US Commanders Reprimanded for Afghan Battlefield Failures

Officials Say Disciplinary Actions on the Rise

According to unnamed Pentagon officials, the US military has been investigating an uncharacteristic number of battleground failures in Afghanistan. Moreover, they are issuing a growing number of reprimands against commanders for these failures.

Though the military has been reluctant to publicly acknowledge the extent of the investigations, it seems there is growing political pressure for accountability as the death toll in the war continues to rise.

Few are willing to admit the missteps that have led to the deadly ambushes, and Admiral Michael Mullen is said to be trying to “slow things down” as pressure grows for more investigations. It seems however that as the war drags on such investigations are inevitable.

The military has not revealed exactly which incidents resulted in reprimands, though those commenting on them suggested that they were all cases where US troops were killed. There was no indication that any of the reprimands came from incidents where US troops killed Afghan civilians.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.