War Against Hamsters In Afghanistan

The war in Afghanistan isn't just against the Taliban --it's against hamsters.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the U-S government has sent an elite team of exterminators to Afghanistan to battle birds, porcupines, hamsters and gerbils. 57-year-old veteran rat-trapper GEORGE GRAVES heads up the mission. He says it's important to keep certain kinds of pests off the airfields because they tend to get caught up in the jet engines.

Graves says the animals he kills are collected and sent to the Smithsonian Institution to help research the genetic makeup of Afghan mammals. He adds, "Not only is it contributing to airfield safety. But it's also contributing to science worldwide. It's kind of a win-win situation."