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Thread: Two U.S. Service Members Killed in Eastern Afghanistan

  1. #1
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    Two U.S. Service Members Killed in Eastern Afghanistan

    From this morning's WSJ:

    KABUL—An Afghan soldier killed two American service members and wounded six other U.S. military personnel in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday, U.S. and Afghan officials said.

    The incident occurred in Nangarhar province, an area where U.S. and Afghan forces have been fighting both Taliban and Islamic State fighters. Nangarhar is considered one of the more dangerous areas in the country.

    “Current reports indicate an individual in an Afghan army uniform opened fire on the combined U.S. and Afghan force with a machine gun,” said Col. Sonny Leggett, a spokesman for the U.S. command in Afghanistan early Sunday.

    Ajmal Omar, deputy chief of the Nangarhar provincial council, said both American and Afghan forces were visiting an army base in Sherzad district on Saturday afternoon when an Afghan soldier opened fire on American troops. American soldiers then killed the shooter, he added.

    Another member of the provincial council, Obaidullah Shinwari, said the attack was caused by a verbal argument between the two sides.

    Six injured U.S. service members are receiving medical treatment at a U.S. facility, Col. Leggett said in a statement Sunday. He added that the incident is under investigation and “the cause or motive behind the attack is unknown at this time.”

    In accordance with Pentagon policy, the service members killed in the incident weren’t identified.

    More than 2,400 troops have been killed in Afghanistan since the war began in 2001.

    Saturday’s attack comes as the Trump administration struggles to determine the way forward in the war, now in its 18th year. Mr. Trump has sought to end so-called endless wars, including in Afghanistan, but the Pentagon still maintains about 13,000 troops there.

    Officials have worked toward a peace agreement between the U.S. and the Taliban, but the path remains elusive and such talks, which restarted in December, haven’t made substantive progress, officials said.

    Regardless of the outcome of that process, Mr. Trump has vowed to reduce the number of American forces in Afghanistan, and officials have said the initial reduction could bring home as many as 4,000 troops, leaving a total of about 8,600 troops on the ground there.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
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  2. #2
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    Officials have worked toward a peace agreement between the U.S. and the Taliban, but the path remains elusive and such talks, which restarted in December, haven’t made substantive progress, officials said.
    A peace agreement? Talks? Why are we even there? We're struggling to find a way forward in the war? There is no forward in the war, bring everybody home and let the cavemen have their sand lot. Let Iran have it, let the taliban have it. 18 years we've been there, doing what? Really, what the hell are we doing, what is there to even acomplish? Send the friggin politicians kids over there and have them finish it, something will get done then. Struggling to find a way forward, quit killing our kids, bring them home. Start with that. Friggin insanity
    This is your mind on drugs!

  3. #3
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    When I saw this on the news, it appeared both casualties were Hispanic Americans. I noticed this when their photos and names were shown. I wish I had stats to show rather than my impressions - but I'll have to go with what I've got. When I was in the Army, 40 years ago, Hispanics and Blacks seemed to be over-represented in comparison to actual numbers. And, they performed well. My only post in the USA was at Ft. Knox, Kentucky. The rest of my positions were in Europe.

    Hunter
    I don't care if it hurts. I want to have control. I want a perfect body. I want a perfect soul. - Creep by Radiohead

  4. #4
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    I think your right ute, blacks and Hispanics are on the low end of the pay scale in cilvilian life, the armed forces give them a chance for a career and equal pay etc... sometimes cannon fodder is better than hungry.
    This is your mind on drugs!

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by mgrist View Post
    ...the armed forces give them a chance for a career and equal pay etc...
    I think you've made an excellent point.

    Hunter
    I don't care if it hurts. I want to have control. I want a perfect body. I want a perfect soul. - Creep by Radiohead

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