Michael Yon is embedded with British troops in Afghanistan;
In the early morning of 28 August 2008, the convoy from KAF, with the eight vital trailers, began streaming out. The convoy was led by Canadians who would clear the route and fight through any resistance. I wondered which of the Canadian vehicles might be left in flaming shreds, veiled in the pitch-colored smoke, thick with the heavy smell of burning fuel, and the popping and booms of exploding ammunition. On the ground, the sights and smells would be horrific, and often these scenes play out with soldiers trapped in burning wreckage while comrades are under direct fire trying to save the wounded. On the video feed from the Predator UAV above, the scene would be black and white, flames flickering, images of soldiers running around, hot smoke glowing as it floats away in the darkness, where brave Canadians might perish. Everybody here knew the perils.
The convoy left in about four distinct parcels. Large convoys are difficult to control; they have a tendency to stretch out and bunch together like a “slinky,” especially when driving without lights on treacherous roads. The convoy commander will attempt to maintain a constant speed, attempting to mitigate the slinky effect that can leave vehicles sitting still and vulnerable to ambush. Dozen after dozen British and Canadian vehicles streamed out, most of them heavily armed. Some of the vehicles played loud music while still on base. Soldiers checked and re-checked comms, electronic warfare devices, and untold numbers of other systems. A Predator launched in the darkness. A British officer said he knew it was a Predator by the flashing lights, while most other aircraft are blacked out.
As the last of the Canadian security vehicles left the marshalling area at KAF, I gave a thumbs-up to a Canadian soldier manning a big gun. He saw me, and gave a thumbs up, and that was it. They rumbled away into the dusty darkness.
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Related – Counter-Terrorism Blog:“Editors in the print media are shifting terrorism experts on their staffs towards investigations of political candidates. At least three such reporters at three major papers are now chasing Sarah Palin stories (I haven’t had time to chase down everybody in “the business”).”.
