Tonight's Rescue Rangers are Louisiana 1976, ItsJessMe, dadanation, HoosierDeb, mtperson, vcmvo2 and grog.
They Fired At Us, We Fired At Them
"We would fight for two weeks in a gorge, killing the Afghans. In return, they would kill our guys. We would have used all our water, ammunition and food, and then we had to go back to our rear position. Then the mujahedeen would return to the gorge, and the whole thing would continue...Our sacrifices were not needed."
--General Igor Rodionov, Commander Soviet 40th Army in Afghanistan 1985-1986
Thirty years ago today, the Red Army invaded Afghanistan and the subsequent bloody ten-year war helped bring about the demise of the Soviet Union and the Cold War. It also set the stage for a dozen years of unintended consequences that directly relate to our recent decision to escalate operations there. Only now are former Russian soldiers coming forth to speak about their experiences, which serve as a somber reminder of what American and NATO forces now face in the "graveyard of empires".
The Rescue Rangers hope that our service men and women in harms way have a Christmas Eve that's safe and filled with much goodwill under trying circumstances. As a country, we've placed a large burden on your shoulders, one that we hope will be briefly borne and that you come home safe, sound and soon. Permamently. Now, for your reading pleasure:
jotter gives us the day's High Impact Diaries - December 23, 2009, while sardonyx has Top Comments: Holiday Mail Edition.
Quaff some Christmas cheer, be merry, shamelessly self promote your diary or, pimp for a friend in this Open Thread!