I have to disagree with Bill. "Fungible" is a word I have known for yonks, although I have to admit that I don't remember ever having used it myself. I can't remember where I picked it up, of course, but I would not have raised an eyebrow if I had read it in the article.

And unfortunately, the Afghani mujahadeen seem to change sides with depressing regularity. This is actually a survival trait rather than a death sentence. If your village is overrun by one side, you support that side. If it is then overrun by the other, well, the Vicar of Bray knew what to do. An Afghan peasant may not be rich, but on the average I'd say the stupid ones are dead. From what I've read and heard, this willingness to change sides at very little (or no) notice is accepted by the warlords as a fact of life and death. They have a feudal system of sorts, but no one should make the mistake of assuming that it is based on the European feudal system. It is, as they say, their very own.

I'd say the occupying forces ... er, sorry, I mean peacekeepers will have rather a lot to learn!


The idiot also known as Capfka ...