From America's heroes at
CENTCOM:
The Afghanistan flag was raised over a remote outpost in the Korangal Valley , bringing the promise of stability and national unity east into this turbulent region.
Representatives from the Afghanistan National Army, Border Police and local leaders met to establish the ANA Forward Operating Base Lumberyard and discuss an end to the lingering enemy resistance in the area.
FOB Lumberyard is the first permanent base in the Kunar Province. It is centrally located on high ground so ANA troops can observe all avenues of approach into the valley, and the Afghan Flag is visible to all who enter the Valley.
Chief of the Afghan National Army’s General Staff Gen. Bismullah Khan listened to local leaders during a Shura (tribal meeting) and extended an offer of peace.
“The path to reconciliation is open,” he said.
“The people still fighting in the hills against a stable Afghanistan are fighting for the wrong reasons.”
This base is in an area near the Pakistan border and has a history of being a violent place. The establishment of this base is a good first step towards stabilizing the area. Add in that it looks like the consensus is that those who are still fighting in this area are doing so for the wrong reasons and could be welcomed in to civilized Afghanistan is encouraging.
