Taliban kill 50 in wave of attacks
On Friday, the Taliban launched large scale attacks in Kabul beginning with one in a heavily populated area of the city, followed by one on a police academy which killed or wounded 40 people, and then another on Camp Integrity, a base run by security contractors of Academi (formerly Blackwater) which wounded about 248 people and killed 15, including one American, according to reports. Reuters reports that more than 50 people were killed in the three attacks.
The U.N. mission in Afghanistan said the incident was the worst since it began recording civilian casualties in 2009, with 355 civilians killed or injured. The U.N. Special Representative, Nicholas Haysom, called it “extreme, irreversible and unjustifiable in any terms”.
On Saturday, NATO-led coalition forces confirmed that one international service member and eight Afghan contractors had been killed in the attack on Camp Integrity, a base used by U.S. special forces near the main airport.
The blast outside the base was powerful enough to flatten offices inside, wounding occupants who were airlifted by helicopter to military hospitals during the night.
The article says that US and Afghan military leaders had hoped that there would be a measure of disarray among the Taliban with the announcement of Mullah Omar’s death, but that was just wishful thinking, I guess. The dude has been dead for two years, they would have had time to adjust to the loss of the old useless fart by now, one would think.
As I said when this administration decided to leave 10,000 US troops in Afghanistan, their main problem would stem from the fact that US forces would need to rely on Afghans for security. The Afghans have trouble providing security for themselves let alone our troops. The fellow who bombed the Afghan police academy was wearing a police uniform.
Mike sends us the news that the Department of Defense has just released the name of the American soldier killed in these attacks;
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Freedom’s Sentinel.
Master Sgt. Peter A. McKenna Jr., 35, of Bristol, Rhode Island, died Aug. 8, in Kabul, Afghanistan, of wounds when he was attacked by enemy small arms fire.
McKenna was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.
Category: Terror War
I think you’re information is wrong. It couldn’t have possibly been the Taliban; they were defeated three years ago, remember?
Fuckin’ goat-humpers, I say NUKE ‘EM ‘TILL THEY GLOW, whadda y’all think?
I’m in, but you and I unfortunately aren’t making these calls…wish we were bro, I wish we were…
Not a good idea, given that they hide themselves in the general population.
RIP MSgt McKenna. May your family and friends find some peace through all this.
The Taliban killing folks? Gosh, how did that happen…
RIP MSGT … In his death, I pray for his soul and his family.
PS: And I hope he surrounded himself with a very large pile of brass!
“In Washington, the White House said National Security Advisor Susan Rice had spoken with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani by telephone to express U.S. condolences.”
Um. Er. WHAT!!!???
How friggin typical!
I’d be willing to bet that the MSGT’s family would find condolences from friends in the military, family, friends and blogs like this one will go a lot further than the morons in DC.
MSGT McKenna – prayers from my family to yours.
Rest easy MSGT, your work is done. Mission accomplished.
Rest in peace Master Sgt. Peter A. McKenna Jr. God be with your family now.
RIP, MSGT McKenna. May the road rise to meet you and the wind be at your back.
Can we get the rest of our people out of that hole?
These Afghans claim that they’ve been repelling invaders for centuries. They say they kicked the Macedonian’s butt.
Okay, if, as they claim, they’re so good at it, how come they can’t drive the Taliban out of their own damned country? Is it because they’re more full of crap than a goat in a haystack?
I think the only thing they’re good at is lying on the back of the sofa.
Err, did you mean bending the goat over the sofa?
On the other hand the Afghans are far more proficient at reading a fuel gauge vs. some non-CPO in the NW, or FL? Their camels NEVER run out of water 400 yds short of the oasis.
Naw. I meant this kind of afghan.
http://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/afghan-hound/
A Taliban would think that dog doesn’t need much eye mascara.
Fear not, this will all sort itself out when Barry gives Iran $150B to play with. The Iranians will then take over Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon.
And then get busy building nukes.
Way to go, Barry.
I wonder how many of these attacks were pland by members of the Bergdahl Five?
I know this news comes as no shock to anyone here, and I’ve been talking about these taliban fucks for some time…
How is it possible that some dumb small business guy like me with only some 11B/11C training in the ARNG can understand that the geopolitical situation in Afghanistan can’t be resolved through small unit hearts and minds operations but that concept escapes the highly educated, highly paid crew in DC and surrounding venue?
How come we can understand the simple fact that the Afghans are not actually democracy seeking Americans in different clothing but our last two administrations can’t grasp that reality?
There is no unified Afghanistan anymore than there ever was a unified Iraq…both nations are susceptible to the invasion of fundamentalist islam because both nations lack a nationalistic populace that favors nationalism over religion. Both nations have a populace that determines affiliations and loyalties by tribal and religious methods before nationalistic methods, consequently both nations are unable to build anything substantive because they lack a history of working with people they don’t like to build and protect an ideal.
We Americans are becoming more tribalized in our politics and our diversity as well. We are becoming less a melting pot and more a long drawn out smorgasbord of differences…that might be great for foodies but it sucks for creating a strong united we stand ideal.
Learn the lessons of the world and history or fall victim to them…there aren’t any other real options.
My condolences to Master Sgt. Peter A. McKenna’s family, the people of Afghanistan did not deserve to have such a good man among them.
‘How is it possible’ – well, VOV, I will attempt to answer that question. If you refer to a lengthy and thoroughly-researched tome ‘Paris:1919’, you’ll understand things as they are now a whole lot better. The map of the world, particularly the Middle East, was redrawn to suit the demands of the USA, Great Britain, Italy and France. If you borrow/buy a copy of it and look at the maps before the Treaty of Versailles was signed, and the border maps AFTER the signing, you’ll see that the map of the world – political boundaries, some of them in the Middle East, are essentially the same as they were before Versailles. While I disagree with MacMillan’s idea that Hitler’s rise to power was the result of the Treaty of Versailles (his appearance was inevitable), there is enough research into the history of those six months to show what happened. The political borders that we grew up with have either long since been dissolved or overrun. The tribal differences that were squelched for decades until the USSR collapsed have erupted all over again and will continue to boil and fester until or unless they all kill each other off. Colonialism evaporated with the withdrawal of European governments from their former demesnes. Why we should still engage ourselves in those pisshole countries escapes me, but the idea that American-style democracy will overcome tribalism in people whose traditions are so ingrained that they could tell what tribe you belonged to, simply by looking at your clothing, is beyond ludicrous. The fact that they really don’t want to change has not sunk into the boneheads in WDC and probably never will. It is an exercise in futility to bitch and moan about Those People, whose only real interest is themselves. I think that the best thing we can do is ditch the place and let them sort it out for themselves, and if they need arms and armor, sell it to them. We need to concern ourselves with domestic security and let those ME states sort themselves out. I see nothing wrong with supporting… Read more »
VoV – think the difference is that you are looking at the world as it is, and the Washington intelligentsia start from an assumption that the world is as they wish it would be. Since it is not – they are doomed to failure. Reality trumps fantasy 100% of the time.