A Reader Writes:
"I tried to post this article link on the post you wrote about the 5 military deaths but for some reason it is not working this morning."
( Linnane: He's talking about this story:
Report Faults Officers' Absence in Afghan Ambush that Killed 5 U.S. Troops )
"My kid was in this unit a few years ago and had nothing nice to say about the ethics or character of Col. Randy George, commander of the division's 4th Brigade Combat Team. Our boys were sitting ducks. What do you say to their parents?"
Meanwhile, a similar story:
Fault Found in Afghan Outpost's Fall
A U.S. military investigation into how the Taliban overran an outpost last fall in Afghanistan, killing eight soldiers and injuring 22, cited "inadequate measures taken by the Chain of Command."
The three-pronged Taliban attack on Combat Outpost Keating, in the Kamdesh district of Afghanistan's Nuristan province, on October 3 2009, has been trumpeted by the insurgents as a major achievement. Though the attack was repelled after several hours of combat, the U.S. military evacuated and destroyed the outpost, which housed some 60 U.S. troops, three days later. Coalition troops are no longer present in that area, and most of Nuristan has fallen under insurgent control.
The U.S. military had decided to close the outpost by July-August 2009, but delayed the move because of other military operations in a nearby district.
Such a "mindset of imminent closure" prevented the unit from improving the outpost's defenses even as intelligence reports warned of a planned strike by "a large enemy force," Friday's report said. These inadequate defenses, in turn, made Keating "an attractive target" for the Taliban, the report said.
Following the report's conclusion, a summary of which was released Friday, the commander of American forces in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, has taken "appropriate action" against the officers involved, the U.S. military said. It didn't release the officers' names or specify the nature of the action.
sean - u got mail
ReplyDeleteWould someone please explain why infrared-sensor equipped aircraft don't patrol these outposts to track any movement in the vicinity. A small, backpack-sized vehicle would suffice.
ReplyDeleteIt's not that we don't care, We do. Unless someone reads sites like this one, NO ONE would really ever know about situations like this. The Media covers only what it wants and "War" isn't high on that list, unless they can drive PO against it. Supporting the troops is Quite low on their agenda.
ReplyDeleteKeep posting these. We need to know. I will keep spreading the word.
Diogenes -the newspapers were to some degree:
ReplyDeleteThe investigation of the Oct. 3 onslaught at a small installation in eastern Afghanistan's Nuristan province calls for sanctions against at least two commanders, according to officials familiar with the report. Only the report's executive summary was made public.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-afghan-outpost6-2010feb06,0,3390800.story
The original Keating story " Nobody gives a s#it " burned up the net right after it happened. The Burn Pit helped raise a ton of money to help these troops replace some personal property. The goal was $15,000 and damn near 10 times that came in a matter of days. A huge H/T to the organizers. Haven't seen any mention of that to speak of.
ReplyDeleteAs for the report, McChrystal and his staff will not fall on their swords. Two of lessor value is apparantly the going rate in today's war.
A video posted on the Taliban website Voice of Jihad on 18 November showcases what it describes as the "capture" of a US military base in the Kamdesh district of Noorestan Province. The video, titled "Noorestan: A Message of Success," offers scenes of what appear to be the beginning of the Taliban attack on the base and weapons and ammunitions captured by the Taliban. Occasional Koranic verses in the video offer religious justification and proclaim the righteousness of the Taliban cause. The video also glorifies the Taliban victory by highlighting the group's triumphant entry into the "captured base," the symbolic burning of an American flag, and the Taliban governor of Noorestan Province, identified as Sheikh Dost Mohammad, touring the area.
ReplyDeleteview video here...
http://www.fas.org/irp/dni/osc/taliban.html
I could tell you stories simular to this that happened in my war. Nothing has changed except for the ones in the fight. Air Support or Arty is needed and should be on call for instant reaction...but most times at least for us there were always a delay for some reason or other.
ReplyDeleteIn war delays cost lives.
Papa Ray
I wonder if you have more details about this operation in Afghanistan! excellent article.
DeleteJake Tapper wrote a book, The Outpost, about Outpost Keating and its beginnings in 2006-7. The place was doomed from the beginning.
ReplyDelete