The Other War: a truly fine writer and reporter, The New York Times' David Rhode writes with verve, telling detail, color and insight about the "other war" American troops are fighting and dying in, Afghanistan, as the Taliban is slowly but surely staging a comeback attempt. I will quote just enough to hook you with David's prose and then hope you click onto the rest of a great piece of writing and war reporting.
LOZANO RIDGE, Afghanistan, Nov. 23 — As Sgt. First Class Vernon Story's column of Humvees climbed a desolate ridge a mile from the Pakistan-Afghanistan border here on Sunday morning, the sergeant got the feeling that someone was watching. The five unexploded land mines he and his men had found along this same ridge in a firefight with Taliban rebels here less than two months ago lingered in his mind.
"Hey, don't be driving down the tracks," Sergeant Story warned his driver.
Just after he spoke, the front of his Humvee abruptly lurched into the air as a mine or remote-controlled bomb detonated under the right front tire. It severed the lower left leg of a young soldier in the front passenger seat and tossed the 6,000-pound vehicle violently on its side. Sergeant Story, seven soldiers and four journalists traveling with them in the back of vehicle were thrown to the ground.
Scrambling to his feet, his face cut, the sergeant cursed, suspected an ambush and ordered his men to fire at the surrounding hillsides.
No one shot back.
So went a typical engagement in the grinding conflict for the 10,000 American soldiers stationed in Afghanistan, overshadowed by the larger conflict in Iraq.
Casualties are not as high here, but fatal clashes with a shadowy enemy continue.
