Seven American Soldiers Die in Afghan Chopper Crash (R.I.P.)

http://www.allproudamericans.com/Seven-American-Soldiers-Die-in-Afghan-Chopper-Crash.html ^

[Lazamataz]

August 16, 2012: Seven American soldiers were killed Thursday when their helicopter crashed in Kandahar Province in southern Afghanistan, U.S. officials said. The Taliban claimed responsibility for shooting down the helicopter, although the insurgency often exaggerates its victories and is quick to claim responsibility for any incident involving foreign troop deaths.

The area where the helicopter went down is an insurgent hotbed and supply route, lying north of Kandahar city near volatile Zabul and Uruzgan provinces.

This story is still developing. R.I.P.

[luvie]

What you said!!!

[chessplayer]

“MMfA Slams SEALs as ‘Gutless’ Same Day As Two Die In Afghanistan” (media matters)

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2012/08/18/MMfA-Slams-Navy-SEALs-As-Gutless-Same-Day-As-Two-Die-In-Afghanistan

[Tunehead54]

We “won” in Afghanistan in the first 6 weeks - it a was brilliant effort - but we left the tribal leaders in power.

Even now, today, if we resolved to torch every poppy field we’d rob the war lords of their power. Not really hard to find the fields between the miles of rocks and dirt.

The fact that we haven’t means we are not in it to win it.

[Tunehead54]

Note to self: Turn the poppy farmers into miners ...

The country's natural resources include: coal, copper, iron ore, lithium, uranium, rare earth elements, chromite, gold, zinc, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, marble, precious and semi-precious stones, natural gas, and petroleum among other things.[57][58]

In 2010, US and Afghan government officials estimated that untapped mineral deposits located in 2007 by the US Geological Survey are worth between $900 bn and $3 trillion.[59][60][61]

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistan

[Chgogal]

You may find these WW2 pics of the Battle of Normandy very interesting. The pics are supposed to have been taken just a couple of days after D-day. So they don't show the destruction of the big tank battles that happened soon afterwards.

http://acidcow.com/pics/3772-normandy_1944_then_and_now_204_pics.html

My only comment, we, the Infidel (Christians, Hindu, Buddhists, Jews et al.), will always be the enemy of the Muslims. They may consider us a friend today but not for the long term. We were not the enemy of the French, the Belgians, the Dutch, etc. during WW2.

[PghBaldy]

I have searched on the WH website and in news articles, and have found no comments from Obama about these deaths...

[moonshot925]

Stop being anti-American pacifist liberals.

The Taliban hosted, trained and funded Al-Qaeda which attacked us on 9/11.

Our objective in Afghanistan is to deny sponsorship, support and sanctuary to terrorists.

That is why we are trying to build a sustainable Afghan government.

[ScottinVA]

Pacifist liberal??? I`ve been supportive of that effort for 10 years, but tell us..please.. who has ever been successful there?

My point is.. either fight the war with the shackles off or get the eff out of that God-d***ed meatgrinder. A hardly “liberal” position.

[ScottinVA]

Pacifist liberal??? I`ve been supportive of that effort for 10 years, but tell us..please.. who has ever been successful there?

My point is.. either fight the war with the shackles off or get the eff out of that God-d***ed meatgrinder. A hardly “liberal” position.

[Gene Eric]

>> Could someone kindly identify the strategy and the national interest which it advances for which these seven Americans died?

These brave, selfless Soldiers died serving the U.S. Constitution. Their sacrifice is as meaningful as that given to the most critical missions.

Of course, you’re not questioning the virtue of their service, but it is certainly worth discussing the incompetence of the jackwagon in charge.

[ScottinVA]

Tell us, moonshot, in your opinion, is the current Tack of negotiating with the Taliban anything BUT pacifist and liberal? How about defending a thoroughly corrupt POS like Karzai who would turn to the other side if the price is right? Are you good with the ROEs that result in our troops facing having a bullet put through the backs of their heads the second they turn their backs on an Afghan cop or “soldier?” How about those rules that require our guys NOT to fire on enemy vermin planting IEDs?

After 10 years in that 8th century hellhole, is it not reasonable to expect more of the people who benefit from all this nation-building?

[Gene Eric]

BTW, the CiC factor is a fundamental concern for me this November. This too must be weighed by Romney’s antagonists — and I say this, FRiends, with all due respect and dedication to Life and Liberty.

[rlmorel]

Thanks for the link...I have seen those before.

The point I make is that there was a difference...this is the city of Wesel in Germany after a raid:

When we were working our way towards Germany through the conquered countries, we didn't send in the B-17's to demolish a non-German city because there were Germans in it, we went in and rooted them out, door by door. And we DID destroy large areas of many of those cities via tactical actions.

But in general, we value life. Sure, we make mistakes. We bomb the wrong targets, politicians make bad decisions and so on, but we try. And individuals and even units can have malignant intentions and do things that we as a people and our government don't support. We don't advocate as government policy the wanton destruction of innocents.

And I am glad we do. The Nazis razed cities of innocents and "invented" total warfare. The Japanese raped cities such as Nanking in their quest for territory. The Vietnamese Communists slaughtered five thousand (Hue) to make political points as a matter of deliberate policy. The Soviets thought nothing of sending in squadrons of SU-25's to eradicate entire villages.

Their actions during wars of conquest in this short period of history show those regimes for what they really are. When we engaged in total warfare to destroy the war capabilities of countries that were executing campaigns of conquest, we did it without mercy, since we knew what it would be like if they had the opportunity to do the same, because we had already seen what they do. But when we were done, we not only didn't keep that territory, we used our OWN money to help rebuild them.

When the first nuclear device goes off in an American city, or there is a more deadly and costly 9/11, the rules may well, and should change. At that time, we may see the indiscriminate use of nuclear weapons or strategic bombing against civilians by our forces in the 21st Century.

And I won't disagree.

But history can say without reservation that we tried an incremental approach to see if the issues could be ameliorated without resorting to total destruction, and it did not work, and we did what had to be done.

And I do understand your last paragraph in your post. I won't disagree with it, and there may come a time when the world treats Islam as the world used to treat piracy. I just don't think we are there yet.

[moonshot925]

Negotiations with the Taliban were ended in August 2011

We are winning this war and now is not the time to cut and run like cowards.

In the past 18 months we have killed Osama bin Laden, Abu Hafs al-Shahri, Atiyah Abd al-Rahman, Anwar al-Awlaki, Fazul Abdullah Mohammed, Ilyas Kashmiri, Abu Yahya al-Libi and many other top AQ leaders.

We will probably kill Ayman al-Zawahiri soon as well.

AQ leadership has been decimated.

[ScottinVA]

No, negotiations with the Taliban are still ongoing.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news/afghans-met-taliban-leader-in-pakistan/story-fn3dxix6-1226449512112

http://www.france24.com/en/20120813-afghanistan-officials-talks-jailed-taliban-commander-pakistan-prison-baradar

Winning the war?

Well, after more than 10 years there, what do you consider "mission accomplished?" The best test of that theory will be when our troops leave. I give Karzai all of 30 minutes before the Taliban catch up to him.

What kind of "nation" do you think these vermin are capable of maintaining, beyond what they have now?

[butterdezillion]

Only Obama could go lower than zero on the scale of class. It was the least he could do so he did even less.

That about sums him up.

Our soldiers deserve SO SO SO much better than this.

[angcat]

I hope Romney has a plan to get out of the loosing battle and save our Soldiers.

[driftless2]

He’s an awful president, but no mass murderer. Let’s see your proof.

[NKP_Vet]

Whether it’s Barry The Destroyer of Mittens we ain’t leaving Afganistan. Same thing for Iraq. The first thing that was built in Iraq was a billion dollar US Embassy. No folks, get ready for long tours with the family in Iraq. Afganistan will be a 12 month tour and at your newcomers briefing you’ll be told how the Afganis don’t really like you so be on the lookout. Female soldiers will be told not to wear shorts or an Iraqi or Afgani will pinch them on the rear and if you open your mouth about it you’re the one that will get in trouble. It ain’t a nice place. If the good Lord ever wanted to give the world an enema he would plug it in the Middle East.