3 U.S. Servicemen, Afghan Soldier Killed (AP)

[Warren Stupidity]

KABUL, Afghanistan - A U.S. Marine and an Afghan soldier were killed during battles with militants in eastern Afghanistan ahead of next month's landmark elections, U.S. military officials said Friday.
The deaths came on the same day that two American soldiers were killed in the south.

Four other Afghan soldiers were wounded in Thursday's clash in Kunar province in eastern Afghanistan. The forces were conducting operations ahead of next month's legislative elections, which Taliban militants have vowed to disrupt.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050819/ap_on_re_as/afghanistan;_ylt=AqT1zs71wKpETzUKPLxopR.s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3b3JuZGZhBHNlYwM3MjE-

[benburch]

1. Tell me again why we are still in Afghanistan? nt

[Warren Stupidity]

3. It is on Iran's eastern border. nt.

[ClintonTyree]

5. And the moment we leave Afghanistan.........

it will fall back into the hands of the Taliban and the opium trade will dry up. The CIA can't have it's cash cow being slaughtered now, can it?

[Doctor_J]

2. That's the war that we already won

per Limpballs. That's why we never hear anything abou tthat one.

[AlCzervik]

4. The forgotten front.

[bribri16]

6. Don't let them tell you we "won" in Afghanistan.

We haven't won anything...just ask the Russians.

[enigma000]

7. Link

http://www.realcities.com/mld/krwashington/12418046.htm

The Taliban seized power in the 1990s after decades of civil war and imposed an Islamist regime. Many of its followers died in the U.S.-led intervention, and others, including several senior leaders, switched sides under a government amnesty program.

Instead of collapsing, however, the movement transformed itself. When the snows melted this past spring, the Taliban surprised Afghan and U.S. commanders with its renewed insurgency.

-snip-

They're linked by a loose command structure and an aim of driving out U.S.-led coalition and NATO troops, toppling U.S.-backed President Hamid Karzai and reimposing hard-line Islamic rule on Afghanistan, according to Afghan and Western officials and experts.

[Roland99]

8. The current pace of U.S. deaths in Iraq is the highest since APRIL 2004!!

3.32/day now.


:(


And, taking out the June helicopter crash in Afghanistan, this is the most # of deaths in OEF since April.

[AlCzervik]

9. also more soldiers have died in Afghanistan in 2005 then the previous

years.

http://www.icasualties.org/oef/

[Roland99]

10. But freedom is on the march! Last throes! We're winning!

So fucking sick and tired of the propaganda and the idiot sheep following this bastard in the White House!!!!

[enigma000]

11. NATO is gearing up as well

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20050804_afghanistan_timeline_050804

The Canadian mission in Afghanistan faces its most dangerous task yet as it extends its sweep southward from the relative safe haven of Kabul to scorching Kandahar city -- widely known as a hotbed of militant activity and a retreat for remnants of the Taliban regime.

-snip-

Its mission is the third phase of a NATO expansion that will eventually take over the reins from the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

Looks like the Americans are planning to leave Afghanistan and leave the fighting to NATO and other participating nations.

PRT facts: (based on a U.S. Central Command release)

A PRT is a group of civilians and military specialists who perform small reconstruction projects or provide security for others involved in aid work.

Following NATO involvement in Afghanistan, the command of many PRTs was transferred from the U.S. forces to the peacekeeping forces of the nations involved in ISAF.

Coalition forces operate several PRTs in Afghanistan, along with teams from South Korea, New Zealand, Britain, and Germany, with several more scheduled to open.

[Roland99]

12. We aren't creating an Afghani security force/army?

[Doctor_J]

13. snark

damn, when Rove reads your post, that'll probably be the next big lie all over the Cabal News.

The Taliban retook Afghanistan almost a year ago. So Smirky has lost TWO wars - the one he sould've fought and the one he shouldn't have.

His Residency has been just as successful as his HS, college, grad school, business, and governorship.

[enigma000]

14. Forgot the Afghans

Not to mention the indigenous Afghan forces. The new ANA (Afghanistan National Army) has about 20,000 members. Don't know how well trained they are or how well equipped. I think they are being trained jointly by the Americans, British and French - one country trains the officers, one country the Non-coms, etc.

[Roland99]

15. Hmm...why are we still there, then?

20,000 trained Afghanis and about 20,000 Americans. Time to pull out.


Iraq: 178,000 trained Iraqis; ~150,000 Americans. Time to pull out.

[enigma000]

Pulling out next year?

Information on Afghan Army:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghan_National_Army

It may be that the US government plans a partial pull out of troops next year. With the Afghan army up and running and NATO troops in-country the US could reallocate troops to Iraq (or the next front in this "war")

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?F=1019695&C=landwar

The U.S. military signaled Aug. 8 it plans to hand over responsibility for security across Afghanistan to NATO in 2006, half a decade after an American-led coalition ousted the Taliban.

However it did not say exactly when the transfer of power to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, or the withdrawal of American troops from the still violence-plagued country, would take place.

[Roland99]

18. Just transferring to NATO troops? Why not to Afghani troops?

Almost 4 years after we took over Afghanistan and two divisions worth of security have been trained and that's not enough to secure Afghanistan on its own?


Must be much worse over there then they're telling us.

[enigma000]

19. That's a good point

Sounds like the Taliban are counter-attacking. Looks like this will be a long war.

[enigma000]

17. Pulling out next year?

Information on Afghan Army:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghan_National_Army

It may be that the US government plans a partial pull out of troops next year. With the Afghan army up and running and NATO troops in-country the US could reallocate troops to Iraq (or the next front in this "war")

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?F=1019695&C=landwar

The U.S. military signaled Aug. 8 it plans to hand over responsibility for security across Afghanistan to NATO in 2006, half a decade after an American-led coalition ousted the Taliban.

However it did not say exactly when the transfer of power to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, or the withdrawal of American troops from the still violence-plagued country, would take place.

[cliss]

16. I'm having a hard time keeping track.

There was a thread yesterday about some US troops being killed. I wish the Pentagon would put a date on the events, but that would just make them look bad.

RIP soldiers. May your families join Cindy Sheehan when she returns.

[deadparrot]

20. RIP.

...

[Demonaut]

21. hey didn't anyone tell these "taliban" they lost the war

thats why bush decided to divert almost all our resources to Iraq. get them a communique as quickly as possible