Afghan troop deaths climb but U.S. says transition on track
Source: Reuters
By Phil Stewart
WASHINGTON Fri Nov 8, 2013 10:24pm GMT
(Reuters) - Afghanistan troop casualties climbed 79 percent during key fighting months this year as the still-resistant Taliban kept up the pace of its attacks and NATO forces moved into a support role in preparation to end their combat mission, the Pentagon said on Friday.
The data came in a Defense Department report to Congress that also showed NATO casualties falling 59 percent during the April-September period under review. The Pentagon did not provide the number of casualties for either year.
Despite the jump in Afghan casualties and high attrition rates in the Afghan army, the report was broadly upbeat about the Afghan National Security Forces, or ANSF. It said they had proven their ability to hold hard-won gains from the 12-year-old war, even as NATO forces pulled back from the front lines.
It also cautioned that Afghan forces would be at risk without continued international support after NATO wraps up its combat mission at the end of 2014.
Read more: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/11/08/uk-usa-afghanistan-idUKBRE9A713620131108
Once the foreign troops have departed, Afghanistan shall go to sod even faster than Iraq is doing.
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bluedeathray
(514 posts)Of those American deaths are "Green on Blue". Which translates as "Friendly Fire" incidents involving Afghan troops shooting at Coalition troops.
Plus the Afghan situation is different than Iraq in at least one other major way. The nation of Afghanistan is actually tribal in nature. The 2 major tribes, the Pashtun and the Tajiki, are struggling now for supremacy. At least 8 other tribes factor into "Afghan" social structure. Each with it's own lands and customs.
The United States is putting it's money on the Pashtun. Not only is this Karzai's tribe, but also the great majority of the population, as well as the Taliban, belong to it as well. I could guess where his loyalties lay, but it's just a guess. Maybe he'll surprise us! Seen any flying pigs recently?
The Tajiki are (broadly speaking) more amenable to modern, "western" type social structure. They count as the majority of military leaders.
A meeting of tribal elders is called a Jirga. A meeting of ALL the elders is called a Loya Jirga. There's been quite a bit of activity in Kabul during recent Loya Jirgas. It's anyone's guess as far as A: What the meetings concluded, and B: If their decisions mean anything.
Our presence is disruptive, and its effect is temporary. The ego stretching that has to take place to make the assumption that we can undo 1,000s of years of tradition with money and 10 years is pretty massive.
It's the one (of 2) thing(s) that Ross Perot got right. A great part of Arab nations resent (or hate) us because of our (99% business) presence there. The Arab reaction is (as the CIA itself characterized) "blowback". Americans were welcomed with open arms and lavish hospitality in Arab nations, until big money took over, and true motives evidenced themselves.
You think America has class warfare problems? Yikes!
ConcernedCanuk
(13,509 posts).
.
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USA slaughtered tens of thousands of Iraqis, left disease, destruction and disorder behind;
about the same in Afghanistan -
WELL
the war-machine needs to be entertained -
SO
where is the USA gonna spread its "freedom and democracy" next?
Bet ur butt, PNAC/MIC et al won't be spending their billions for food supplements and healthcare for the ME
They don't even allow that for USA citizens;
who they gonna mess around with next ? - I know they got a hard-on for Iran -
so does Iran - ain't gonna be pretty . . .
CC
boomersense
(147 posts)Iran, they'll probably start on New Hampshire.
davidpdx
(22,000 posts)She's been there before as well as Iraq. Apparently she's going to be on the front-lines on a convoy.