Why I need Ripple...
Four US soldiers killed in Afghanistan By Zeeshan Haider
2 hours, 59 minutes ago
(plus my radio said they announced the death of 4 more in Iraq on Tues; IED. I'm so glad we have turned the corner. I'm afraid we will be here in 6 months saying "Out now" after #3000 dies. And hearing" We can't; it would dishonor those who died". Shit.)
KABUL (Reuters) - Four U.S. soldiers have been killed and one wounded in clashes with Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan, the U.S. military said on Thursday.
More than 1,000 people have been killed in Afghanistan this year, the worst violence since the 2001 overthrow of the Taliban. The violence has surged as NATO prepares to takes over security duties from U.S.-led forces in the south, the rebel heartland.
The latest clash occurred in the eastern province of Nuristan on Wednesday.
"Coalition forces attacked enemy extremists in a remote area of the Kamdesh District while conducting security operations to interdict enemy movement through northern Nuristan," the U.S. military said.
"During the mission, four U.S. soldiers were killed."
Coalition aircraft joined the attack but it was not clear how many rebels were killed, the U.S. military said. The wounded soldier was in stable condition.
A Taliban spokesman, Mohammad Hanif, said by telephone from an undisclosed location that two Taliban had been killed in the fighting.
The Taliban are mostly active in eastern and southern parts of Afghanistan, bordering Pakistan, where they enjoy considerable support among the Pashtun tribes living on both sides of the long, porous border.
U.S.-led forces and government troops have stepped up attacks against the Taliban in Nuristan in recent weeks as part of an operation, codenamed Mountain Lion, launched in mid-April.
"FOREIGN FACTORS"
Afghan President Hamid Karzai voiced his concern on Thursday over growing attacks by insurgents in Afghanistan and urged the world to extend the war against the militants beyond his country's borders.
"We know the causes. There are shortcomings and inabilities in our system, that weakness is present all over the country," he told a news conference in Kabul.
"But there is no doubt it is largely because of foreign factors, terrorism and planned and coordinated attacks."
Karzai did not elaborate on "foreign factors" but Afghan officials have repeatedly complained that neighboring Pakistan is not doing enough to rein in Taliban and al Qaeda militants who they say launch attacks from the Pakistani side of the border.
Pakistan, which battles the insurgents along its border areas with Afghanistan, has denied helping the militants and urged Afghans to do more to stem violence on their side of the border.
More than 1,000 people have been killed in violence in Afghanistan this year, including more than 40 foreign troops, most of them Americans. About 400 people were killed in May.
The Taliban were ousted in late 2001 after refusing to give up Osama bin Laden, architect of the September 11 attacks. |
