Canadian soldiers battling 10ft plants

[Roxy]

OTTAWA, Canada (Reuters) -- Canadian troops fighting Taliban militants in Afghanistan have stumbled across an unexpected and potent enemy -- almost impenetrable forests of marijuana plants 10 feet tall.

General Rick Hillier, chief of the Canadian defense staff, said Thursday that Taliban fighters were using the forests as cover. In response, the crew of at least one armored car had camouflaged their vehicle with marijuana.

"The challenge is that marijuana plants absorb energy, heat very readily. It's very difficult to penetrate with thermal devices. ... And as a result you really have to be careful that the Taliban don't dodge in and out of those marijuana forests," he said in a speech in Ottawa, Canada.

"We tried burning them with white phosphorous -- it didn't work. We tried burning them with diesel -- it didn't work. The plants are so full of water right now ... that we simply couldn't burn them," he said.

Even successful incineration had its drawbacks.

"A couple of brown plants on the edges of some of those [forests] did catch on fire. But a section of soldiers that was downwind from that had some ill effects and decided that was probably not the right course of action," Hiller said dryly.

One soldier told him later: "Sir, three years ago before I joined the army, I never thought I'd say 'That damn marijuana'."

See! That wacky baccy be helpin' them thar terrurists!

War is hell.

[Mhz]

"We tried burning them with white phosphorous -- it didn't work. We tried burning them with diesel -- it didn't work. The plants are so full of water right now ... that we simply couldn't burn them," he said.

Even successful incineration had its drawbacks.

...... and now we are trying to smoke some and sell most of it.

[Kidneystone]

How many buds will suddenly vanish i ask myself

[KID]

At least the soldiers get some fringe benefits while the are working

[spliff]

Like to get a couple samples of the crowns!

[Mhz]

I am wondering how rich will the Canadian commanders become in a couple of months??

[Bung]

This would make a great basis for a new Cheech and Chong movie.

[mad_dog]

They should nationalize weed production in Afghanistan and ship it all over the world and all the opium should be sold to the drug companies to make diamorphine. The Afghanis will be on the road to recovery in no time. It's common sense !!!

[friscofrankie]

A book of matches, a few well-placed traps baited with chocolate chip cookies, (uh, maybe gas masks).
Sorted; all the Taliban militants rounded up!

[mad_dog]

It sounds like The Day of the Triffids except with weed plants

[kerux]

Should boost the sign-up and re-ups.

[Roxy]

One wonders why the Canadians didn't just requisition a combine harvester (or whatever they use to harvest a crop of Cannabis plants) and merely harvest the crop. It could then have been destroyed with weed killer or some such agent at a later date. Seems like the common sense approach to me.

[attaboy]

The troops will always want to stay out in the field.