when nature wins

In eastern Paktika Province, near the border with Pakistan, September and early October are pine-nut season. Much of the able-bodied population in rural villages is busy gathering cones from forests on mountain slopes.

But several slopes that yield rich harvests face American military positions, which presents an annual problem: pine-cone pickers risk being caught between two warring sides.

This year, as villagers worked the slopes in front of this new American-Afghan outpost, the risks to civilians were reduced in a starkly practical way — the Taliban and Haqqani fighters declared a unilateral cease-fire, American officers say.

“For two months we basically received contact daily or twice daily,” said Capt. Craig A. Halstead, who commands Company B, Second Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, which rotates platoons through the post.

In the month of August, the company’s data shows, there were only two days when the outpost was not under fire. The fighting continued through Sept 8.

On Sept 9, the hills were quiet. The company took no fire.

On Sept. 10, the soldiers intercepted radio chatter, including the voice of one of the fighters talking to others about the harvest. “We will not shoot for 15 days so the people can collect pine cones,” the voice said, according to the translated transcript.

By then, Afghan villagers were visible on the slopes that surround the post.

For three weeks, using long poles that end in hooks to pluck each cone, local men filled sacks with their harvest and brought them down the hills for sale in Orgun, the nearest city, or to Afghan buyers who canvass the harvesters in their villages.

Throughout this time, not a single shot was fired at Observation Post Twins.

(excerpt from NYTimes article by CJ Chivers, Published Oct 6, 2011)


You can read the full story here. Huzzah for Pine Nuts.