Huge Taliban Attack on American Base (updated)

Posted on July 17th, 2008 by ecthompson

For the last three years, I have asserted that we need to get control of Afghanistan. We need to find the Taliban leaders and kill or capture them in order to destroy the Taliban. But, the Bush administration thought that a “surge” was not needed in Afghanistan but instead in Iraq. As a result, Afghanistan has been allowed to smolder while the Taliban has become more organized.

I find it interesting that the Taliban thought that they were strong enough to test an American military outpost. This is a bad sign of things to come. We need another 20 to 30 thousand troops in Afghanistan, now.

From the Washington Post:

Nine U.S. soldiers were killed in heavy fighting Sunday at a military base in eastern Afghanistan near the Pakistani border, according to a Western official. The attack was the deadliest against U.S. forces in the country since 2005.

The clash began when insurgents in a nearby village attacked a joint Afghan and American military outpost in Konar province early Sunday morning, NATO said in a statement. The insurgents fired on the base with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades for several hours, injuring 19 Afghan and NATO troops. (more… )

Update: I was going to post a whole new story but this is really a continuation. The Taliban has overrun this outpost (near the eastern town of Wanat). U.S. forces pulled out. We only had 25 soldiers at this post and nine were killed a couple of days ago. Still, we need to take the fight to the Taliban. We need more troops. NATO ain’t it. At least not right now. NATO, like the rest of the world, looks to us to lead. Once, we wake up and truly engage the Taliban then NATO forces will also wake up.

The Bush administration should be ashamed that we have 25 soldiers on an island. That just isn’t right.

Tags: Afghanistan // View Comments

  • RDB -

    You are right. The Taliban aren't playing around. They are serious and we need to get serious if we want to hold on to Afghanistan.

    Thanks for your comments.
  • ecthompson
    RDB -

    You are right. The Taliban aren't playing around. They are serious and we need to get serious if we want to hold on to Afghanistan.

    Thanks for your comments.
  • if they do not squash
    the taliban, they will be in kabul b4 december
  • rawdawgbuffalo
    if they do not squash
    the taliban, they will be in kabul b4 december
  • margaret
    Doesn't Petreaus go before the congress in September? All of a sudden we will have a victory and the men will be sent to Afghanistan. Just watch how fast the victory will come out of his mouth only because the Al-Maliki wants a timetable and Bush won't get it so it is going to turn into a victory so the republicans can start saying " See we knew we were right " It won't get us out until Obama gets in. McCain and Bush have to spin this somehow. The Afghan prison just lost 800 militants. They have restored their groups and are going to start hitting harder. We don't have the stomach to handle hundreds of soldiers being killed a month. So they will have to do something and victory will be the only way to get the troops needed. Nato isn't going to go if it is dangerous. We don't have enough to go everywhere.
  • margaret
    Doesn't Petreaus go before the congress in September? All of a sudden we will have a victory and the men will be sent to Afghanistan. Just watch how fast the victory will come out of his mouth only because the Al-Maliki wants a timetable and Bush won't get it so it is going to turn into a victory so the republicans can start saying " See we knew we were right " It won't get us out until Obama gets in. McCain and Bush have to spin this somehow. The Afghan prison just lost 800 militants. They have restored their groups and are going to start hitting harder. We don't have the stomach to handle hundreds of soldiers being killed a month. So they will have to do something and victory will be the only way to get the troops needed. Nato isn't going to go if it is dangerous. We don't have enough to go everywhere.
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