What country is the older super-soldier operating in in the beginning of the book? Does that ever get made explicit? During the pre-publication first 5 chapters post, I argued with airmanfour that, based on the Professor calling it the "country that can not be named" that it was likely Iran (I think), while he maintained that it was likely Afghanistan...or Iraq (I can't remember which, but I'm pretty sure it was Afghanistan based on the language used.
So, help a Squicky out, which one was it?
[ December 11, 2006, 03:31 PM: Message edited by: MrSquicky ]
Posted by dantesparadigm (Member # 8756) on :
I'd say either Palestine, Syria, or Iran, considering the clandestine nature of the operations.
Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
Well, the whole team speaks Farsi, so I'd guess that was the natuve language of the village. Though Iran is the main country where Farsi is spoken, the book mentions Afghanistan having pockets of Farsi speakers. There just wouldn't be any need to refer to Afghanistan obliquely. I don't know if there are pockets of Farsi speakers in Pakistan. Based on the contemporary situation (which has already changed) I'd guess Iran.
But was the operation in a country that cannot be named, or were the discussing some other military involvement in a different country that cannot be named? Anyway, I don't think our civil affairs troops in Afghanistan are special forces, but maybe there are more sensitive areas and less sensitive ones.
Posted by MrSquicky (Member # 1802) on :
That was basically my argument, but without explicit confirmation, I don't think we can settle the bet either way.
dp, Palestine or Libya don't have the necessary concentration of Farsi speakers to qualify as candidates. That pretty much narrowed it down to Iran and Afghanistan.
Posted by Occasional (Member # 5860) on :
Considering the fact there were terrorist cells activating against a protected village, I would say either Afganistan or Iraq. My guess would have to be Afganistan considering the make-up of the village.
Posted by Sibyl (Member # 10079) on :
Persian Language, also known as Farsi, is the most widely spoken member of the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian languages, a subfamily of the Indo-European languages. It is the language of Iran (formerly Persia) and is also widely spoken in Afghanistan and, in an archaic form, in Tajikistan and the Pamir Mountain region.
Persian is spoken today primarily in Iran, Afghanistan, but was historically a more widely understood language in an area ranging from the Middle East to India. Significant populations of speakers in other Persian Gulf countries (Bahrain, Iraq, Oman, People's Democratic Republic of Yemen, and the United Arab Emirates), as well as large communities in the USA.
Total numbers of speakers is high: over 30 million Farsi speakers (about 50% of Iran's population); over 7 million Dari Persian speakers in Afghanistan (25% of the population); and about 2 million Dari Persian speakers in Pakistan.
Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
Pakistan is a possibility, and I could definitely see that needing to be a special forces operation more than the average Afghanistan civil affairs unit.
Posted by Hookt_Un_Fonix (Member # 10094) on :
I would say Iran or Pakistan. It would not be considered a compromise of intelligence if they stated the name of a country that we have already engaged.
Posted by Sibyl (Member # 10079) on :
quote:Originally posted by pooka: Pakistan is a possibility, and I could definitely see that needing to be a special forces operation more than the average Afghanistan civil affairs unit.
I think now that it was Pakistan. I had a serious Afghanistan "feel" about it, but it was mentioned that "the government officially didn't know that we were there", and of course in Afghanistan they would officially know, while in Pakistan, we aren't supposed to be there, and the people around the Afghanistan/Pakistan border on both sides are the same kinds and tribes of people: that's been much in the news in the last five years, as when Osama was back and forth across that border (where he is now is anybody's guess, but might still be Pakistan). Also they spoke of "the warlord", and I don't think they have those in Iran, who are mostly Persian-type people.