Oct. Deadliest Afghan Month as 8 US Troops Die

'Cobra's Anger' aims to disrupt flow of IEDs in Helmand province

(AP) - US Marines and Afghan troops today launched the first offensive since President Obama announced an American troop surge, striking against Taliban communications and supply lines in a southern insurgent stronghold. In all, about 1,000 Marines as well as Afghan troops were taking part in the operation in Helmand provvince, known as "Cobra's Anger," designed to disrupt supply lines providing explosives for IEDs. More»

Forces controlled from Pakistan respond nimbly

(NEWSER) - The Afghan Taliban leadership operating out of Pakistan has surprised the US military by countering its offensive in southern Afghanistan with a shrewd expansion into the north and west of the country. “They’ve outmaneuvered us time and time again,” an intelligence official tells the New York Times. “The Taliban is trying to create trouble elsewhere to alleviate pressure” caused by the southern offensive, the official says. More»

(AP) - A bomb blast in Afghanistan killed an American service member today, making August the deadliest month of the 8-year war for US forces. The service member's vehicle struck a roadside bomb in eastern Afghanistan, NATO forces said, bringing the number of troops killed in August to 45, one more than the total in July. More»

Donations from mortally wounded troops have helped 140

(NEWSER) - Since 2006, organ donations from mortally wounded US troops have saved around 140 European lives, reports USA Today . The families of 36 American servicemembers who were declared brain dead from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan agreed to donate their hearts, kidneys, lungs, livers, and pancreases to patients in Europe. It's the result of military protocol: Wounded troops wind up at an Army medical center in Germany, and those who are brain dead are kept alive on a ventilator to give their families in the US time to fly in for a final goodbye. More»

Protective undergarments limit IED damage

(NEWSER) - US troops are more protected "down there" thanks to new ballistic underwear, USA Today reports. Staff Sgt. Ross Cox was wearing the underwear when he stepped on an IED in Afghanistan: His left foot was blown off and his right leg was shattered, but his injuries could have been much worse. "I asked once, I said, 'Hey, are those OK?'" Cox says, referring to his genitals. "He's like, 'Yeah, you're fine. You're fine there.' That's all I needed to know." More»