Army using `bags of gold` to buy off Taliban

[bigjarofwasps]

Read an artilce in the Express, about this thought it might be of interest.

Below are a few other links, I`ve since found. However, none of the sources disclose what the nature of the `bags of gold` are, one can only assume its coinage, but what coinage is anyones guess? Unless someone out there can shine more light on this.......

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1228480/Army-tells-soldiers-fighting-Afghanistan-buy-Taliban-bags-gold.html

http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/world-mainmenu-26/asia-mainmenu-33/2353-anglo-american-strategy-in-afghanistan-pay-off-insurgents-with-bags-of-gold

[hunyadi]

This is nothing new... my grandfather was given a brand new crisp $1000 bill when he was shipped off to the Pacific to fight in India during WW2. It had the experess orders to use it go "buy your way out of trouble" or to "influence" the locals to the Allied cause. The nice part was that he was not required to give it back if it was not used. The bad part as they learned later the British did not pay the local Indians enough and the Japanese paid handsomly for support along with the idea that the British and the newly arrived Americans would go away once the Japanese won the war...Tribute and paying off the enemy to not kill you goes back to the earliest days of war...

but with the impending decline fo the Dollar which will more than likely be followed by the Pound and the Euro, pay them in Asian currencies or Gold to get a lasting peace. :cheers:

[bigjarofwasps]

Hunyadi, what an interesting story!!!

I do know that Gold Sovereigns where used during the first Gulf war & Krugerrands, during the second. I`m also aware that Krugerrands where used the CIA, etc during the Russian occupation of Afghanistan, for the same purpose so I`m assuming that the `bags of gold` would contain either or both of these?

[The Monkey God]

There was a thing in the news about this the other day, well that they intend to bribe the taliban, no mention of whether this would be done in currency or gold. If currency which one I wonder surely not the US dollar? I imagine it would take a far amount of gold to get the job done, where would it come from and how would they get it to them? Sounds like an interesting plot for a film or book.............

[The Monkey God]

Found this on the subject dates back to November last year, but theres some very interesting readers comments at the bottom that are worth a read.....

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23770491-uk-forces-urged-to-woo-tabiban-with-bags-of-gold.do

[mariner]

This would only appear to be a purely British venture, to that end where pray tell is all this gold going to come from?

Edited January 31, 2010 by mariner

[bigjarofwasps]

This would only appear to be a purely British venture, to that end where pray tell is all this gold going to come from?

Its certainly not working, well for the French anyway.............

[bigjarofwasps]

Not heard anymore about this, assume they`ve given it up as a bad idea?