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'We're pinned down:' 4 U.S. Marines die in Afghan ambush
McClatchy ^ | 9/8/2009 | Jonathan S. Landay

Posted on 09/08/2009 8:26:52 PM PDT by Saije

We walked into a trap, a killing zone of relentless gunfire and rocket barrages from Afghan insurgents hidden in the mountainsides and in a fortress-like village where women and children were replenishing their ammunition.

"We will do to you what we did to the Russians," the insurgent's leader boasted over the radio, referring to the failure of Soviet troops to capture Ganjgal during the 1979-89 Soviet occupation.

Dashing from boulder to boulder, diving into trenches and ducking behind stone walls as the insurgents maneuvered to outflank us, we waited more than an hour for U.S. helicopters to arrive, despite earlier assurances that air cover would be five minutes away.

U.S. commanders, citing new rules to avoid civilian casualties, rejected repeated calls to unleash artillery rounds at attackers dug into the slopes and tree lines — despite being told repeatedly that they weren't near the village.

"We are pinned down. We are running low on ammo. We have no air. We've lost today," Marine Maj. Kevin Williams, 37, said through his translator to his Afghan counterpart, responding to the latter's repeated demands for helicopters.

(Excerpt) Read more at mcclatchydc.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; ambush; fallen; marines; nsp; nss; oef
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1 posted on 09/08/2009 8:26:52 PM PDT by Saije
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To: Saije

Kinder, gentler Obama.


2 posted on 09/08/2009 8:28:24 PM PDT by qwertypie
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To: Saije

What brave fellows. Thank you. I am very sad.


3 posted on 09/08/2009 8:28:43 PM PDT by spyone (ridiculum)
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To: Saije

Eternal rest...


4 posted on 09/08/2009 8:30:05 PM PDT by BlessedBeGod
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To: Saije
The bastard is killing our soldiers! He hates the U.S.! He even stated he didn't want us to win.

This madness can't go on. It is the best of us who are dying in Afghanistan.

5 posted on 09/08/2009 8:31:17 PM PDT by Stepan12 (Palin & Bolton in 2012)
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To: Saije

From the call to combat arms, it mattered.


6 posted on 09/08/2009 8:33:43 PM PDT by onedoug
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To: Saije
These four brave Marines were not killed by the Afghanis.

They were killed by Fat Jack Murtha, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Barack Obama and the rest of the Marxist 'RATS including many "judges" on our federal "courts." That's who REALLY killed these Marines.

TAKE THE CUFFS OFF OF OUR MILITARY YOU PIGGIES!!! That goes for you too McCain!

7 posted on 09/08/2009 8:35:50 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (ObamaCare! When "natural causes" just isn't good enough!)
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To: Saije

Boy, do we have the wrong President. The man can’t fight his way out of a paper bag.


8 posted on 09/08/2009 8:36:54 PM PDT by freekitty (Give me back my conservative vote; then find me a real conservative to vote for)
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To: Saije

Hey Judge Carter. AMERICAN Marines are being killed because the Kenyan usurper’s rules of engagement (ROE). The military’s hands are tied thanks to Hussein.

Time to leave Afghanistan. With these ROE - our troops are sitting ducks.

Drudge needs to run this story.


9 posted on 09/08/2009 8:37:56 PM PDT by Frantzie (Lou Dobbs & Glenn Beck- American Heroes! Bill O'Reilly = Liar)
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To: Saije
I think a few dozen daisy cutters dropped from 50,000 feet would do the job.
10 posted on 09/08/2009 8:40:33 PM PDT by TexasFreeper2009 (Obama lied, the economy died)
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To: Saije

There seems to be an effort to use left wing anti war sources to gin up some on FR to join in with the Marxists, IslamOfascists, Third Party, etc.


11 posted on 09/08/2009 8:41:57 PM PDT by SoCalPol (Reagan Republican for Palin 2012)
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To: Stepan12

Those four Marines are worth a million Van Jones.
God rest them.


12 posted on 09/08/2009 8:43:31 PM PDT by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)
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To: Saije

Must be the damn army refusing artillary and air support. The marines would never leave their comrades hanging out there to dry, ROE be damned.


13 posted on 09/08/2009 8:45:47 PM PDT by Roklok
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To: SoCalPol

I didn’t read anything left wing in the article.

The Reporter was right in the middle of this and wrote:

“I wasn’t as terrified as I was angry: angry at the absence of air support, angry that there was no artillery fire,
angry that Williams’ interpreter had been killed,
ngry at the realization that the operation had
obviously been betrayed and angry at myself for not bolting with the others.”

If it’s left wing to be mad about the ROE that lead to 4 Marines being killed then I guess I’m left wing.


14 posted on 09/08/2009 8:47:05 PM PDT by Saije
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To: Saije

This story made me absolutely sick. As Fauxbama opines about the phony health care ‘crisis’ American soldiers DIE because of his policy of engagement. Wonder if he has read that war assessment yet. The sad fact that like much of every thing else with this president it is all talk. Afghanistan is not even on the map with this guy. Rest assured this will not be a lead story (if a story at all) in the msm.


15 posted on 09/08/2009 8:47:47 PM PDT by n2dubes
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To: Saije
“Afghan insurgents hidden in the mountainsides and in a fortress-like village where women and children were replenishing their ammunition.”

Not all civilians are “innocent civilians”.

16 posted on 09/08/2009 8:48:10 PM PDT by USFRIENDINVICTORIA
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To: qwertypie; LucyT; Fred Nerks
U.S. commanders, citing new rules to avoid civilian casualties, rejected repeated calls to unleash artillery rounds at attackers dug into the slopes and tree lines — despite being told repeatedly that they weren't near the village.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Many Freepers predicted this would happen during the 2008 election cycle, if Obama was elected.

Now we reap the fruits of having a whacko liberal socialist as president.

Before Obama is through, he will cause the needless deaths of thousands of US soldiers.Soon Obama will start cutting back on the necessities required by our soldiers in Afghanistan.Welcome to Vietnam II, all over again.Brought to you by our kinder, gentler , usurper Democrat Party.

May they burn in hell for this!!!

These silly ROE that Obama has foisted on our soldiers MUST be abandoned .

17 posted on 09/08/2009 8:48:44 PM PDT by Candor7 (The effective weapons against Fascism are ridicule, derision, and truth (Member NRA)
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To: Saije

My understanding is that now, if we see the ARMED enemy, as LONG as he does not actually fire on our guys, then our guys canNOT open fire on them.

Why is it that lefties really enjoy long “sort of” wars...?

Indeed, that is the war subType that REALLY makes Americans mad and bleeds the country dry.


18 posted on 09/08/2009 8:49:52 PM PDT by gaijin
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These bastards in the Pentagon and White House are murdering these boys. If he will not support our people with artillery and air support, Hussein Obama should surrender and bring them home. That is what he wants anyway. Why prolong it and waste the lives of these fine men?
19 posted on 09/08/2009 8:50:07 PM PDT by Godwin1
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To: Saije

Totally insane. These new rules of engagement ARE KILLING OUR SOLDIERS AND MARINES. If this president is not serious about winning then we must get out now before we lose one more American.


20 posted on 09/08/2009 8:51:15 PM PDT by Cruz ("Wherever there is a jackboot stomping on a human face there will be a well-heeled Western liberal t)
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