Joint al Qaeda and Taliban force behind Kunar base attack ( Attack killed Nine US Soldiers )

Long War Journal ^ | July 14, 2008 9:03 PM | Bill Roggio

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

This is a lengthy Excerpt ....more at the Website.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

fyi

[Perdogg]

I am assuming that the soldiers killed were from the 173rd Airborne Brigade, right?

[Stonewall Jackson]

This sounds like the Battle of Fire Base Tomahawk.

On June 19, 1969, Viet Cong forces almost overran the fire base manned by Battery C, 138th Field Artillery of the Kentucky National Guard. Ten Americans were killed and another thirty-five were wounded before they managed to secure their perimeter. All of the casualties were from the small town of Bardstown (population at the time: 6,040), which coupled with additional losses over the course of the war gave Bardstown the sad distinction of having the highest casualty rate per population of any American town or city during the Vietnam War.

[trad_anglican]

Questions that come to mind:

1) Why did we move troops in before fortifications were complete?

2) We must have figured this was a vital location. Why didn't we know the "lay of the land" and have local contacts before moving troops in?

3) Who gave the terrorists advanced notice that we were coming?

4) Did they force the villagers from their homes or did the villagers cooperate with them?

[tobyhill]

Since all the residents are “expelled” from the town it would be a good time for the US to wipe the town off the map and take some terrorist with it.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

It’s not clear...but likely if as Roggio seems to think that the Soldiers were from the 173rd Airborne Brigade.

[McGruff]

4) ...insurgents had fired "with small arms, machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and mortars using homes, shops and the mosque in the village of Wanat for cover."

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

maine-iac7 ·may have some detail....

[Perdogg]

Here's a story from WBIR in Knoxville TN about a local soldier who was killed.

[omega4179]

Get ready for armchair generals to critique the attack 3,2,1...

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Prayers for his wife and family.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I think this is moving beyond a Hearts and Mind operation.....

[Perdogg]

Same here.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

FR Thread with NY Times report on the attack:

9 U.S. Soldiers Killed in Attack in Afghanistan

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

fyi

[Tallguy]

If the fortifications were incomplete, some of the troop casualties could have been combat engineers who were there to beef things up.

[Dog]

Brigade 055...they are AQ’s best of the best.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Brigade 055

How do we know about them?

...Have they moved beyond Cells?

[neverdem]

Thanks for the ping.