Deadly Attack On U.S. In Afghanistan
Earlier Post On A-stan
Post On Clueless Paki
KABUL, Afghanistan - A multi-pronged militant assault on a small, remote U.S. base killed nine American soldiers and wounded 15 Sunday in the deadliest attack on U.S. forces in Afghanistan in three years, officials said.
The attack on the U.S. outpost came the same day a suicide bomber targeting a police patrol killed 24 people, while U.S. coalition and Afghan soldiers killed 40 militants elsewhere in the south.
The militant assault on the American troops began around 4:30 a.m. in a dangerous region close to the Pakistan border and lasted throughout the day.
Militants fired machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and mortars from homes and a mosque in the village of Wanat in the mountainous northeastern province of Kunar, NATO’s International Security Assistance Force said in a statement.
Nine U.S. troops were killed in the attack, a Western official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the troops’ nationalities.
NATO confirmed nine of its soldiers had been killed and 15 wounded. Four Afghan soldiers also were wounded, NATO said.
“Although no final assessment has been made, it is believed insurgents suffered heavy casualties during several hours of fighting,” NATO said in a statement.
Lt. Col. Rumi Nielson-Green, the top U.S. military spokeswoman in Afghanistan, said she could not comment because the fight was ongoing.
The attack appeared to be the deadliest for U.S. troops in Afghanistan since June 2005, when 16 American troops were killed — also in Kunar province — when their helicopter was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade.
Those troops were on their way to rescue a four-man team of Navy SEALs caught in a militant ambush. Three SEALs were killed, the fourth was rescued days later by a farmer.
Sunday’s attack came during a period of rising violence in Afghanistan. Monthly death tolls of U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan surpassed U.S. military deaths in Iraq in May and June. Last Monday, a suicide bomber attacked the Indian Embassy in Kabul, killing 58 people in the deadliest attack in the Afghan capital since 2001.
(AP)
Me:
Be respectful of others and their opinions. Inflammatory remarks and inane leftist drivel will be deleted. It ain’t about free speech, remember you’re in a private domain. My website, my prerogative.
If you can't handle using your real email address, don't bother posting a comment.
Im interested in seeing what the toll was on the enemy. when i hear someone on the ground referring to enemy losses as ‘heavy’ it usually means just that.
im sorry to hear about the loss of more of our guys. sounds like a pretty fierce operation going on right now.
July 13th, 2008 at 12:49 pmThis is pretty fucked up. Bomb Iran now, Attack and destroy Hamas and Hizbollah. Kill muslim jihadist pig fuckers.
July 13th, 2008 at 1:04 pmSOC
you got it. we all know where this shit is coming from. Iran is behind all of these fighters and their weapons. hell, even tactics. the sooner we bomb Iran the better the world will be
July 13th, 2008 at 1:12 pmGod Bless our fallen & wounded warriors and their families.
LEVEL THAT FUCKING MOSQUE !!!!
July 13th, 2008 at 1:12 pmi’m in constant prayer, God Bless them all
July 13th, 2008 at 1:26 pmThe Pakistani’s refuse our troops permission to enter their territory while they knowingly allow the Taliban to cross into Afghanistan to attack us then run and hide back into Pakistan. Where is Bush’s pledge “you are either with us or against us” ?
July 13th, 2008 at 1:42 pmDrop a few hundred MOABs on the Paki-Afghani border.
July 13th, 2008 at 1:44 pmI pray for our fallen/wounded; and their families.
July 13th, 2008 at 2:25 pmCan someone tell me how these piglets get into position to launch such an attack without being detected????? This sounds like it was a larger piglet operation so why was their movement not detected??????
July 13th, 2008 at 4:03 pmWe should not have small bases. Have big-freaking bases near the Paki border so we can raid the freaking place with impunity. To hell with what Musharraf will say or do. If we have to, blow the freaking Pakis out of the way if they try to stop us.
July 13th, 2008 at 4:15 pmIt is true, either you are with us or against us. Simple and easy and right to the point.
Got to stop fighting with restrictions. Restrictions put the nation in peril.
Iran should be next. B 1’s and B 52’s plus some cruise missiles for days and days, till they yell stop it Uncle Sam. Just like the Commies bastards of No. Vietnam did during the Christmas bombings of 1972 when they yelled Uncle. Enough is freaking enough.
How awful-RIP and thanks to all
July 13th, 2008 at 5:31 pmTime will tell….The small base was a Afgan and NATO-International Security Assistance Force outpost so it would be difficult to say what our numbers were. Possibly a small number of US SPECOPS supporting much larger Afghan force.
Whatever the case it is a goddamn shame.
And you are correct, if were are there to get the job done the cuffs need to be removed
July 13th, 2008 at 6:28 pmIt is long past time. I wish they would just do it.
The longer they wait the worse it will get. They are
providing refuge to those who have been killing our men
for quite some time with the help of Iran.
It is all very clear.
Prayers for the warriors that we have lost and for their families and brothers.
July 13th, 2008 at 8:45 pmHow did this happen? Our tactics don’t seem to be matching the conditions on the ground. Small base? Was it overrun?
July 13th, 2008 at 8:47 pmSounds like a few lucky or well placed mortars started this fight off, they probably hit the tent where the guys not on watch were sleeping.
The article suggests we weren’t overran though and our guys fought them off after a several hours fight.
Rest in Peace to our brothers who fell, and may God Almighty bless and direct those who survived.
July 13th, 2008 at 9:27 pmBTW, when you are at a small base on the fringe of Nato controlled territory, or even deep in enemy lines, you have to have small bases so not to attract attention to yourselves, and when your on a small outpost you don’t usually have direct surveillance over the surrounding area, especially in the mountains, 24/7. You have to rely on guys with NVG’s who are fighting of sleep and the elements instead of a uav overflight.
July 13th, 2008 at 9:33 pmA more detailed accounting:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article4326321.ece
July 14th, 2008 at 4:06 amI don’t agree with this strategy. It’s like the Marine barracks strategy in Lebannon in the 80’s. Kick ass and take names, all along the Paki border. Bomb like there’s no tomorrow. Shake them up. I agree with Marc. Masharrif can’t say much about what we do. He’s too busy trying to keep his own country from going down the drain.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:58 am