FROM THE FRONT

Posted at 9:01 p.m. ET

We are fighting two wars right now.  Urgent Agenda has readers all over the world, and some of them are in the combat areas. 

One reader, for example, commenting on our photo of the Army's Stryker combat vehicle, published here yesterday, wrote:

You should see it over here, with additional bar armor all over it, 3-4 machine guns sticking out of each hatch, and other neat stuff. It's cool even for an old jaded guy like me. That said, it also does a pretty good job of protecting our soldiers, and in getting them to the fight.

I sure hope so.

Another reader, a knowledgeable American traveling in the region in an official capacity, writes this about the situation in Afghanistan:

It is Ramazan in Afghanistan (they spell it with a z) and though, in general, things are quieters (mostly because everyone is exhausted by midday) the Taliban are seeking to exploit the quiet on occasion with spectacular attacks.  The recent failed but well-coordinated attack by multiple suicide-vesters and the successful attack by the bomber dressed as a beggar are just two examples of what I expect will be several this month, especially around the "Night of Power" a particularly holy night in the third week or so (there are some sectarian disagreements on exactly when) of Ramazan.

Look for increased international and US efforts in Afghanistan soon.  Simply too many areas are falling into the grasp of Taliban rebels who are growing bolder in the face of relatively sparse coalition presence (force ratios of solders to populace are startlingly disparate between
Iraq and Afghanistan).

I thought you'd like to hear it, from people who are actually there.

September 12, 2008.