Death in the Corn III

2 Para's Jason Rawstron, KIA Sept. 12, 2008

Part three of Michael Yon's FOB Gibraltar series is up.

"Every single person I talk with in Helmand, Kandahar, Kabul and Jalalabad -- whether Afghan or expat -- can see that the Taliban are growing stronger, and nobody respects the government in Kabul. It’s patently obvious that we are losing this war."

Winning every engagement, but losing the war.

"My first month back in Afghanistan leaves mixed impressions. Clearly we are losing and the clock is ticking. But then, we nearly lost Iraq in 2006, yet that war was turned around at the very brink of disaster. Losing doesn’t mean lost. It means try harder and try smarter. Keep slugging and keep thinking."

If you're not checking Yon's blog on a regular basis, you're missing out in a big way. The origins story of the local farmer/sniper here is the kind of eye-opening stuff you'll find nowhere else short of being there yourself.

Then, just for fun, help him identify an ancient coin and some slightly less ancient rifles found in a Jalalabad market in his Whatzis? post. Fantastic photos.