US military: Afghan policeman kills US soldier

[sabra]

Source: AP

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — An Afghan policeman opened fire and tossed a hand grenade on a U.S. military patrol in eastern Afghanistan, killing an American soldier, the U.S. military said Thursday.

It was the second time in less than a month that an Afghan officer has killed a U.S. soldier, raising concerns that militants may have infiltrated the Afghan police force.

Meanwhile, an airstrike by foreign troops in southern Helmand province killed several women and children, a police chief said.

In the latest attack on U.S. soldiers, the policeman standing on a tower attacked the American foot patrol in Bermel district of the eastern Paktika province, the military said. The troops returned fire on the tower, killing the policemen.

The military said it was investigating the attack.

Read more: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hvWEqwq3CrRvaQCmt21MfoYhjZJQD93RKR281

[bemildred]

1. Ah, you beat me.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3547119

[sabra]

2. I was just reading Reuters daily report of Afghanistan "security incidents" - scary stuff...

[bemildred]

3. Yes, there is lots of trouble there.

But Winter is coming, so maybe things will quiet down until Spring.

[Solly Mack]

4. K&R

[w4rma]

5. "may have"? Hell, the militants are using the Afghan police force to train under and smuggle

equipment from. Idiots.

[bemildred]

6. I'll bet this kind of thing affects your ability to focus on your mission.

They didn't exactly pussy-foot around the issues this sort of thing raises, they just didn't bring them up at all. I suppose you can still consider these "isolated incidents" though.

[bemildred]

7. US military: Afghan policeman kills US soldier

Source: AP

KABUL, Afghanistan - An Afghan policeman opened fire and tossed a hand grenade on a U.S. military patrol in eastern Afghanistan, killing an American soldier, the U.S. military said Thursday.

It was the second time in less than a month that an Afghan officer has killed a U.S. soldier, raising concerns that militants may have infiltrated the Afghan police force.

Meanwhile, an airstrike by foreign troops in southern Helmand province killed several women and children, a police chief said.

In the latest attack on U.S. soldiers, the policeman standing on a tower attacked the American foot patrol in Bermel district of the eastern Paktika province, the military said. The troops returned fire on the tower, killing the policemen.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081016/ap_on_re_as/as_afghanistan

[atreides1]

8. There is another explanation

The "militant infiltrating" is possible, but it seems the US authorities never consider plain old fashioned revenge as a motive?

For all we know a relative of this policeman may have been killed in an airstrike, or a raid on a village, and he was getting payback for his family.

[amdezurik]

9. or family raped then killed

we have NOT conducted ourselves very well in the region...

[xchrom]

10. recommend -- our military strategy in afghanistan and iraq is not working. nt