Taliban forces shot down a military helicopter in Helmand Province today, killing four American soldiers and bringing the total NATO death toll for the month of June, just nine days in, to 28.
The deaths were just the latest in a spate of deaths across Afghanistan since the month began. Yesterday two US soldiers and a British soldier were killed while on patrol. A day before that, 10 NATO troops, seven of them Americans, were slain in a number of incidents.
With three full weeks remaining the month is easily on pace to be the deadliest June since the war began, and has a chance of being the deadliest month on record. 77 NATO troops were killed in August 2009.
Perhaps the scariest realization is that the “summer bump” in violence, which usually isn’t in full swing until July, seems to have already started spiking. Every month so far in 2010 has been the deadliest such month of the war, and if this holds true into late summer and early autumn, hundreds of additional NATO troops will likely die this year.
The taliban are very grateful for the training and weapons but now must see if these gifts work the same as in practice, nice of nato to provide cannon fodder.
To the 'progressives' who want to blame it all on Bush: This is Obama's war. Obama tripled the number of troops in Afghanistan. Obama stepped up the pace of operations in Afghanistan. Obama's gone further than Bush in attacking Pakistan. Calling for Bush's trial for war crimes, or trying to stage a citizen's arrest of Karl Rove at a bookstore might seem like something, but get real. You're wasting your energy. There's a new war criminal in the White House.
Ur right Lloyd, he said he was gonna turn up the heat there, we were hopin he was sayin it to get elected in chauvinist America.. but he keeps that promise and breaks the ones to us like rule of law and evenhandedness in the ME..
Bush, Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld and so forth are undeniably war criminals.
Simple.
Finally, the Afghan patiots seem to have access to weaponry that shoots down copters.
The Taliban said they had aquired new sam weaponry last year. It looks like these guys weren't bluffing as NATO has said attacks on aircraft have increased by two thirds over last year!
WTF is goin on..?? It makes little sense.. Russia votes for Iran sanctions and gives SAMs to the taliban?? or did they come from Iran…WTF SAMs in the hands of the Taliban if true will be a game changer. Resupply becomes exponentially more dangerous, deadly..as in overland on THEIR land..!!
Who benefits if the US exhausts itself in a war with Iran and a stepped war in Afghanistan? Russia, among others.
It was only a matter of time before someone turned the tables and let the Taliban do to the FedGov what the FedGov let the mudjihadin do to the Soviets. A fitting development.