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Afghanistan: 3 U.S.Troops Killed Total 871 and 10 this year.

by Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke | January 11, 2010 at 04:13 am

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This is supposed to be the season when the Taliban slow down in Afghanistan and normally in March the fighting season starts. Apparently not so this year.

Based on numerous incidents recently, it seems the Taliban and Al Quaeda will cause as much damage and casualties during the deployment of surge troops.

A total of 861 U.S. troops has been killed in Afghanistan by the end of 2009. The past two weeks have seen an influx of deaths, killing 4 Canadian soldiers and a Canadian journalist. 5 U.S. troops were killed on the next day. 7 CIA operatives were blown up near Khost, Afghanistan.

Yesterday a U.K. journalist and 3 U.S. marines were killed in the same IED incident. This is followed by another 3 U.S. soldiers today. In the first ten days of 2010, 10 U.S. service personnel have been killed. The Taliban is determined to influence public opinion in the U.S.

Although Admiral Mullin and General McChrystal warned us of these increased casualties during the implementation of the surge, it does make one reflect whether or not to continue with this war.

(AP) Three U.S. service members were killed Monday in fighting in southern Afghanistan, underscoring the unrelenting violence in the Taliban heartland as the Obama administration steps up efforts to rout the insurgents.

NATO said the Americans were killed in an engagement with enemy forces but gave no more details.

The deaths raised to at least 10 the number of U.S. service members killed in Afghanistan so far this year, according to an Associated Press tally.

Officials said earlier Monday that bombs killed another American service member and two Afghan road construction workers in separate attacks Sunday in southern Afghanistan.

The southern half of the country has frequently been hit by attacks as the U.S. military builds up its presence in the area. Most of the 30,000 additional American troops that President Obama has ordered to Afghanistan will be deployed there.

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t k kidwai

at 06:41 on January 11th, 2010

Why Obama administration doesn't want Vietnam revisiting.War mongering is a profitable business for certain business groups without involvement of any risk factor.Victory is as profitable as defeat;lost of precious lives,civilian or military,doesn't matter.That fact could not be changed despite all rhetorics of change by Obama.War prize is peace prize.

Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 06:53 on January 11th, 2010

Thanks for your comments t k kidwai.

dustkicka

at 10:07 on January 12th, 2010

Evil lurks on both sides of the fence. Bunch of losers

Money makes the world go round

snuffysmith

at 14:34 on January 12th, 2010

War’s Fury No Longer Pauses for Afghan Winter - Rod Nordland, New York Times. Afghanistan’s high mountains and harsh weather once meant that winter was a respite from much of the war’s violence, but as the deaths of six Western soldiers in three separate attacks on Monday show, this winter is proving to be different. American military leaders and Taliban commanders are vowing to carry the fight to each other and skip the traditional winter vacation, and there is every sign that they are doing just that. Though the trend has been building, in past years, the Taliban generally slipped off to sanctuaries in Pakistan, or just stayed home, while NATO forces enjoyed a drop in attacks and a steep decline in the body count from December through March. A combination of factors has changed that. American troop levels nearly doubled in 2009, meaning more missions against the Taliban - and more potential targets for them. Military crackdowns by Pakistan along the border have in some places made it harder for insurgents to flee there. The Taliban have in any case consolidated their hold over large parts of southern Afghanistan and have less need to fall back than in previous years. Seeking to make a political point, they have also stepped up the frequency of their attacks and are now using methods like improvised explosive devices and suicide bomb attacks that are less affected by the weather.

snuffysmith

at 14:45 on January 12th, 2010

Meanwhile, Antiwar.com is reporting:

Gen. McChrystal Declares Afghan Surge a ‘Success’ Cites Territory Seized Before Surge Was Even Announced as Proof

snuffysmith

at 09:55 on January 13th, 2010

Despite McChrystal Claims, Tide Not Turning in Afghanistan

Video: Gen. Stanley McChrystal says the tide is turning in Afghanistan. He's wrong. More

Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 10:08 on January 13th, 2010

If the tide is turning, you have to ask yourself why the 30,000 troops approved by President Obama were needed in the first place. After all they haven''t been deployed yet and most of them won't be there until about June and maybe later.

This is normally the season of the year the Taliban lay low. This apparently hasn.t been the case. As of yesterday 12 American troops had been killed so far this year in Afghanistan.

I suppose it is how you define that the tide is turning.