UK Colonel's Death Raises Fury at Home

NATO preparing massive assault on Taliban stronghold

(NEWSER) - A British soldier with the kind of chillingly dangerous job featured in the movie Hurt Locker has been killed disarming a roadside bomb to clear a route for a new Afghan offensive. Warrant Officer David Markland, 36, had survived 8 stints in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan, the Times of London reports. The commanding officer of his counter-IED task force called him "a talismanic figure whose mere presence instilled confidence in everyone." More»

Kandahar official survives attack on holiest Muslim holiday

(NEWSER) - The governor of Kandahar narrowly escaped death today when a roadside bomb exploded underneath his convoy. Turyalai Wesa was on his way to prayers on the first day of Eid al-Adha, the holiest holiday on the Muslim calendar. Kandahar is the birthplace of the Taliban, a violent Afghan hotspot, and the likely destination of many of the extra troops whose deployment President Obama is expected to authorize next week. More»

(NEWSER) - The war in Afghanistan is getting deadlier for both coalition troops and Afghan forces, reports James Dao in the New York Times, mostly because of an increase in homemade bomb attacks—465 in May alone. The IEDs—improvised explosive devices—are getting more sophisticated as well as more common, and are spread through the country via a complex network of bombmakers and distributors. The Pentagon is sending thousands of robots, dogs, and IED-resistant vehicles—but also targeting the networks themselves. More»

Could be largest loss of life for British forces since 2006

(AP) - Six British soldiers were believed killed after an explosion hit their armored vehicle in southwestern Afghanistan, Britain's Ministry of Defense said today. If confirmed, it would be the biggest loss of life for British forces in the country since a plane crash in 2006 killed 14. The soldiers were on patrol in Helmand province at the time of the blast last night, and a spokesperson for the British Task Force said they were missing and believed killed. In London, PM David Cameron called it "a desperately sad day for our country." More»

But military says films shown to inform troops and help morale

(NEWSER) - It's not exactly must-see TV. British troops in Afghanistan have been watching "Kill TV," featuring gruesome footage of helicopter attacks cutting down people, reports the Independent . The revelation comes from a documentary soon to air on British television. In one video, an Afghan woman is referred to as a "snake with tits"; in another a pilot says mockingly, "Goodnight princess," as a missile hits a woman. The military says the footage is shown to inform soldiers about what's happening and to improve morale. But anti-war activists say the videos are "snuff" films that degrade the troops and are a sign of the failure of the war in Afghanistan. More»