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Afghan Attack Kills 8 US Soldiers

Remote region near Pakistan border was scene of 2008 'Black Hawk Down' attack

By the Associated Press

Posted Oct 4, 2009 5:35 AM CDT
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(AP) – Militant fighters attacked a pair of remote outposts in Afghanistan near the Pakistani border, killing eight US soldiers and as many as seven Afghan forces in one of the fiercest battles of the eight-year war.The Taliban claimed responsibility for the deadliest attack for coalition forces in a mountainous region known as an al-Qaeda haven. The US has already said it plans to pull its soldiers from the isolated area to focus on population centers.

Fighting began around dawn yesterday and lasted several hours as nearly 300 militants flooded the outposts, said a provincial police chief, adding that 15 Afghan police were captured by the Taliban. A Taliban spokesman said a council would decide the fates of the police. Afghan forces were sent as reinforcements, but communications to the district, Kamdesh, were severed, and their status was unknown today. A US statement said the attack would not change previously announced plans to leave the area.

A US Marine with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion 5th Marines walks in a joint patrol with Afghan National Army soldiers, in Nawa district, Helmand province, southern Afghanistan, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009.
A US Marine with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion 5th Marines walks in a joint patrol with Afghan National Army soldiers, in Nawa district, Helmand province, southern Afghanistan, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009.   (Brennan Linsley)
A US Marine with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion 5th Marines walks on patrol in Nawa district, Helmand province, southern Afghanistan, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009.
A US Marine with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion 5th Marines walks on patrol in Nawa district, Helmand province, southern Afghanistan, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009.   (Brennan Linsley)
A US Marine with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion 5th Marines walks in a joint patrol with Afghan National Army soldiers, in Nawa district, Helmand province, southern Afghanistan, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009.
A US Marine with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion 5th Marines walks in a joint patrol with Afghan National Army soldiers, in Nawa district, Helmand province, southern Afghanistan, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009.   (Brennan Linsley)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 14 comments
bewilderbeast
Oct 5, 2009 12:41 PM CDT
Eddy: "the exportation of extremist anti-Western ideology to Pakistan is the threat". I can't emphasise enough how we (the "other" 6300 million people of this planet) don't need anti-American ideology to be actively "exported" to us. We simply hate it when a bully oversteps the mark. The richest guy in town is always (at the very least) envied. When the richest guy is also all PREACHY and tries to tell us how good and kind he is while murdering our innocent wives and children, we don't need ANYONE to teach us how to change longtime admiration into hate. Your inside knowledge of all the "serious talking points" that the US military and politicians spout are blinding you to a simple reality out there: People HATE invaders. Always will. GO HOME. Go do the things you really need to do. There's lots that is good that you can do at home. You are in Afghanistan for profit, not for the reasons you THINK you are there.
bewilderbeast
Oct 5, 2009 12:31 PM CDT
Wrong. The most dire threat faced by the USA is the fact that, as your empire wanes, your debt grows and your economy tanks, you're building up WAY more enemies than friends. You're choosing to leave THAT little problem to your kids and grankids because your "free enterprise" theft machine controls the politicians in their pay (one way or another). You need to completely rethink. Start aiming to win the peace. You are NEVER going to win any wars.
bewilderbeast
Oct 5, 2009 12:23 PM CDT
Here's why my mind is permanently blown: shonangreg (who I think actually sometimes makes sense) argues against getting the hell out NOW. Why? Can you imagine for ONE MINUTE that, if America was invaded, Americans would reach the point where you said "OK, you win, we'll start speaking Arabic now and agree with all you say"??? It would NEVER happen! Why do you think the Palestinians are still fighting SIXTY years after their land was invaded? The mighty USA has invaded two of the poorest, weakest countries in the WORLD and you cannot defeat them because YOU CANNOT defeat people at home. SO GO HOME. Now. Go and do the things that actually need doing. Go home and heal. Go and reconcile Repubs with Dems. Go and prove poverty can at least be beaten in the world's richest nation. Go and prove you can create viable renewable energy. GO AND WIN THE PEACE. you're never gonna win these wars.

Copyright 2012 Newser, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. AP contributed to this report.

 
Afghanistan • Taliban • Afghanistan war

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