U.S. troops abandon Afghan base where 9 troops died

[WhiteTara]

Source: USA Today

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — U.S. troops abandoned a remote outpost in eastern Afghanistan where militants killed nine of their comrades earlier this week, officials said Wednesday, as NATO launched artillery and helicopter strikes on insurgents in neighboring Pakistan.

The retreat is another indication of the growing strength of the Taliban-led insurgency and the struggle facing foreign and Afghan security forces strung out along the long mountainous border.

Underlining the precarious situation, NATO said it used artillery and helicopters to attack insurgents inside Pakistan after they fired multiple rockets into the eastern Paktika province on Tuesday. Pakistan military assisted during the operation, officials said.

Meanwhile, insurgents temporarily seized the village of Wanat in the eastern Afghan province of Nuristan where the U.S. outpost was breached by militants on Sunday, Afghan officials said. It was the deadliest incident for the U.S. military in Afghanistan in three years.

Omar Sami, spokesman for the Nuristan provincial governor, said American and Afghan soldiers quit the base on Tuesday afternoon.

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2008-07-16-ustroops-afghanbase_N.htm

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another disaster. Heck of job *

[Selatius]

1. Afghanistan is guerrilla war country. Same country that defeated the British Army and the Red Army.

Now, the US Army is there.

[damntexdem]

14. But had the Taliban on the ropes back in 2002-2003.

Could have crushed them then, captured or killed OBL.

But Dubya wanted the troops for his plsytime in Iraq. Now that fiasco has allowed the Tabliban to be prepared for a long war with the U.S.

[DemoTex]

2. "Lang Vei" redux (2/6/1968)?

I wonder if this remote outpost in eastern Afghanistan was, like Lang Vei, an ASA "radio research" facility (the ASA used Army Special Forces as a cover story at Lang Vei). Lang Vei was just to the west of Khe Sanh on QL-9, almost at the Viet Nam-Laos border. Lang Vei was an ill omen for the US's future in Viet Nam, and the appearance of Soviet-built battle tanks had a chilling effect on the USMC garrison at Khe Sanh.
Losses among the 24 U.S. defenders at Lang Vei included seven killed in action, three POWs, and 11 wounded. Losses among the 500 CIDG Montagnard defenders were estimated at 200 KIA.


PAVN's "secret" weapon at Lang Vei (Russian-built PT-76 light amphibious battle tank).

[Ilsa]

3. The pro-war crowd will decry the use of the word "retreat" by the writer

at USA Today. Anything less is just a sugar-coating, though.

Let's send Ted Nugent. He can stink the insurgents to death.

[damntexdem]

15. If they don't like 'retreat,' how about 'rout'?

U.S. and Afghani forces got their tails whipped.

[Ilsa]

16. If it had been in Iraq, it would have been precisely as Scott Ritter had predicted five years ago. n

[chimpyissatan]

4. new FoPo meme

Died in Afghanistan, killed in Iraq

[WhiteTara]

11. hey welcome to DU

and what is a FoPo? :hi:

[Double_Tap]

5. What you all are missing...

Is that a small group of American and Afghanistan forces, about 50 in all as I recall, held off approximately 500 Taliban who were using mortar and rocket fire on the small outpost, and attacking with approximately 100 infantry. It was the Alamo, but with a happy ending.

The Taliban thought they had an easy victory lined up, and they attacked with what should have been an overwhelming force. However, U.S. soldiers bravely fought off the attack. The fact that they lost 9 is regrettable, but comparitively light considering the level of fighting.

A disaster? Hardly. The Taliban attack was defeated. The fact that we decided to leave that area right now means nothing. There could be all sorts of reasons the troops were repositioned. If anything, it was the Taliban who had to retreat.

[DS1]

6. I didn't miss that

it was an impressive counter-attack

Your username leaves something to be desired, however.

[LynnTheDem]

8. Have a nice day!

:hi:

[blackspade]

9. We didn't miss that at all.

There is no doubt that our troops are dedicated and very well trained, and the fact that they held out against this attack is a testament to their skill in war.

However you seem to be missing the point that our troops were forced to retreat from a position that was unsupportable in the face of these kinds of attacks.
While the Tali ban were driven off with heavy casualties they were no 'defeated' because we were the ones forced to withdraw and they are the ones in possession of the village where this took place.
It is another incidence of winning a tactically but losing strategically.

[Robeson]

10. No, I'm not missing a thing...

...:eyes:

[WhiteTara]

12. the whole of Afghanistan

is a disaster.
Welcome to DU

[damntexdem]

17. And the Taliban overran it.

What a wonderful victory -- fighting back well after allowing oneself to be attacked at overwhelming odds!

A few more victories like that, and we can equal the great success in Afghanistan of the Red Army.

[llmart]

18. You keep believing that propaganda.......

hope it works for you.

[DemoTex]

19. Happy ending, Tap-Tap?

What's "happy" about 9 US soldiers KIA?

[file83]

22. I'd love to here that "happy" guy tell the parents of those soldiers how happy it was.

I'm sure they are ecstatic.

[Selatius]

20. You can win all the battles and still lose the war. The Taliban scored a propaganda victory.

The fact that nine soldiers went home dead is enough in the propaganda war. That's guerrilla warfare.

[New Dawn]

23. "Abandoned" = retreat

In addition, the Pentagon always exaggerates enemy fatalities and the number of enemies involved in any attack. You appear to have never studied any military history and simply rely upon the corporate media for your information.

[JoFerret]

24. Remember the Alamo

and keep her safe.

Loose lips sink ships.

[LynnTheDem]

7. "The Taliban is no longer in existance". -George W. bUsh

Musta been another of his "misspokes".

[damntexdem]

13. Abandon? They were chased out.

They lost the base in combat. The Taleban overran it.

OH, what a war-time president we have! LOL!

[bemildred]

21. "Mission accomplished!" nt