Real World

Canada troops battle 10-ft Afghan marijuana plants

Thu Oct 12, 2006 9:09 PM BST
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OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian troops fighting Taliban militants in Afghanistan have stumbled across an unexpected and potent enemy -- almost impenetrable forests of 10-feet (three metre) high marijuana plants.

General Rick Hillier, chief of the Canadian defence staff, said on Thursday that Taliban fighters were using the forests as cover. In response, the crew of at least one armored car had camouflaged their vehicle with marijuana.

"The challenge is that marijuana plants absorb energy, heat very readily. It's very difficult to penetrate with thermal devices ... and as a result you really have to be careful that the Taliban don't dodge in and out of those marijuana forests," he said in a speech in Ottawa.

"We tried burning them with white phosphorous -- it didn't work. We tried burning them with diesel -- it didn't work. The plants are so full of water right now ... that we simply couldn't burn them," he said.


Even successful incineration had its drawbacks.

"A couple of brown plants on the edges of some of those (forests) did catch on fire. But a section of soldiers that was downwind from that had some ill effects and decided that was probably not the right course of action," Hiller said dryly.

One soldier told him later: "Sir, three years ago before I joined the army, I never thought I'd say 'That damn marijuana'."

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"The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of doubt, what is laid before him."
Leo Tolstoy, 1897

IcyPatriot

The old Flamethrowers from WWII would do it ... would they see "JAH".

Patters

Where can I sign up?

patsfan13

Now we know why all the dems want to concentrate on Afganistan and not Iraq.

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"Some guys play in all-star games, some guys don't. I don't know who picks all those all-star teams. In all honesty, I don't know who picks the combine, for that matter," Belichick said. "How does (Miami-Ohio offensive lineman Brandon) Brooks not get invited to the combine? How did Vollmer not get invited to the combine? I don't know. We can't really worry about that. We just have to try to evaluate them the best we can."

IcyPatriot

Ahhh...the "Fun Smoke".

I went to Jamaica once about 20 years ago...no sooner did my feet touch earth and all I could here is "Fun Smoke" , fun smoke.....fun smoke...fun smoke. I can still see those guys running around saying that...I'm good...I'm good. Anything they asked me or told me and I had the same answer..."all set....I'm good".

Harry Boy

For Christ Sake legalize it, Americans LOVE it, it should be sold in Wal Mart.

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Harry Boy (Genius)

In The Absence Of Law And Order Society Will Surely Destroy Itself

IcyPatriot

Harry Boy

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Harry Boy (Genius)

In The Absence Of Law And Order Society Will Surely Destroy Itself