100 Reported Killed in Afghan Fighting

[warpedskydiver 0]

100 Reported Killed in Afghan Fighting
By JASON STRAZIUSO, Associated Press Writer
3 hours ago

KABUL, Afghanistan - A brazen attack by hundreds of Taliban militants on an isolated town had been building for days, a coalition spokesman said Friday, after a wave of violence in southern Afghanistan left around 100 dead.

The attack Wednesday night on Musa Qala in the volatile southern province of Helmand sparked eight hours of fighting and left about 40 Taliban and 13 Afghan police dead.

It was the epicenter of some of the fiercest combat since the Taliban regime's ouster by U.S.-led forces in late 2001 and raised new fears about deteriorating security in the hardline militia's former southern heartland.

In all, more than 100 people were reported killed in a string of attacks and engagements across Afghanistan that started Wednesday and continued through Thursday: up to 87 insurgents, at least 15 Afghan police, an American civilian training Afghan forces, and the first female Canadian soldier to die in combat.

There were no reports of further violence Friday.

Coalition forces had reports from Musa Qala on Tuesday that the Taliban or criminal elements were trying to infiltrate the village.

"Then the whole thing blew up" on Wednesday and Thursday, said Maj. Quentin Innis, a coalition spokesman based in Kandahar.

Innis said the Taliban often infiltrates villages and extorts money from tribal elders, but that leaders in Musa Qala had told the militants they weren't welcome. The militants then mounted their attack using machine guns and assault rifles.

Innis said coalition forces flew military aircraft overhead to scare the Taliban militants and as a show of force, but that the Afghan police forces did 100 percent of the fighting in the eight-hour clash.

"We see this as them taking control of the situation and sorting it out for themselves," he said. "We see it as very empowering on their part, and of course that's what we want, because eventually we're going to leave."

The fighting on Wednesday and Thursday was concentrated in the southern provinces of Helmand and Kandahar, the scene of repeated bombings and suicide attacks this year. But it marked an escalation in a region where the U.S.-led coalition is to cede control of security operations to NATO by July.

NATO plans to deploy thousands of extra troops from nations including Canada, Britain and the Netherlands to take control of security operations from the U.S.-led coalition, which has been hunting for Taliban and al-Qaida militants in the south since late 2001.

By the end of this year, NATO will also assume command in the volatile eastern region of Afghanistan, where U.S. forces will continue to operate but under the military alliance.

President Hamid Karzai on Thursday said the violence emanated from the mountainous border regions of neighboring Pakistan, populated by the ethnic Pashtuns who make up the majority of the Taliban militants. It's also a likely hiding place of Osama bin Laden.

Pakistan's Interior Minister Aftab Khan Sherpao late Thursday rejected Karzai's comments, saying that "we were saddened by such statement."

"Afghanistan will not benefit by such statements. They will breed ill will," Sherpao said.

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If there was ever a case for having an AC130U circling over an area this would be it...what a shame they didn't use one.

This would have been over in a minute.

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[idrankwhat 0]

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100 Reported Killed in Afghan Fighting
By JASON STRAZIUSO, Associated Press Writer
3 hours ago


If there was ever a case for having an AC130U circling over an area this would be it...what a shame they didn't use one.

This would have been over in a minute.

If we hadn't pulled our troops, supplies and money out of Afghanistan so that we could invade Iraq this never would have happened.

[StreetScooby 5]

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If there was ever a case for having an AC130U circling over an area this would be it...what a shame they didn't use one.

Very impressive firepower. I don't understand why more aren't shot down, though. They're big and slow targets.

We are all engines of karma

[warpedskydiver 0]

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If there was ever a case for having an AC130U circling over an area this would be it...what a shame they didn't use one.

Very impressive firepower. I don't understand why more aren't shot down, though. They're big and slow targets.

Because if you are stupid enough to try and shoot anything at it, all you will get is erased from existance.

I have heard that in the morning, the only way you can tell if targets were engaged is by the flocks of birds eating breakfast.

[StreetScooby 5]

Ah, hadn't thought of that ;) Once said, it does seem self evident :)

We are all engines of karma

[vortexring 0]

Yeah proper "Team America" attitude.

"The terrorists are dead!"

"But so are my children and my home no longer exists - thanks Team America - fuck yeah!"

Thats a little bit of the attitude thats caused all the problems in Iraq - remember all the civilians cheering in the streets after the war??

Hearts and Minds is the key.

Win this battle and the terrorists/insurgents/militia's lose their support base. They will lose their effectiveness. People will have less reasons to become involved.

Perhaps show some respect and humility, lose the YEEHAH! FUCK YEAH! attitude and you'll reap the results.

I genuinely like Americans. You are the good guys.
Stamp down on all this shit and start acting like it.

'for it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "chuck 'im out, the brute!" But it's "saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot.'

[warpedskydiver 0]

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Yeah proper "Team America" attitude.

"The terrorists are dead!"

"But so are my children and my home no longer exists - thanks Team America - fuck yeah!"

Thats a little bit of the attitude thats caused all the problems in Iraq - remember all the civilians cheering in the streets after the war??

Hearts and Minds is the key.

Win this battle and the terrorists/insurgents/militia's lose their support base. They will lose their effectiveness. People will have less reasons to become involved.

Perhaps show some respect and humility, lose the YEEHAH! FUCK YEAH! attitude and you'll reap the results.

I genuinely like Americans. You are the good guys.
Stamp down on all this shit and start acting like it.

WTF are you talking about?

I was referring to the fact we could have used the AC130U to DEFEND the Villagers

You don't know me at all do you?

[vortexring 0]

You obviously dont know me either or military operations - then again, if you did know anything about military ops you'd perhaps realise that such a weapons platform is an area weapon.

But then again, how many times have they or similiar been used where civilians are in close proximity?

How many times have innocent civilians been killed?

Friendly forces too, for that matter.

So it wont really surprise me if it transpires that your actually an aircrew member of this a/c type.

I'm not trying to critisise you personally, because your right, I dont know you. But I do know America often demonstrates dangerously gung-ho tactic's and attitudes that not only cause avoidable civilian deaths, cause far more long term damage than what the immediate short gain goals are worth.

Hence my sarcasm relating it to the film "Team America."

So any criticism is directed at this unfortunate attitude.

I'm sure you might try and explain exactly why bringing such a weapon system into the mentioned situation would have been critical, and yes it may well have.......

But do I really need to reiterate my points again?

Anyway, I'm sure you meant well by what you originally posted, but as mentioned, my rants not directed at you.

Its directed at an attitude prevalent amongst some US Forces that is actually detrimental to your operational effectiveness.

p.s. only country to successfully win a campaign against insurgents/terrorists was the UK in Malaysia
THROUGH WINNING THE HEARTS AND MIND BATTLE.

'for it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "chuck 'im out, the brute!" But it's "saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot.'

[Skyrad 0]

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You obviously dont know me either or military operations - then again, if you did know anything about military ops you'd perhaps realise that such a weapons platform is an area weapon.

But then again, how many times have they or similiar been used where civilians are in close proximity?

How many times have innocent civilians been killed?

Friendly forces too, for that matter.

So it wont really surprise me if it transpires that your actually an aircrew member of this a/c type.

I'm not trying to critisise you personally, because your right, I dont know you. But I do know America often demonstrates dangerously gung-ho tactic's and attitudes that not only cause avoidable civilian deaths, cause far more long term damage than what the immediate short gain goals are worth.

Hence my sarcasm relating it to the film "Team America."

So any criticism is directed at this unfortunate attitude.

I'm sure you might try and explain exactly why bringing such a weapon system into the mentioned situation would have been critical, and yes it may well have.......

But do I really need to reiterate my points again?

Anyway, I'm sure you meant well by what you originally posted, but as mentioned, my rants not directed at you.

Its directed at an attitude prevalent amongst some US Forces that is actually detrimental to your operational effectiveness.

p.s. only country to successfully win a campaign against insurgents/terrorists was the UK in Malaysia
THROUGH WINNING THE HEARTS AND MIND BATTLE.

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When an author is too meticulous about his style, you may presume that his mind is frivolous and his content flimsy.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca