U.S. Troops Kill 17 Afghanistan Militants

AP via Yahoo! News ^ | 06/04/04 | N/A

[sarasota]

It's all a part of the political correctedness. And a sham.

[Dog]

Thanks Coop.

[cake_crumb]

I've been wondering why the UN peacekeeping forces in Afghanistan haven't voluntarily incinerated teh poppy fields. Rhetorically of course, since we know UN officials are getting kickbacks off the opium trade juat as they are with the slave trade.

Great letter.

Semper Fi.

[US_MilitaryRules]

Thank you US Troops!

[DoctorMichael]

"........ killed 17 militants.........."

Is this the Taliban's MASSIVE Spring Offensive the media has been talking about?

[Dog]

CNN just reported there were 100 Taliban and Al Qaeda involved in this fight.

[P-Marlowe]

Three U.S. Marines were slightly wounded in the fighting

I'm sure they were wounded more seriously than John Kerry. Otherwise they would not have been reported as being wounded at all.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks for posting the letter.

Over time this country may be a larger challenge than Iraq.

At least they have oil.

[xkaydet65]

Kill them !! Kill those who send them!! Kill those who celebrate what they do!!

[MediaMole]

Why does the AP call them militants? They are terrorist plan and simple!

Because AP is still busy shaving achmed's corpse and putting a wedding dress on so they can claim we bombed another wedding.

[ASA Vet]

Thank you US Marines!

[samadams2000]

Thats all?? Next time tripple it!

[Criminal Number 18F]

Thanks. I read the letter on Blackfive. I am trying to figure out if these are the same guys we worked with (they have renumbered the units, and renamed them from BANA which was an English acronym to Khandak (battalions), a renaming which was very pleasing to the Afghans.

While I was there, French soldiers were doing basic training and an NCO academy, and US Army Special Forces were doing advanced training and acting as unit advisors -- much like this Marine says he is doing now. It was a very ordinary SF mission but the conventional Army wanted in. IMHO it is much, much better in the hands of the Marines than soldiers of a US infantry division. The other services make fun of the Marines, but the Marines *think*.

The one real loss is that the Marines don't have good medics, or I should say, as good medics as special operations elements do. It is a huge boost to morale to know that you have a couple guys who could intubate you, crack your chest or do a cutdown to an artery.

The units are carefully recruited to have a representative ethnic/racial/tribal mixture both overall and in key positions. Of course, many of the troops retain a loyalty to their home family, tribe and warlord...

If the battalion I saw and operated with was any indication (and Operation Roll Tide was the ANA's first combat mission) they are going to be alright.


d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Why does the AP call them militants? They are terrorist plan and simple!

Personally I am surprised they didn't call them heroic martyrs.