looking for US Support

The Washington Times has an article this week that describes how Gen. Dostum, a long time Afghan warlord, states that he could defeat the Taliban if the U.S. would provide support. Dostum has been around the block several times, and was a partner of U.S. Special Forces during the post-9/11 invasion. However, the situation in Afghanistan is never that simple (ever), so go read the article.

http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/sep/22/afghan-warlords-will-fight-if-us-gives-aid/

For more background, I recommend you pick up the book 'Horse Soldiers' by Doug Stanton. It chronicles the early days of U.S. Special Forces in Afghanistan, and features Dotsum as well as a few other warlords.

http://www.amazon.com/Horse-Soldiers-Extraordinary-Victory-Afghanistan/dp/1416580514/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253799501&sr=8-1

Suffice it to say, Afghanistan is a thorny problem, and will remain so. Whatever the solution, I'm convinced that we will need the support and action of the locals to deny the Taliban and al Qaeda
refuge there.

Posted via email from merrick.stream.data('all')

Information is Beautiful: Troops in Afghanistan

via flickr.com

Interesting representation of relative troop strength in Afghanistan. From Information is Beautiful (http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/2009/four-infographic-morsels/)

Posted via web from Merrick's Digital Stream

What is at Stake in Afghanistan

Great quick read on what is at stake in our conflict in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: What Is at Stake? - Brookings Institution

Of particular interest is the part where the author ties Pakistan into the fate of Afghanistan. Everyone needs to remember that Pakistan is a nuclear nation, with a small stockpile of weapons.

"A victory for the Afghan Taliban would encourage its new partners, the Pakistan Taliban, in their struggle to take over the world’s second largest Muslim country. This February several Pakistani Taliban leaders united their forces and proclaimed their allegiance both to Omar and bin Laden."

This issue isn't going away soon, and it isn't going to be solved with force of arms alone.