Disastrous 2008 Battle Sways Afghanistan Strategy

Report details heroism, costly errors in firefight that left 9 dead
By Caroline Miller,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 3, 2009 7:18 AM CDT
Disastrous 2008 Battle Sways Afghanistan Strategy
This undated picture provided by the US Army shows Army 1st Lt. Jonathan P. Brostrom, 24, who was killed in Afghanistan on Sunday, July 13, 2008, in the town of Wanat.    (AP Photo/U.S. Army Garrison, Hawaii)

A battle 18 months ago that has come be called the "Black Hawk Down" of Afghanistan, with nine Americans soldiers killed and 27 wounded, is drawing new scrutiny in Washington as a snapshot of what has gone wrong in the war effort there. A company of paratroopers, who had landed just days before in Wanat, were still digging in their new outpost when they were overrun by 200 militants, resulting in a catastrophic 4-hour firefight. One insurgent managed to get inside the unit's command post, where he killed three soldiers, including the platoon commander.

A history of the battle, obtained by the New York Times, is said to be one of the factors influencing Gen. Stanley McChrystal's strategy shift to a style of counterinsurgency that focuses on winning over locals more than killing militants. Missteps in the battle started with lack of training geared specifically to Afghanistan, a shortage of air surveillance, and zero rapport with the local population.



(More Stanley McChrystal stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X