Front line on the frontier

in August, 2008, I spent a week with the special forces on the Afghan border with Pakistan. At that time, it was definitely a wild and wooly place - with the sound of gunfire almost certainly to wake you during the night. The brave green berets near Chamkani were doing a great job of mapping the human terrain. Now, according to reports coming from the border, the violence has increased in areas where the Taliban are used to smuggling their weapons and drugs across the frontier. And since we're still too polite to actually put boots on the ground inside Pakistan, our outposts along the border are being regularly attacked with large numbers of bad guys. And while frequently outnumbered, our forces are holding their own. I hope to make a return trip to Afghanistan this year, and when I do, I'll make sure to get out to the border area and report on the situation there. In the meantime, say a prayer for the brave men who stand on the wall every night along the Af/Pak border.