What Really Happened In Wanat?

My Comment: I have done a large number of posts on this subject over the years, and I suspect that CNN and others will be studying (this battle) this battle long after the war in Afghanistan is over.

Rewritting The History Of The Battle Of Wanat

Army Edits Its History Of The Deadly Battle Of Wanat -- Washington Post

The Army's official history of the battle of Wanat - one of the most intensely scrutinized engagements of the Afghan war - largely absolves top commanders of the deaths of nine U.S. soldiers and instead blames the confusing and unpredictable nature of war.

The history of the July 2008 battle was almost two years in the making and triggered a roiling debate at all levels of the Army about whether mid-level and senior battlefield commanders should be held accountable for mistakes made under the extreme duress of combat.

An initial draft of the Wanat history, which was obtained by The Washington Post and other media outlets in the summer of 2009, placed the preponderance of blame for the losses on the higher-level battalion and brigade commanders who oversaw the mission, saying they failed to provide the proper resources to the unit in Wanat.

Read more ....

My Comment: I missed this story last week .... the joys of suffering the flu. As to the Wanat report .... a whitewash .... I did not expect anything less.

Revisiting The 2008 Battle At Wanat

Army Overturns Reprimands Of Officers In Battle Of Wanat -- ABC News

New Report 'Withdrew, Cancelled and Annulled' Punishments of Silver Star Winner, 2 Others

The Army has reversed a decision to issue letters of reprimand to three officers faulted for their role in the Taliban's deadly attack in July 2008 on an exposed combat outpost in Wanat , Afghanistan, that left nine American soldiers dead and 27 wounded.

The attack remains one of the deadliest battles in the nine-year conflict in Afghanistan.

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More News On The Decision To Remove Letters Of Reprimand On The Battle Of Wanat

Wanat Review -- www.Army.mil
Army rejects recommendations to reprimand officers in bloody Afghanistan battle -- Seattle Times
Officers Face No Penalties in 2008 Battle in Afghanistan -- New York Times
No punishment after deadly Afghanistan firefight -- AP
General reverses his decision about deadly Wanat battle -- CNN
U.S. probe of 2008 Afghan battle which left 9 Americans killed clears soldiers of wrongdoing -- Wire Update
Army overturns reprimands of 3 Wanat officers -- Army Times

Previous Posts:
Silver Star Soldier Reprimanded For Battle At Wanat, Afghanistan
Some More News On The Battle At Wanat
Taliban Video Shows Attack That Killed 9 US Soldiers
Did Bad Decisions Set Stage For 9 U.S. Deaths In Afghanistan?
US Commanders Are Called Incompetent In Afghan Battle Of Wanat
Commander: Media Reports On Afghanistan Outpost Battle Were Exaggerated

Silver Star Soldier Reprimanded For Battle At Wanat, Afghanistan

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Soldier Gets Silver Star, Reprimand For Same Battle -- CNN

Washington (CNN) -- A U.S. Army officer who was honored for valor after his combat outpost in Afghanistan was attacked has also received a letter of reprimand for failing to secure the base before the attack, according to Army officials. Such a letter normally would prevent career advancement.

U.S. Army Capt. Matthew Myer received the Silver Star for his part in repelling a Taliban attack on his small combat outpost in eastern Afghanistan in July 2008.

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More News On The Wanat Reprimands

Three Officers Face Reprimands Over 2008 Battle -- New York Times
Soldier Awarded and Punished in Same Battle -- FOX News
Silver Star Winner Reprimanded for Afghan Battle -- ABC news
War Hero Gets Career-Ending Reprimand -- CBS News
Report: Silver Star recipient among officers reprimanded for mistakes at Wanat -- Stars And Stripes

Some More News On The Battle At Wanat

Wanat Video II -- Captain's Journal

In Wanat Video we saw from the U.S. perspective what the Battle of Wanat looked like, especially from the air. Courtesy of the NEFA Foundation, ABC News aired a video of the battle from the perspective of the Taliban. Taliban commander Maulvi Mandibula claims to have orchestrated the attack, but there some significant propaganda in this video. He claims that the locals “tipped off” the Taliban to the location of VPB Wanat.

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My Comment: Previous posts by the Captain's Journal provide an excellent summary and discussion on what had happened at Wanat .... they are listed at the bottom of his post .... read it all.

Taliban Video Shows Attack That Killed 9 US Soldiers

Click Image to Enlarge
(Image from Army Times)

'Relax, Brother': Exclusive Video Shows Taliban Attack That Killed 9 U.S. Soldiers at Afghan Post -- ABC News

It was one of the deadliest attacks of the war for U.S. forces in Afghanistan. The target: a remote U.S. outpost in Wanat, Nuristan. The date: July 13, 2008.

ABC News has obtained a view of the battle unseen until now: the attack, filmed by the Taliban as they assaulted the base. The exclusive video of the attack was obtained via the NEFA Foundation.

The video begins by showing Taliban fighters walking on a mountain path. They appear relaxed and comfortable, walking through the area armed but unchallenged. They are heard chatting calmly on their radios.

Read more ....

Previous Post: US Commanders Are Called Incompetent In Afghan Battle Of Wanat

My Comment: Even though this attack occurred last year, this video will only raise more questions than answers.

Did Bad Decisions Set Stage For 9 U.S. Deaths In Afghanistan?

Click Image to Enlarge
(Image from Army Times)

From McClatchy News:

In the days before one of the fiercest battles in America's eight-year war in Afghanistan, Army Capt. Benjamin Pry argued for more surveillance flights to help his beleaguered unit of fewer than 50 soldiers.

Since moving into a new outpost on July 8, 2008, they had struggled with shortages of water, fuel, food and heavy machinery to help defend against an enemy attack that they believed would eventually come. Lacking excavating equipment, the troops dug fortifications by scraping the rocky soil with spades and bare hands.

Then on July 12, headquarters commanders diverted drones — remotely operated planes outfitted with cameras to spot enemy movements — to another area. Pry argued so hard to undo that decision that he said he breached professional etiquette. Still, he was unsuccessful.

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My Comment: To read more on this battle and the U.S. Military's report/analysis on it, I recommend the following post at the Captain's Journal.

US Commanders Are Called Incompetent In Afghan Battle Of Wanat

(Click Above Image to Enlarge)
Battle of Wanat. Image from Army Times

Report: US Commanders 'Incompetent' Over Nine Soldiers Killed In Afghan Battle Of Wanat -- The Telegraph

An unpublished report into one of the US Army's darkest days, when nine soldiers were killed by the Taliban at a remote Afghan outpost, has branded their commanders incompetent.

The official report into the battle of Wanat, on July 13 last year, describes the bravery of soldiers who kept fighting even after they were hit. One mortally wounded soldier continued to pass ammunition as he lay dying, and his comrades' bravery and professionalism ensured that the outpost was never overrun.

But cocksure officers conducted themselves so poorly before the battle that they angered the local villagers whom they were supposed to win over, the report states.

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Update: Wanat (VIII): An Army report finds a major COIN failure -- Foreign Policy

My Comment: No holds are barred in this report. It is scathing and highly critical of the commanders responsible for this FOB. It is a warning sign that some U.S. commanders may not be following counter insurgency doctrine, and if they are not they are endangering the lives of soldiers and the civilian population.

I expect the blogosphere to be discussing this extensively in the next few days, and I will have a complete wrap-up of this story at that time.