At 08:14 PM 1/18/2006 +0000, you wrote:
>b. the Sovs never had the kind and size of forces in-theatre which
>would be appropriate for further power-projection. In the RW, you
>can't just move tanks, heavy bombers, etc in, you need the
>logistical framework, and they never made any attempts to build them
>up
And the logistical framework they did built in Afghanistan was quite
appalling. For Bagram airport:
- inadequate lighting, ventilation and sanitation
- there were no handrails or bannisters on the quite steep stairs
- there were numerous examples of open and exposed electrical
wiring, including a major electrical panel in the vicinity of a
well-known roof leak.
- a metal plating facility used to maintain Soviet aircraft left
behind so much heavy metal dust that it requires at least
$3 million to clean up.
- For paint, local lead-based paint was used.
--Peter Metcalfe