US deaths double in Afghanistan as troops pour in

[kpete]

Source: Associated Press

US deaths double in Afghanistan as troops pour in
AP

By SEBASTIAN ABBOT, Associated Press Writer Sebastian Abbot, Associated Press Writer – Sun Mar 28, 12:24 am ET

KABUL – The number of U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan has roughly doubled in the first three months of 2010 compared to the same period last year as Washington has added tens of thousands of additional soldiers to reverse the Taliban's momentum.

Those deaths have been accompanied by a dramatic spike in the number of wounded, with injuries more than tripling in the first two months of the year and trending in the same direction based on the latest available data for March.

U.S. officials have warned that casualties are likely to rise even further as the Pentagon completes its deployment of 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan and sets its sights on the Taliban's home base of Kandahar province, where a major operation is expected in the coming months.

In total, 57 U.S. troops were killed here during the first two months of 2010 compared with 28 in January and February of last year, an increase of more than 100 percent, according to Pentagon figures compiled by The Associated Press. At least 20 American service members have been killed so far in March, an average of about 0.8 per day, compared to 13, or 0.4 per day, a year ago.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/as_afghanistan_war_deaths

[louis-t]

1. I blame bush.

If he had been competant, this would have been over years ago.

[Oregone]

2. "this would have been over years ago"

So this is a "winnable" conflict then, correct? How would you then define such a "victory"?

[louis-t]

6. I said nothing about 'victory' or 'winning'

Stop putting words in my mouth, go attack someone else. I'm in no mood to get into a slapping match with you.

[protocol rv]

9. maybe it's over because it's over

Not necessarily because you won it, or can win it?

[protocol rv]

4. It can be over in one month

Why don't you go home? Afghanistan isn't about to invade the USA.

[virgogal]

7. Obama is at fault here also---it should have been ended.

[protocol rv]

8. Indeed

I don't see why US troops are in Afghanistan

[tekisui]

11. I blame Obama for escalating. He doubled troops, deaths double.

[sabrina 1]

13. Bush isn't there anymore.

It's the Democrats' war now. Not sure what you mean by 'competent' when speaking about a war we shouldn't have been in in the first place.

Congress is also to blame for continuing to fund it. And with the 'left' now suddenly in favor of wars, and the right always in favor, unless we're not killing enough 'ragheads' (I guess that's what a competent war means?) there isn't much hope for the people of Afghanistan.

The MIC's wars will continue unabated until the American people develop a conscience about their country's slaughter of people in oil-rich countries, or as in Afghanistan's case, strategically positioned to get to the world's last known oil reserves.

Afghanistan is a tragedy beyond words. The people are starving to death literally, children are dying of cold and hunger, if they don't die from our magnificent weapons of mass destruction. Their parents are selling them as the only way they can save their lives.

Women are worse off since the U.S. invaded their country, because as they have said, the U.S. never talks to the democratic voices in the country but makes deals with war lords, the Taliban and whoever they can bribe.

Things were bad for them before the invasion, but now they have three warring factions to deal with instead of two. None of which cares much about the people.

We don't belong there, no matter who is president. We never did and like Iraq, the country was lied to about the real reasons for an invasion that was planned long before 9/11.

It's all about oil and weapons sales and defense contractors, and Empire.

[Individualist]

16. +1

[emilyg]

22. +2

[Robb]

3. iCasualties numbers are roughtly the same:

http://icasualties.org/OEF/ByMonth.aspx (pull-down menus to "Afghanistan" for theater and "US" for nationality).

...Although I wonder if it's a particularly useful metric. For example the "third quarter" of 2009 was more deadly than the first quarter of 2010, due to operational tempo. :shrug:

[asjr]

5. I wish Obama would just tell Karzai

"I've come to take my people home."

[GreenPartyVoter]

10. +1,000,000

[louis-t]

12. At least he's telling Karzai to get in the game.

It seems Karzai has not been engaged much. First step toward getting your troops out is to make sure the Unocal guy in charge there can maintain security when you leave. Obama didn't start this war, but at least someone is finally using their brain.

[sabrina 1]

14. If someone was using their brain

we wouldn't be killing civilians with cowardly weapons being fired by computers somewhere in the U.S. or wherever.

We would be providing assistance to the poor instead of bribing the Taliban and the War Lords to work for us.

War doesn't require brains, war is a sign of failure. That war can never be won, but it does make a lot of people rich.

[louis-t]

23. I humbly respect your opinion.

[Nikki Stone1]

15. It's time to stop this.

.

[bvar22]

17. Meet Hamid Karzai.

...or as Obama calls him, "The Government of Afghanistan".

He was appointed by Bush the Lesser to run Afghanistan.
He is one of the most despicable criminals in The World,
But NOW we like him so much
that our children are fighting and dying in the deserts of Afghanistan to keep him in power.

Commanded in Chief
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20091221/engelhardt

[amborin]

18. So tragic that our brave troops are fighting for a corrupt government

[obxhead]

19. For 2 corrupt Governments at that.

Many of our politicians are corrupt thieves as well.

[amborin]

20. $$$ billion a year of US money going for Karzai's Villas in Dubai:

http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2010/02/26-7





Two US Marines rush a wounded comrade across a field to a waiting Army medevac helicopter, in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

[leftstreet]

21. K&R

[Echo In Light]

24. .

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

25. Expendable cannon-fodder for the ambitions of politicians and generals.

[Greyhound]

26. Sorry, but dying for corporate dollars is what they signed up for Besides, I know this can't be true

because we are killing with drones now and all the Afghans love us.