New U.S. deaths make 2009 Afghan war's deadliest

Reuters ^ | August 25, 2009 | Peter Graff

[Cheap_Hessian]

KABUL (Reuters) - Four U.S. servicemen were killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan on Tuesday, making 2009 the deadliest year for the growing contingent of foreign troops since the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001.

The deaths highlighted the steadily worsening violence in the country, which has been in political limbo since a disputed presidential election last week.

Afghan election authorities were preparing later on Tuesday to publish the first partial results from the presidential election, but the tiny sample may do little to resolve a growing war of words on the outcome.

The election has also been a test of President Barack Obama's strategy of rushing thousands of extra U.S. troops to the country this year in a bid to reverse Taliban gains.

More than 30,000 extra U.S. troops arrived in Afghanistan this year, most part of a package of reinforcements ordered by Obama in May. There are now more than 100,000 Western troops in the country, 63,000 of them Americans.

[silverleaf]

My heart aches for these brave sons and daughters of America dying for the clueless obama’s war ... err, challenge

[bikerman]

Obama lied troops died

[NEBO]

I thought Obama was going to end that war and all war by “talking” to the enemy. I guess he LIED! again!

[NEBO]

I love your tag line!

[101voodoo]

Amazing, a clueless inexperienced far left empty suit gets in the WH and all of a sudden all the gains made since 2002 begin to go south. Why is this?

Pretty obvious to me. The terrorists know the Libs have no stomach for a fight and now will take increasingly more bold actions knowing they have no George Bush to worry about but just one of their own who they can manipulate to serve their own ends.

[11th Commandment]

Can't Congress declare Reprisals? I get your point that they should have declared WAR to show how serious we are... but we were not declaring WAR on Afghanistan, just the Taliban and it seems like reprisal is more appropriate.... just a thought..

[NavyCanDo]

I've said this to Bush, and I'll say it to Obama. Don't make Afghanistan into a Vietnam, where we are bogged down by rules of engagement and conscience. If we do, we may as well get out now and save allot of lives of Americans sons. If we are going to be there, then by God unleash Hell on the Taliban and the mountains and villages that harbor terrorist and war lords. Cross borders and stop the flow of reinforcements and weapons. And a “surge” is not 30, 000 more soldiers. 100,000 or more, it is what is needed to get the attention of the enemy.

[FreeSmart]

The use of the Letters of Marque has some precedent. They are used against pirates, for example, and are a right of Congress in the constitution.

see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_of_marque

And I agree, it is exactly the lack of seriousness, implied by lack of war, that has caused so much trouble.

[sportutegrl]

I seem to remember somewhere that Obama has changed the rules of engagement. I can’t remember where I read this, or how it was changed, and maybe I am hallucinating.

[FreeSmart]

...and don’t let the Cheney’s and Murtha’s of the world make war be their personal crony cash cow..

[silverleaf]

You compare Cheney and Murtha?

[FreeSmart]

Both have taken war profiteering to an art form

[silverleaf]

VP Cheney’s tax records have been posted publicly for the past 8 years. Can you direct me to where his income reflects war profiteering?

[Condor51]

Four U.S. servicemen were killed ... on Tuesday, making 2009 the deadliest year for the growing contingent of foreign troops since the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001. ... There are now more than 100,000 Western troops in the country, 63,000 of them Americans.

That's pretty sad when the *alleged* Commander In Chief says he, "doesn't believe in winning".

AND maybe worse, 'his' Attorney General is now going for prosecutions of our own people for past Legal Opinions given in good faith -- in order to WIN this war.

With this kind of (cough) 'support', if I was a Grunt, an Officer of any rank, a gubmint 'Spook', or any of our Special Op Forces, I think I'd say,

'Screw this, get me the 'eFF' outta here.
I don't know who the real enemy is.'

Since they sure as hell DON'T want to win, so why shed any more Americans blood?
Barry and his people might as well just pull everyone out, then declare it a tie.

Then they could use all the 'war money' saved to give ILLEGALS gubmint scholarships to Harvard.₍₁₎

(1) If Harvard is inconvenient for the ILLEGALS, they can pick the Ivy League Univ closest to their gubmint paid home.

[Condor51]

Both Murtha and Cheney shamelessly shovel profit to their cronies. Do you think Halliburton would have gotten those no bids w/o Cheney pulling strings?

Hey asshat.
Halliburton has been getting NO-BID government contracts for decades, even under Clinton.

Go back to DU, TROLL.

Sarge, target sighted. TROLL alert go to DEFCON 1.

[TChris]

Both Murtha and Cheney shamelessly shovel profit to their cronies. Do you think Halliburton would have gotten those no bids w/o Cheney pulling strings?

LOL!

Wow, does this bring back memories. I haven't read a good, paranoid "Cheney and Halliburton" squawk in months!

Thanks for the laugh. :-)

[Old Sarge]