Are Afghan Soldiers Incompetent?

Afghan Soldiers' Incompetence Raises Concerns About U.S. Withdrawal Plans -- CBS

(CBS News) MANSURABAD, Afghanistan - A suicide bomber drove his car into a U.S. convoy in Afghanistan's capital Thursday, causing a massive explosion.

Six Americans died: Two soldiers and four civilian contractors. Nine Afghans were also killed. Islamic militants claimed responsibility.

American combat troops are due to leave Afghanistan after next year and are training Afghans to take over security.

But are they ready?

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My Comment: It takes generations to mold any military into a "westernized" and modern fighting force. Claims from a few years ago that only a few years more would be enough to raise the Afghan military to be an effective fighting force never impressed me .... and even less now.

Afghanistan War News Updates -- May 6, 2013

Separate Attacks In Afghanistan Kill 8 NATO Soldiers -- RT

Fresh attacks in Afghanistan claimed the lives of eight NATO soldiers. The deaths came from an improvised roadside bomb and an Afghan soldier turning his gun on the troops in the bloodiest week for international forces since the start of the year.

The first attack took place in the volatile province of Kandahar, taking the lives of five US soldiers in an improvised roadside bomb incident on Saturday, according to US officials in Kabul and provincial authorities.

Another incident took the lives of another two soldiers when an Afghan soldier in the western province of Farah turned his gun on the troops. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack via email, according to Reuters.

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More News On Afghanistan

ISAF Joint Command Operational Update, May 6th -- ISAF
Seven Americans, one German killed in spate of attacks in Afghanistan -- Stars and Stripes
8 NATO Soldiers Killed In Afghanistan On Saturday -- RTT
NATO: 7 Americans killed in Afghanistan -- USA Today
Afghan violence: Seven troops die in two attacks -- BBC
Eight coalition soldiers killed in Afghanistan -- UPI
Afghan soldier kill 2 NATO troops in western Afghanistan -- Khaama Press
Explosion kill 5 US troops in Kandahar province of Afghanistan -- Khaama Press
Explosion kill 4 civilians, injure 5 others in Farah province -- Khaama Press
Afghan intelligence foil major terror attack plot in Kabul city -- Khaama Press
Drone cargo helicopters prove worth in Afghanistan, leading way to civilian uses -- McClatchy News
Drone Warfare against Afghanistan Waged from the UK -- Global Research
Karzai Asks Taliban to Strop 'Destroying Own Country' -- Voice of America
Karzai Urges Taliban To Fight Enemies Of Afghanistan -- Radio Free Europe
Karzai Says He Was Assured C.I.A. Would Continue Delivering Bags of Cash -- New York Times
Afghanistan’s Hamid Karzai confirms CIA cash payments to continue -- Washington Times
MI6 'handing bundles of cash to Hamid Karzai' -- The Telegraph
MI6 ‘ghost money’ sent to Hamid Karzai amid massive Afghan corruption -- RT
New U.S. representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan is critic of Biden on war -- Washington Post
Obama Names Veteran Troubleshooter to Afghanistan-Pakistan Post -- New York Times
U.S. turns over troubled dam project to Afghanistan -- L.A. Times
Unhealthy Hospitals -- Battleland/Time
Smashed U.S. cars get a second chance in Afghanistan -- L.A. Times
Do we have the Potential to raise Afghanistan’s GDP? -- Khaama Press
Afghanistan War Is Not a Just War -- Jessica Greenhalgh, Huffington Post

Is The U.S. Supporting Death Squads In Afghanistan?

Is The US Maintaining Death Squads And Torture Militias In Afghanistan? -- Glenn Greenwald, The Guardian

Afghan President Hamid Karzai and local residents insist that the answer is yes.


In 2010, as WikiLeaks published hundreds of thousands of classified documents relating to the conduct of the US government, government defenders dismissively claimed that they revealed nothing new. Among the many documents disproving that claim were ones relating to a US policy in Iraq set forth in "Frago 242", which ordered coalition troops not to stop or even investigate torture and other war crimes by the Iraqi forces they were training, but simply to "note" them.

And note them they did: the logs record thousands of cases of Iraqi forces severely beating, brutalizing and torturing Iraqi civilians while US forces, with rare exception, did nothing to stop it (when the documents were released, the Guardian detailed just some of the illustrative cases).

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My Comment: There is no American policy to support death squads in Afghanistan .... if there was that news would have been leaked to the press a long time ago. What we have is an internal struggle among Afghans that has been ongoing for years. Lets face it .... Afghan culture and justice can be brutal .... so it would not surprise me if there are Afghan security units operating in a manner that would be labelled as a war crime by us. It would also not surprise me if U.S. forces are turning a blind eye to such practices .... leaving Afghans to fight Afghans in a manner that they are accustomed to .... and we in turn preferring to not get involved in their war. Is this the right approach .... probably not .... but this war is going to continue long after we are gone, and to change the mindset of the Afghan security forces on how to fight this conflict is going to take generations and years to accomplish .... a position that we are simply not able to do with the resources and time constraints that we now have.

Russian Foreign Minister Voices Concerns On Future US MIlitary Levels In Afghanistan

U.S Navy Cmdr. Louis McCray, left, addresses troops and civil affairs team members during an after-action review following a mission in Farah City, Afghanistan, Nov. 4, 2012. McCray commands Provincial Reconstruction Team Farah. U.S. Navy photo by Lt. j.g. Matthew Stroup

U.S. Military Will Maintain A Considerable Force In Afghanistan, says Lavrov -- Examiner

Sergey V. Lavrov, foreign minister of Russia gave a revealing interview on Russian concerns about U.S. military bases in Afghanistan.

“When the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) fulfilling its mission - what needs to prove (in my opinion, it is un-provable thing) - withdraw from Afghanistan. There will be an American military presence in the form, as it seems, of six quite powerful military bases with total quantity of about 25-30 thousand soldiers. This is considerable force.”

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My Comment: The Russians want to know why the US will continue to maintain high troop levels in Afghanistan after the official 2014 withdrawal .... and they have a point. Keeping 25,000 - 30,000 soldiers backed up with many special forces units tells me that speeches aside, the US is going to stay in the country for a very long time.

U.S. Hands Over Bagram Prison To The Afghans But Not Certain Detainees

U.S. Not Handing Over All Afghan Prisoners -- CBS

(CBS News) KABUL - In Afghanistan, as American forces draw down, a milestone was reached Monday. The U.S. transferred control of the Bagram Prison outside Kabul to the Afghans. They now control the fate of thousands of prisoners, including many Taliban.

About 3,000 prisoners were handed over to the Afghans, but that's not all of them.

A U.S. military spokesman told CBS News that several hundred Afghan prisoners will remain under U.S. custody, and it's a discrepancy between the U.S. system that's in place at Bagram now and the Afghan system which will be in place.

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More News On The Transfer Of Bagram Prison To Afghan Authorities

U.S. holds on to some detainees during handover of prison to Afghan control -- CNN
Bagram prison handed over to Afghan forces despite US concerns over future of inmates -- CBS/AP
Return of the Taliban: Afghanistan takes control of Bagram's prisoners of war -- The Independent
US transfers Bagram jail to Afghans -- Al Jazeera
United States transfers Bagram prison to Afghan control -- Reuters
Afghanistan: US hands over controversial Bagram jail -- BBC
U.S. hands over Bagram prison to Afghans -- USA Today/AP
U.S. transfers control of Bagram prison to Afghan officials -- Washington Post
US Hands Over Bagram Prison to Afghan Authorities -- Voice of America
U.S. turns over control of Bagram prison to Afghan authorities -- L.A. Times
Afghanistan 'takes control' of controversial US prison -- Straits Times/AFP
Afghan army takes control of Bagram prison -- UPI
The Deep Divide Over Bagram Prison: Interview With Chris Rogers -- Radio Free Europe

Afghanistan War News Updates -- September 6, 2012

Watch To Stop Afghan Insider Violence Trust 'Absolutely Essential' on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.

Insider Attacks: How US And Afghan Troops See The Mission Now -- Christian Science Monitor

The US has halted some police training and the Afghan military has dismissed hundreds of recruits in a bid to stem insider attacks. But joint missions go on.

Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry said today that it had arrested or fired hundreds of Afghan soldiers in an attempt to stem insider attacks against NATO troops that threatens to undermine Western withdrawal plans.

Over the weekend, US officials announced that the US had suspended training for Afghan police recruits in order to vet existing members as insider attacks grow more common: Afghan troops have killed at least 45 foreign troops so far this year.

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More News On Afghanistan

ISAF Joint Command morning operational update, Sept. 6 -- ISAF
War in Afghanistan News - 6 Sep 2012 -- War On Terror News

Airstrike Kills Taliban Leader Involved in Aug. 7 Attack -- US Department of Defense
Taliban leader killed in Afghanistan -- UPI
Third Helicopter Crash in 10 Days Kills 2 US Troops in Afghanistan -- Antiwar.com
U.S. to Retain Role as a Jailer in Afghanistan -- New York Times

Department of Defense: Afghans re-screening all troops -- Politico
Afghanistan acknowledges wider causes of ‘insider’ attacks on NATO troops -- Washington Post
Afghanistan pulls hundreds of soldiers, to halt insider attacks -- StlToday.com
Hundreds of Afghan soldiers detained, sacked for insurgent links -- Reuters
Afghan soldiers fired during insider attacks probe -- Washington Times
Afghans create 'Western culture' manual to help counter insider attacks -- Stars and Stripes
General Assesses Progress, Momentum in Afghanistan -- US Department of Defense
US, Pakistan eye transition plan for Taliban -- The Hill
Trilateral initiative: Formal talks begin on safe passage for Afghan Taliban -- Express Tribune
'Insider Attacks' Give Urgency to Afghan Pullout: HASC Dem -- defense News

Is talking to the Taliban worthwhile? -- Arif Rafiq, Express Tribune
Making Western soldiers safer in Afghanistan -- Washington Post editorial
The dangerous political battle for Afghanistan -- Chris Sands, Global Post

U.S. General Ignored 'Auschwitz-Like Conditions' At Afghan Hospital

Horrific: Dawood National Military Hospital was described as having 'Auschwitz-like conditions'

U.S. General Ignored 'Auschwitz-Like Conditions' At Afghan Hospital To Spare Obama Embarrassment Ahead Of Elections -- Daily Mail

The three-star general leading the Afghanistan training mission allegedly ignored reports of rancid conditions and corruption at a U.S.-funded Afghan military hospital because it came too close to the general election.

Col Mark Fassl claims he asked for an investigation into the the state of an 'Auschwitz-like' hospital but was forced to withdraw his request by Lt Gen William Caldwell.

Fassl, who was inspector general for the training command, made his claims to a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee panel on Tuesday.

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My Comment: Cannot get this story out of mind. Talk about exercising horrible judgement .... and a Lt. General to boot who has seen past top 4-star generals being fired (i.e. Gen. Stanley McChrystal) for less. If these allegations are true .... Lt Gen William Caldwell should resign immediately.

Are Afghan Security Forces Succeeding In Keeping The Peace In Kandahar City?

Smoke rises from a building during a gun battle between Taliban members and government forces in Kandahar City on Monday afternoon, July 9. Police managed to kill all 14 suicide bombers involved in the attack, but the fighting left three policemen dead and 18 injured. Six civilians were also injured. Ahmad Nadeem/Reuters

Once The Conflict's Center, Kandahar City Calms -- Christian Science Monitor

The province has seen a 75 percent drop in insurgent attacks and activity compared with the same time last year, according to the Kandahar governor's office in Afghanistan.

Taliban insurgents attacked the police headquarters and several parts of Kandahar City on Monday afternoon in the sort of attack that's grown less frequent in this once turbulent southern city.

Police managed to kill all 14 suicide bombers involved in the attack, but the fighting left three policemen dead and 18 injured. Six civilians were also injured.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, which was part of the group’s regular warm weather offensive, said Qari Yousef Ahmadi, a spokesman for the Taliban. He added that the date of this attack was also meant to come near the one year anniversary of the assassination of President Hamid Karzai’s half-brother, Ahmad Wali, formerly one of the most prominent figures in southern Afghanistan. Ahmad Wali was killed by someone from his inner circle on July 12 of last year.

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My Comment: What's my take .... I call this the 'lull before the storm'.

Two More NATO Soldiers Murdered By Men In Afghan Police Uniforms

A U.S. Army paratrooper waits for helicopters to arrive on Forward Operating Base Arian for an air assault mission in Afghanistan's Ghazni province, May 4, 2012. The soldier is assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division’s Company C, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Michael J. MacLeod

Gunmen in Afghan Police Uniforms Kill 2 NATO Soldiers -- New York Times

KABUL, Afghanistan — A day after an assailant wearing an Afghan Army uniform killed an American soldier in eastern Afghanistan, two insurgents dressed in Afghan police uniforms on Saturday shot and killed two coalition soldiers in the south of the country, NATO said.

NATO did not confirm the nationality of those killed. But a spokesman for the governor of Helmand Province said that the attack took place in the Gereshk district of Helmand Province, and that those attacked were British soldiers. The spokesman, Dawoud Ahmadi, said two attackers in national Afghan police uniforms opened fire on NATO troops on a highway at a checkpoint near a base where British forces are stationed.

As the attackers tried to escape, Afghan police officers chased them and killed one, but the second attacker escaped, he said.

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More News On Afghan Police Officers Killing Two NATO Soldiers

Two NATO soldiers killed by men in Afghan police uniforms in latest 'green-on-blue' attack -- Miami Herald/McClatchy News
Afghan Gunmen in Uniform Target NATO Troops -- Voice of America
Men in Afghan police uniforms kill 2 NATO troops -- USA Today/AP
Men in Afghan uniforms kill two NATO troops: ISAF -- AFP

Who Killed Afghan Peace Envoy Rabbani?

Photo: Funeral of former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabban, who had been tabbed to lead the country's peace negotiations with the Taliban. Credit: Ahmad Masood / Reuters

Haqqani Network Denies Killing Afghan Envoy Rabbani -- BBC

A key leader of the Afghan militant group, the Haqqani network, has told the BBC it was not responsible for killing Burhanuddin Rabbani, the man overseeing Taliban peace talks.

Afghan officials have linked the Haqqanis to a suicide attacker who killed Rabbani with a bomb in a turban.

The leader, Siraj Haqqani, also told BBC Pashto his network was not linked to Pakistan's spy agency, the ISI.


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My Comment: If they did not kill him .... who did? It is very strange that no one is claiming responsibility for this specific attack .... because in this war claiming responsibility for a successful attack is second nature for the Taliban and their affiliated groups.

Update: PAKISTAN: Spy agency role in Afghan negotiator's slaying denied -- L.A. Times

New Commander Of American Special Operations Forces Defends Use Of Elite Unit In Disastrous Raid

Photo: Adm. William H. McRaven

Admiral Defends Use Of Elite Unit In Calamitous Raid -- New York Times

TAMPA, Fla. — The new commander of American Special Operations forces has defended the use of commandos in a Navy Seals unit to back up a raid in Afghanistan earlier this month that ended in tragedy when a Chinook helicopter was shot down, rejecting criticism that planning for the operation was different from other missions that had been carried out successfully, as many as a dozen on a typical night.



The commander, Adm. William H. McRaven, said “there was nothing unusual about this mission” to warrant the sustained criticism heard from some retired commandos and military analysts, who have questioned how the operation was planned and carried out and whether it was an appropriate use of the vaunted Navy Seals.



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My Comment: The final results from the investigation in this disastrous operation have yet to be published. Therefore .... Adm. William H. McRaven's comments are probably premature .... unless he already knows what the conclusions will be in this report.

U.S. Navy SEALS Killed In Afghanistan Named

A Rare Window Into A Closed World -- DoD Buzz

Everyone wants to know: Who are America’s most elite special operators? The Pentagon provided some clues on Thursday when it released the names of the service members who were killed in Saturday’s CH-47 Chinook crash in Afghanistan. And although we keep being told to wait until the investigations are complete before deciding what to think about the tragedy, Thursday’s grim roll at least provides a glimpse of the men who take some of the most dangerous missions in the world.



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More News On The Release Of The Names Of The US Navy SEALS Killed In Afghanistan

DoD Names Troops Killed in Afghan Shoot Down -- Military.com

Pentagon Releases Identities of SEALs Killed, Not Unit Name -- Bloomberg

Pentagon Releases Names of Personnel Killed in Helicopter Attack -- New York Times

Pentagon releases official list of dead from crash -- Washington Post

Names of troops killed in Afghan crash released -- Chicago Tribune/AP

Portraits of Navy SEALs killed in helicopter crash -- Boston.com/AP

Defense Department officially identifies service members killed in Afghanistan crash -- WTKR

Profiles in courage: A look at some of the SEALs who died -- Toronto Star

Defense officials: Fewer SEALs died in crash than originally believed -- CNN

Are The Taliban Winning In Afghanistan?

A US Army CH-47D Chinook helicopter from the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division prepares to land inside the landing zone at Forward Operation Base Joyce, in Kunar province, Afghanistan, Dec. 17, 2009. Image from US Army/DVIDS.

For Many Afghans, US Helicopter Crash Confirms Taliban Momentum -- Christian Science Monitor

The Taliban claimed responsibility for Saturday's deadly crash of a US military helicopter, and many Afghans say they doubt NATO's ability to turn back what appears to be fresh momentum for the Taliban.

The day after a helicopter crash resulted in the largest loss of American soldiers in a single day during a decade of war in Afghanistan, many locals say they fear it is a sign that the war will likely to drag on for a long time to come.

For most Afghans, the incident has done little to change their outlook on the future of the war. It has, however, confirmed their suspicions that NATO-led forces have yet to reverse the Taliban’s momentum.

“It is another big sign that indicates continuous fighting in Afghanistan," says Mirajudin Ahmadzai, a tribal elder in Nangarhar province. "That the Taliban can now shoot down a helicopter shows that they are getting more capable.”

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My Comment: American public sentiment is too leave .... and with this weekends heavy loss of life I expect this sentiment to grow. The Afghans are already starting to realize this, and (I predict) that as this conflict continues to grind on and the American public become better educated (like the Soviets did in the 1980s) that Afghanistan is an ungovernable place .... we will leave.

Three British Soldiers Murdered In Afghanistan Over A Bottle Of Water

Major James Joshua Bowman, Lieutenant Neal Turkington and Corporal Arjun Purja Pun Photo: PA

Afghanistan: Three British Soldiers Murdered Over A Bottle Of Water -- The Telegraph

Three British soldiers were murdered by an Afghan colleague weeks after a row over a water bottle led to the vandalism of a Gurkha religious shrine, an inquest has heard.

The deaths of Major James “Josh” Bowman, 34, Lt Neal Turkington, 26, and Cpl Arjun Purja Pun, 33, of 1st Bn The Royal Gurkha Rifles, also came a few weeks after a Gurkha accidentally shot dead an Afghan soldier.

Sgt Talib Hussein used a Minimi light machine gun, rocket-propelled grenade and M16 rifle to shoot the British soldiers at 2am as they slept or worked in the operations room. Four soldiers were also wounded.

The inquest heard that an Afghan soldier had been disciplined after he had been caught by a Gurkha officer taking a bottle of cold water from a fridge.

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My Comment: War sometimes brings out the best in people .... and (in this case) the worse.

Washington's Willingness To Placate The Russians Is Holding Up Vital Military equipment To Afghanistan

Army procurement missteps and an administration decision to lift sanctions on Russia’s state arms exporter prevented a Navy contractor from getting Mi-17 helicopters to Afghanistan's air force in time for the summer fighting season, according to current and former defense officials and military contractors. (Defense Technology Inc.)

Pro-Russia Policy Stalls Afghan Copters -- Washington Times

Moscow demands sole-source role.

A Pentagon program to rush 21 helicopters to Afghan military forces in time for this summer’s fighting season was derailed by the Obama administration’s conciliatory policy toward Russia and by Army procurement missteps amid allegations of corruption, according to current and former defense officials and military contractors.

Four Russian-made Mi-17 dual-use civilian-military helicopters were sent to Afghanistan in September 2009 under a competitively bid Navy contract that delivered the aircraft in a record 45 days.

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My Comment: Talking about corruption ....

Why Was Afghan President Karzai's Brother Murdered?

Hundreds of Afghan and international dignitaries joined the president at his palace on Friday to offer condolences over the assassination of Ahmed Wali Photo: Reuters

Killer Of Karzai's Half-Brother Worked Against Taliban, Officials Say -- CNN

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- The guard who killed the half-brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, had for years worked with International Security Assistance Forces against Taliban militants, according to three local officials with direct knowledge of the dealings.

Sardar Mohammed, who authorities say shot and killed Kandahar's provincial council chief Ahmed Wali Karzai, received training from ISAF and participated in intelligence gathering against militants across the region, according to Besmellah Afghanmal, a provincial council member with close ties to the Karzai family.

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More News On The Killing Of Afghan President Karzai's Brother Ahmed Wali Karzai

Relative: Karzai Killer Was Taliban Recruit -- Wall Street Journal
Hamid Karzai brother assassin 'close US ally who hunted Taliban' -- The Telegraph
Ahmed Wali Karzai’s killer had been a Taliban foe -- Washington Post
Killer of Karzai's Brother Was Longtime US Ally -- Newsmax
Karzai's killer a trusted ally -- Sydney Moring Herald
It's Weird That The Taliban Would Have Hired That Guy To Kill Karzai's Brother Since That Guy Hated The Taliban -- Business Insider
Karzai killer may have changed sides -- UPI
Karzai assassin 'addicted to hashish' -- The Australian/AFP
Dining With the Karzais -- Rachel Nolan, New York Times
My interview with Karzai’s half brother -- Trudy Rubin, Miami Herald
Taliban explain Ahmad Wali's killing -- M K Bhadrakumar, Asia Times

How The SAS Defeated The Taliban At Kabul's Inter-Continental Hotel

Foreign soldiers leave the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul after a military operation. The hotel was attacked by gunmen on Tuesday. Photograph: Pedro Ugarte/AFP

Hotel Attack: How The SAS Defeated The Taliban -- NZHerald

The Taliban forces crept towards their target late at night, detonating a bomb and shooting at security guards to start their attack on Kabul's Inter-Continental Hotel.

Five hours later, with the building on fire and more than a dozen people dead, New Zealand SAS swooped low in a Black Hawk helicopter and ended the insurgents' resistance in a dramatic firefight.

Other SAS had cleared the building from the inside, with at least one suffering "moderate" injuries.

Prime Minister John Key called the actions "crucial" in the course of the battle.

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My Comment: The above picture expresses a thousand words.

Trust Between U.S. And Afghan Soldiers Deteriorating

U.S. Army soldiers make their way to the Zabul Juvenile Detention Facility in Afghanistan's Zabul province, May 11, 2011. The soldiers, assigned to 25th Infantry Division's 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, are members of Provincial Reconstruction Team Zabul. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Brian Ferguson

Report Sees Danger In Local Allies -- Wall Street Journal

Study Says Killings of Americans by Afghan Security Forces Represent a 'Systemic Threat' to the U.S. War Effort.

KABUL—The killings of American soldiers by Afghan troops are turning into a "rapidly growing systemic threat" that could undermine the entire war effort, according to a classified military study.

The study by Jeffrey Bordin, a political and behavioral scientist working for the U.S. Army in Afghanistan, warns that the magnitude of the killings "may be unprecedented between 'allies' in modern history."

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My Comment: My Russian relatives who fought in Afghanistan always told me that they had to be very careful when they were around Afghan soldiers. As far as my cousins were concerned, the Afghan soldiers were always quick to pledge allegiance to the Afghan Central government .... but behind closed doors their allegiance was to the mujaheddin.

Hmmmm .... it appears that we are repeating history.

It Seems That The Afghan Rules Of Engagement Give The Taliban A "Get Out Of Jail Free Card"

A U.S. soldier guards suspected Taliban prisoners in May 2006. John McHugh/AFP/Getty Images

Afghan Rules Of Engagement Force U.S. Soldiers To Free Insurgents Caught Red-Handed -- Washington Examiner

Several Taliban detainees who had been captured in February after being observed placing bombs in the culverts of roads used by civilians and military convoys near Kandahar were fed, given medical treatment, then released by American troops frustrated by a policy they say is forcing them to kick loose enemies who are trying to kill them.

Despite what American soldiers say was a mountain of evidence, which included a video of the men planting the bomb and chemical traces found on their hands, there was nothing the soldiers who had captured them could do but feed and care for them for 96 hours and then set them free.

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My Comment: Such a STUPID policy will ultimately cost lives .... but such is the sad state of affairs in Afghanistan today.

The Story Of A Platoon In Afghanistan

Members of Kilo Company, Fifth Marine Regiment, in Afghanistan on March 18. 'The public pays attention to Charlie Sheen,' said Capt. Nick Johnson. 'No one's heard of Sgt. Abate.' Bing West

Meanwhile, In The War In Afghanistan... -- Wall Street Journal

The decade-long conflict may be old news at home, but in one Marine platoon, it starts new every day.

On March 17, St. Patrick's Day, a dozen Marines, coated in mud, were sloshing through poppy fields in southern Afghanistan. Walking point for the patrol, Lance Cpl. Cody "Yaz" Yazzie swept a small metal detector back and forth. Twelve grunts from the Third Platoon followed carefully in his footsteps.

Back in the U.S., the news was dominated by events in Libya, the start of March Madness in college basketball and the latest court appearance of Lindsay Lohan. The fighting season in Afghanistan had begun, too, but in the U.S., the decade-old war is now largely ignored.

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My Comment: A eye opening account of what it is like to be a foot soldier in Afghanistan. Read it all.