Five Australian soldiers killed in southern Afghanistan

[xchrom]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/aug/30/australia-afghanistan-soldier-deaths


Australian prime minister Julia Gillard addresses the media from the Cook Islands before preparing to fly home in wake of soldiers' deaths. Photograph: Marty Melville/AFP/Getty Images


Five Australian soldiers have died in southern Afghanistan over the last 24 hours, a toll Australia's prime minister described as the country's worst combat losses in nearly half a century.

Three soldiers were shot dead in southern Uruzgan province by an Afghan army soldier who turned his gun on them as they were relaxing at their base late on Wednesday evening. Two others died in a helicopter crash in neighbouring Helmand province in the early hours of Thursday morning.

"I believe this is the most losses in combat since the days of the Vietnam war and the battle on Long Tan," said Prime Minister Julia Gillard. In that 1966 battle, 18 Australians were killed.

"This is news so truly shocking that it's going to feel for many Australians like a physical blow," she said.

[Bonobo]

1. That means "Get the fuck out of my country".

"Three soldiers were shot dead in southern Uruzgan province by an Afghan army soldier who turned his gun on them as they were relaxing at their base late on Wednesday evening."

[xchrom]

2. i think that's a fair translation. nt

[ellisonz]

3. We're not going to "win" this one as defined by the current strategic objectives...

[Bonobo]

4. In such cases, don't we just adjust our objectives so as to redefine

getting our asses kicked as "accomplishing our limited goal" or something?

[ellisonz]

5. Yes. Declare victory and get the heck out of Dodge City...