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September 24, 2012 7:48 AM Subscribe
Camp Bastion, a sprawling, well-fortified British-run base in the desert in southern Afghanistan, is the size of the UK town of Reading and home to almost 30,000 people. Bastion - with its own water bottling plant, hospital, police force and even Pizza Hut - is widely regarded as a safe haven for troops. However, a Taliban attack breaching the perimeter and resulting in the death of two US Marines has shown it is not impregnable.
What's it like inside Camp Bastion? Explore the graphical representation of the base ... to find out.
Residents of Reading, UK, will be interested to see how much of downtown Camp Bastion would cover.
Residents of Reading, UK, will be interested to see how much of downtown Camp Bastion would cover.
How big is the base? Enter your postcode to find out:So I'd imagine this is how you guys feel about things like Pandora and Hulu on that side of the pond, huh?
posted by Blue_Villain at 7:58 AM on September 24, 2012
"So I'd imagine this is how you guys feel about things like Pandora and Hulu on that side of the pond, huh?"
No, no it isn't, its not like that at all. Also Netflix.
posted by Blasdelb at 8:05 AM on September 24, 2012
No, no it isn't, its not like that at all. Also Netflix.
posted by Blasdelb at 8:05 AM on September 24, 2012
Reading also has a Pizza Hut and oh my what is this in the reviews I don't even.
posted by jaduncan at 8:09 AM on September 24, 2012 [1 favorite]
"Hands down the best pizza I've ever experienced. Most days they are extremely busy and the wait staff aren't on top of their game, but the pizza makes the wait worth it, mist of the time. They have two levels but they don't take advantage of it so for the most park your stuck squeezed into the entrance trying to stay out of the way and keep your place in line for a table. I'd definitely recommend this to friends and family."Never would I have thought that the NAAFI would seem such a superior option.
posted by jaduncan at 8:09 AM on September 24, 2012 [1 favorite]
If you're there, do you hear ever-present narration by a grizzled cowboy?
posted by echo target at 8:13 AM on September 24, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by echo target at 8:13 AM on September 24, 2012 [1 favorite]
Does anybody else find it a little odd to see detailed plans and aerial views of a military base made so available? There is a war on, isn't there?
posted by Steakfrites at 9:38 AM on September 24, 2012
posted by Steakfrites at 9:38 AM on September 24, 2012
Seriously? Cheney gets to blur the VP residence in Google Earth due to, erm, security concerns, but we lay out the blueprints to bases plunked into the middle of enemy territory?
posted by Mental Wimp at 9:54 AM on September 24, 2012 [3 favorites]
posted by Mental Wimp at 9:54 AM on September 24, 2012 [3 favorites]
Well, they do say: For security reasons, the main image and video tour of Camp Bastion are graphical representations of the base and not accurate plans.
posted by aqsakal at 9:56 AM on September 24, 2012
posted by aqsakal at 9:56 AM on September 24, 2012
Enemy territory? Is that how we're describing the soil of nations we are occupying these days?
Even on a purely tactical level, the game is over. The transition is failing, and every news story that says otherwise is propaganda intended to soothe western consciences about the abandonment of Afghanistan back to the fundamentalist militias that will inevitably control it.
We don't need to pretend like we give a damn about the Afghani people anymore: we have drones.
posted by deanklear at 10:03 AM on September 24, 2012
Even on a purely tactical level, the game is over. The transition is failing, and every news story that says otherwise is propaganda intended to soothe western consciences about the abandonment of Afghanistan back to the fundamentalist militias that will inevitably control it.
We don't need to pretend like we give a damn about the Afghani people anymore: we have drones.
posted by deanklear at 10:03 AM on September 24, 2012
There is a war on, isn't there?
Absolutely not, it's a UN approved police action. We don't go to war any more, that's problematic under international law regarding armed aggression.
posted by jaduncan at 10:21 AM on September 24, 2012
Absolutely not, it's a UN approved police action. We don't go to war any more, that's problematic under international law regarding armed aggression.
posted by jaduncan at 10:21 AM on September 24, 2012
If you're there, do you hear ever-present narration by a grizzled cowboy?
Not even once.
posted by Ragged Richard at 10:21 AM on September 24, 2012
Not even once.
posted by Ragged Richard at 10:21 AM on September 24, 2012
Enemy territory? Is that how we're describing the soil of nations we are occupying these days?
If it was friendly territory we wouldn't have to occupy it. (other than Germany, Japan, South Korea, Italy, Turkey, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Honduras...)
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 10:59 AM on September 24, 2012
If it was friendly territory we wouldn't have to occupy it. (other than Germany, Japan, South Korea, Italy, Turkey, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Honduras...)
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 10:59 AM on September 24, 2012
"the abandonment of Afghanistan back to the fundamentalist militias that will inevitably control it."
...from the shiny new bases we helpfully constructed for them, using the billions in military hardware that we intend to leave for them to use.
posted by T.D. Strange at 11:08 AM on September 24, 2012
...from the shiny new bases we helpfully constructed for them, using the billions in military hardware that we intend to leave for them to use.
posted by T.D. Strange at 11:08 AM on September 24, 2012
Taliban release video of planning for Camp Bastion assault
posted by homunculus at 2:03 PM on September 24, 2012
posted by homunculus at 2:03 PM on September 24, 2012
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posted by public at 7:49 AM on September 24, 2012