Top US gen. visits GIs in Afghanistan on Christmas

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By ELENA BECATOROS

MARJAH, Afghanistan (AP) - The top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan crisscrossed the country on Saturday, making a Christmas visit to coalition troops at some of the main battle fronts in a show of appreciation and support in the tenth year of the war against the Taliban.

Gen. David Petraeus started his visit by traveling in a C-130 cargo plane from the capital, Kabul, to the northern province of Kunduz, telling troops with the U.S. Army's 1-87, 10th Mountain Division that on this day, there was "no place that (he) would rather be than here" where the "focus of our effort" was.

The northern part of the country has seen increased fighting, with the Taliban stepping up their attacks as NATO focuses its sights on the militant movement's southern strongholds. Petraeus was briefed on the situation in the region by German Maj. Gen. Hans-Werner Fritz, the commander of NATO's northern regional command.

In eastern Afghanistan, where NATO forces are focused on trying to prevent insurgents from slipping in from neighboring Pakistan, one U.S. platoon spent their Christmas as they do almost every other day - in a firefight with insurgents. Taliban on nearby hills opened fire twice during the day on their Combat Out Post Badel, sparking short gunbattles as the U.S. soldiers returned fire. There were no American casualties. Badel and other such front-line posts come under similar attacks nearly daily.


Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20101225/D9KB4THG0.html

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Pfc. Nikolai Starr of San Antonio Texas., of 2nd Platoon Bravo Company 2-327 reacts as he returns fires upon a sudden attack by Taliban on Combat Out Post Badel in eastern Afghanistan near Pakistan border on Saturday, Dec 25, 2010.(AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

[Webster Green]

1. Disgusting.

How heroic of him. Fucking asshole!

[grahamhgreen]

2. +1

[soryang]

3. This is just another Petraeus vanity piece

I'll bet he has a PR guy who plans and maintains a scrapbook with this kind of bs in it. The guy thinks this earns him mileage for his presidential campaign.

[Crowman1979]

4. You know what would be a really good christmas gift for the troops?

A one way ticket to the states.