U.S. soldier dies in Afghanistan, More Taliban said killed

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SP292592.htm

KABUL, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Afghan forces clashed with Taliban fighters in the southern province of Zabul for a fifth consecutive day on Friday after reports of the deaths of another 30 militants, a local official said.

The U.S. military also said a special forces soldier died of wounds sustained in an accident during overnight operations in Afghanistan's Dai Chopan district of Zabul province, where hundreds of Taliban are concentrated.

Another soldier from U.S.-led forces was wounded on Thursday as special operations troops continued to support Afghan militia hunting the largest group of militants from the Islamic movement since its collapse late in 2001.

"In Chinaran the fighting is ongoing," Noor Ahmad Hamraz, secretary to the governor of Zabul, said by satellite telephone.

more

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

1. And this is more of the Bush misAdministration bringing

peace and stability to the Middle East?

I'm still not ready to vacation in Afghanistan or Iraq.

(And, I'm sure our soldier died of "wounds sustained in an accident" and not from anything combat related. Keep those numbers down, Georgie.)

[saigon68]

3. Sooner or later the troops will be back and the truth will leak out.

A curse on Bush and his oily corporate masters

[Frangible]

7. Kind of funny

How we invaded Iraq but never finished our job in Afghanistan.

[htuttle]

2. Yesterday, there was a link in LBN...

...stating that the Taliban had recaptured 2 whole districts, and part of another.

Wonder if this is a Taliban offensive, or a US counter-offensive.

One thing is sure: the lack of news coverage about it in the US is definitely offensive.

[RamboLiberal]

4. Now they're calling it an accidental fall

A U.S. special operations soldier died in a fall during a sweeping military operation against entrenched Taliban fighters in southern Afghanistan, the U.S. military said Friday. The casualty occurred during what was described as some of the most intense fighting in months in the region.

THE SOLDIER, whose name was not released, died in what the military described as a “night combat assault” on Taliban positions in the Dai Chupan district of Zabul province.

“The (fatal) injuries were sustained during an accidental fall and were not the result of hostile action,” said a statement issued at Bagram Air Base, the U.S. military headquarters north of the capital, Kabul. The statement provided no other details.

http://www.msnbc.com/news/955873.asp?0cv=CB10

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

6. I guess if the wall you are standing on is hit by an RPG

and you fall to your death, that would be an accidental fall and non-combat related?

[diamond14]

5. in the middle of a FIVE DAY BATTLE....another 'accidental' death

when will our military families start SCREAMING about this degradation of our soldiers service....

does this 'accident' classification reduce military benefits to the soldier's families??? or is it just to keep bush* ratings high by reducing the body count..?

rove has these soldiers under strick orders: everything is an "accident", even in the middle of a five-day battle and a military night combat assault...call it a 'fall' and therefore, 'accidental'...if bullet is later found in soldiers head (only if family gets body and has independent autopsy)....call it a 'stray bullet', obviously, a bullet not involved in the actual battle...

[zekeson]

8. Accidents and Unnamed Soldiers

Gotta love it. Non-combat deaths even if you were blownoff the wall or tripped while ducking weapon fire. And, if you are unnamed in the media, whats to stop the DoD from sending the death notice to a couple of parents? 2 or 3 for the price of one. Is that why the body count for our Afghanistan involvement stand at something ridiculous now like about 33?
:tinfoilhat: