Afghan soldier kills U.S. servicemember-Afghan official

[sabra]

Source: Reuters

KABUL, Dec 29 (Reuters) - An Afghan soldier killed a U.S. servicemember and wounded two Italian soldiers in a shooting on a military base in western Badghis province, a senior Afghan army official said on Tuesday.

"The soldier opened fire on the two Italians and one American in a joint Afghan and foreign base," General Khair Mohammad Khawari, a senior officer in western Afghanistan, told Reuters.

"Two Italian soldiers were wounded, one American soldier was killed," Khawari said, adding that the Afghan soldier had also been wounded and was now in hospital.

A spokesman for NATO-led forces said a U.S. servicemember had died following a shooting incident in western Afghanistan but declined to comment further. (Editing by Alex Richardson)

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SGE5BS0DK.htm

[Soylent Brice]

1. K&R

[pjt7]

2. Train them so they can eventually attack us

what a moronic policy.

[atreides1]

3. Eventually?

This isn't the first time that an Afghan soldier has killed a US soldier!

[IndianaGreen]

4. Al Jazeera: motive unclear

Motive unclear

An Isaf spokesman said it was not clear whether the incident occured by accident or with intent.

The Afghan soldier is from an area north of Kabul, the capital, and is thought to have mental problems.

In November, an Afghan policeman killed five British soldiers in the south of the country.

The Taliban later claimed responsibility for the attack.

Barack Obama, the US president, has committed to increasing troop numbers in Afghanistan, with an emphasis on training local security forces.

Italy is one of more than 40 Nato countries with soldiers in Afghanistan to fight with Afghan forces against the Taliban and al-Qaeda.

Nato has been in Afghanistan following the US and UK's invasion of the country in 2001, to remove the Taliban, accused of harbouring al-Qaeda operatives, from power.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2009/12/20091229193116707768.html