Spelling the official end of four years of fighting, British troops have withdrawn from the Sangin District of Afghanistan’s Helmand Province, and have handed over the district to American forces. But it has also renewed a row between US and British commanders over tactics in the district.
Because one of the first things US troops are going as they move in is to dismantle and abandon a number of their smaller patrol bases and center their operations around a few of the major bases.
“It’s a hard pill to swallow that the Rifles put so much sweat and blood into establishing these patrol bases only for them to be dismantled by the Americans,” one of the officers complained.
In fact officials also said the American commanders were openly ignoring their advice, and that the tactic they’re going with is one the British already tried, unsuccessfully. The two sides have been trading accusations over the inability to make serious inroads in Sangin for weeks.
Why don't you mention the US troop deaths in Sangin, Helmand, Kandahar, and Kunar provinces that happened this weekend and were reported on the DOD web site? Eight dead reported today Sept. 20 and three more reported earlier. Eleven dead US soldiers in just a few days and not one peep from your site. Of course the corporate media said nothing so you follow them? All this fluff about elections and the war itself is buried.
11 mercenary soldiers killed. So? They volunteered and took that risk. They and their families have to accept that risk. They didn't have to go over there.
I am not trying to gain support for US soldiers killed in Afghanistan. I am trying to keep the military and the corporate media from burying the huge losses we are suffering and the fact that we are loosing this war. During Vietnam US combat deaths were buried next to exaggerated claims of enemy killed in action giving the public the false impression we were winning a war of attrition. Most Americans are unaware of the losses we are suffering in Afghanistan because the corporate media refuses to report most combat deaths. If we are to gain momentum at stopping this war it is imperative that we get the news out concerning the ultimate consequences of this war. And that is the growing umber of combat deaths. It is not enough to copy the corporate media and only report the occasional helicopter crash with multiple casualties.
If there is no justice and oppeness which in army not possible, one knows nothing even body bags we don,t know how many died.
This is unjust war and will bring nothing to waring fraction. Only destruction and killings. God may bless killers.
There's a terrible amount of chagrin in Britland about having to leave the Sangin operation 'unfinished'. Now, adding insult to injury, one has the blasted US Marines finding the mod-cons installed in former Brit-occupied Afghan schoolhouses not up to the US requirements of a shit, a shave, a shower and three square meals a day.
So what if the Marines will be replicating the Royal Peruvian Horse version by having more armored ve-hickles in which to perform more long-legged perambulations to the fighting front? That's what 5th generational war is like these days. The Talies are about to experience the greatest force for good on earth. And the Marines don't need none o' them bust-up shebeens the Brits have been mollycoddling the insurgents from. When deth goes out a-callin' in the middle of the night, you need somewhere substantial to lay-up in the daytime. Somewhere a fella can get a visit from some of that dancin' poontang from the gennelmens' magazines.
This type of things always happens when two criminals want to divide the spoils or when things do not go according to plans. I wish they came to blows.