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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009
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10

Taliban Claim Victory as US Quits Base

Insurgents take control of remote outpost where 8 troops were killed last week

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(Newser) – The Taliban claimed to have won a major victory over the US yesterday as American troops abandoned a remote base in eastern Afghanistan where eight soldiers were killed in a firefight last weekend. "The white flag of the Taliban is raised above Kamdesh," crowed a Taliban spokesman. NATO commanders say the pullout was planned long before the battle as part of a new strategy to concentrate forces in populated areas.

The base—which insurgents managed to penetrate during last week's battle—was destroyed with airstrikes after US forces departed, officials said. The withdrawal is a huge blow to morale for Afghan forces in the region, the provincial police chief told the AP. "If Afghan soldiers are losing support, how can they stay there?" he asked. "We need the coalition to send their forces back. We need more police, more soldiers."

This map of locates Kamdesh district in Nuristan province, where 8 US troops died in a battle with insurgents last weekend.
This map of locates Kamdesh district in Nuristan province, where 8 US troops died in a battle with insurgents last weekend.   (AP)
A helicopter leaves Forward Operating Base Kalagush in Nuristan Province, Afghanistan earlier this year.
A helicopter leaves Forward Operating Base Kalagush in Nuristan Province, Afghanistan earlier this year.   (Getty Images)
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This means they are not coming back. This is another victory for Taliban. We have control of another district in eastern Afghanistan.
- Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid

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10 comments
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Sauerkraut
Oct 9, 09 8:52 PM CDT
Now, correct me if im wrong. But was us pulling out of the countryside a factor in the failure in vietnam? Arnt we basically giving them the freedom of movement? (inb4 predator drones) Seems like if anything we should not heed any ground to the Taliban. Perhaps we should just start pulling out of Iraq a little more quickly. Afghanistan is where we were always supposed to be, and its time to finish the job. Reply
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IN RESPONSE:
Reader64481089
Oct 9, 09 9:23 PM CDT
If like Vietnam we pull out quickly in Iraq the Taliban will move in to fill the void more quickly, they will indeed be in Iraq no matter what we do. Russia was faced with the same situation, they brought in legions of troops and had their a$$ handed to them, you simply can't tell who the bad guy is in such a war and to kill the bad your going to kill some of the good, when that happens then news agencies will spam the photos of the innocents who were killed even though they were not truly innocent, in the end we loose no matter which way we turn, this war was not started to "win" it will be a victory for the Military way industry who sell the arms but the soldiers will be pulled out with a very bitter taste left in their mouth that comes from being sent to fight a war that was never intended to be a victory. it was only fought to make money for big business just like Vietnam
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+4
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Graymatter
Oct 10, 09 12:49 PM CDT
This isn't 4chan, there is no guideline for "inb4". Faggot.
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-6
divetrader
Oct 9, 09 9:16 PM CDT
We no longer belong there. We may have had vision and a purpose 8 years ago, but we don't now. Bin Laden is probably dead. It is now time for the Afghany's to decide their own fate. Reply
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-2
IN RESPONSE:
BeatBlaster
Oct 10, 09 10:16 AM CDT
Assumptions like this are the exact reason why failures have occurred in the past and just what makes you think Afghani's can "Decide" their own fate? The Taliban won't respect the wishes of the Afghani people therefore there is no way they can "decide their own fate." That kind of talk is wishful thinking at best.
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