BBC: US 'kills 22' in Afghan firefight

[krkaufman]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/3651202.stm

US forces have killed 22 suspected Taleban and al-Qaeda militants in a gun battle in southern Afghanistan, the US military says.



American troops and helicopters fought the insurgents in the Shinkay district of Zabul province, late on Sunday.

"Twenty-two anti-coalition militias were killed - three of them were Arabs," US military spokesman Major Scott Nelson said in Kabul.

Zabul province is widely regarded as a Taleban stronghold.

He said about 40 militants armed with AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenades had attacked American troops on patrol.

"Our soldiers were out doing a cordon search when they were engaged by a large force of anti-coalition militias," Major Nelson said.

[gratuitous]

1. Yup, every last one of them had their Al Qaeda ID card

Don't believe it? Well, here they are. Yeah, a lot of them are named Ahmed, so what?

[Krupskaya]

2. "Suspected"

...sure covers a lot, doesn't it? What a handy, handy word. Assholes.