The Most Dangerous Valley in Afghanistan

              In Tim Hetherington’s Restrepo, the men of 2^nd Battle Company, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team were stationed in Korengal Valley. Korengal Valley was one the deadliest valleys in Afghanistan. For five years over 40 U.S. troops were killed or wounded, causing many to feel that the U.S. government should have brought her troops home sooner. Restrepo is different than many of the war movies of our generation because of the reality. This movie is a shining example at how war can be savage and brutal, and that occasionally U.S. forces must engage in prolonged combat.

           The Washington Post claims: “It was as if the five years of almost ceaseless firefights and ambushes had been a misunderstanding -- a tragic, bloody misunderstanding.” I believe that the U.S. was fighting for the right reasons, however, they may have fought longer than was required. Dan Kearney, the company commander, would sit down with the Shura and discuss solutions to resolve the conflict. Commander Moretti was asked byThe Washington Post to inform them what his statement on Khan asking why he was not attending Shura meetings was. In his statement, he claimed: "The Shura is a waste of time. All we talk about is dead goats. In 10 months, the meetings haven't accomplished a single thing." Many of the things U.S. tried to accomplish in Korengal Valley were not towards a greater goal. The U.S. armed forces should not continue to have to fight in Afghanistan for petty reasons.  

The Shura

 

Korengal Valley

173rd Airborne at Restrepo base

Body Bombs: Are they a threat?

         

            In Mark Boal’s “The Hurtlocker,” Sergeant James befriends a young boy during the beginning of the movie, named Beckham. Later in the movie, James believes that the boy has been made into a body bomb.  In the Iraq war children were used as bombs. The Iranians cut open dead kids and implanted a bomb into them. It was almost as though they were suicide bombers.

                InReview America, Jim Kouri explains this by saying, “While ‘The Hurt Locker’ is a work of fiction, the concept of body bombs is considered a very real threat to U.S. national security.” The American government feels like the Iranians will surgically implant bombs into normal citizens. These body bombs could truly harm American citizens; they could implant them, for example, in a passenger of an airplane. Review America also has this to say regarding body bombs, “ In August 2009, an al-Qaeda suicide bomber, Abdullah Hassan Tali Assiri, attacked and injured Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Nayef with a bomb concealed in a body cavity after passing through two airport scanners, Rep. King said on Fox News.” American Security can never be too sure, the terrorist managed to get through airport security just fine. The government should require more strenuous security.

                August 9^th of this year, concern was raised again about body bombs and America’s safety. Four years after the first hype, the security was still not up to standards of the Iranians. Elite Daily News states this about the security: “U.S. intelligence officials revealed that al-Qaeda’s chief bomb maker, Ibrahim al-Asirir, has developed explosives that can be concealed inside the body and avoid detection by even the most advanced scanners. They also said they have reason to believe that al-Qaeda has created an undetectable liquid explosive that soaks into clothing and can detonate when dried.” Airport security can never be too cautious. After troops have been taken from Iraq, Americans are still at risk of terrorism. Should the American government close down certain entrance to the U.S? What security would help keep American citizens safer in airports? 

Security machine so that they can see inside body

Body bomb after

Results of an explosion due to a body bomb