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Nato Afghan Bases Come Under Attack
Up to 30 Taliban-linked fighters, including suicide bombers, have attacked two Nato bases in Afghanistan's east.
Up to 30 Taliban-linked fighters, including suicide bombers, have attacked two Nato bases in Afghanistan's east. (AFP/File/David Furst) At least 21 fighters were killed and four Nato soldiers wounded in the pre-dawn attacks on Saturday, officials told Al Jazeera.
The fighters launched the first attack on the Forward Operating Base Salerno in Khost province near the southeastern border with Pakistan before moving on to occupy the nearby Camp Chapman.
The heavily fortified Chapman base is the site of an attack last December in which seven CIA officers were killed by a suicide bomber, the second-most deadly attack in CIA history.
Co-ordinated attacks
"About 28 to 30 fighters belonging to the Haqqani network, which is a group closely affiliated to the Taliban, tried to carry out the attack," Al Jazeera's Hoda Abdel-Hamid, reporting from the capital, Kabul, said.
"At about 4am the fighters launched co-ordinated attacks on the two bases in the Khost province," she said.
"What followed was a standoff that lasted way into the early morning."
Lieutenant Commander Katie Kendrick, a Nato spokeswoman, confirmed the attacks.
"Afghan National Security Forces and International Security Assistance Force soldiers repelled two attacks at bases in Khost province today," Nato said in a statement.
"While the majority of the attacking fighters were killed outside of the [bases], two insurgents managed to breach the perimeter and made it onto ... Salerno. Coalition forces had the two insurgents under surveillance and when they cut the fence, a quick reaction force was dispatched to the location where they were killed immediately."
The Haqqani network is responsible for some of Afghanistan's highest-profile attacks, including a January 2008 attack on the Serena Hotel in Kabul - a favorite expat haunt - and an April 2008 assassination attempt against Afghan president Hamid Karzai. US and Nato commanders have called Haqqani their greatest strategic threat in Afghanistan.
Despite the presence of almost 150,000 foreign troops, violence across Afghanistan is at its worst since the Taliban were ousted by US-backed Afghan forces in late 2001.
More than 2,000 foreign troops have been killed, most of them Americans, since the conflict began.
Hundreds of civilians have also been caught in the crossfire, with civilian deaths spiking by 31 per cent in the first six months of this year, according to a United Nations report.
Contractors killed
Meanwhile on Saturday, the Nato-led International Security Assistance
Force said its forces had mistakenly killed two private security
contractors after one of its patrols came under fire from fighters in
Wardak province, west of the capital, Kabul.
A car approached
the patrol on a highway in the Maidan Shahr district of Wardak on
Friday and men could be seen shooting out of the vehicle's windows, Isaf
said in a statement.
The patrol fired on the vehicle, killing two people inside later identified as private security contractors.
"It
is believed that the private security contractors were returning fire
against the same insurgents who had just previously attacked the
coalition vehicle, and had increased their speed to break contact," Isaf
said.
Poor security is one of the main concerns for Afghans
before parliamentary elections on September 18, a milestone after
fraud-marred presidential polls last year and with Barack Obama, the US
president, planning a strategy review in December.
31 Comments so far
Show All"The fighters launched the first attack on the Forward Operating Base Salerno . . . "
Salerno was, if I remember right, the first place the Allies landed when they invaded Italy in WWII. I await news of Forward Operating Bases Monte Cassino and Anzio - two bloody disasters for the Gringos during the Italian campaign. The handles will probably look good to the Pentagon goombahs who think up these names and never check out the details. Thirty years from now, during America's war in Pakistan or Iran, there will be a Forward Operating Base Khost and no one will remember what the name refers to.
I think this is merely silly.
According to the BBC, some of the attackers were wearing US Army uniforms. The BBC journalist reports that it took him about five minutes to find surplus US Army uniforms on sale in a market in Kabul. To quote another BBC figure - Private Fraser in the sitcom "Dad's Army" - "We're doomed!"
Over 100,000 consumerist soldiers leave behind tons of stuff. I wouldn't be surprised if the soldiers just give that stuff away when they no longer "need" it... as part of our commitment to "win hearts and minds".
If it is anything like Nam the goods from supply are sold in the downtown market.
WARS -- MOST DEMOCRATIC
Wars are won by the side able to be the most brutal.
Likewise is democracy, for the voting majority is always the 51% most aggressive and wealthy, and elections are won by Democrats or Republicans depending on which party is the most economically enslaving and police state brutal toward the lower half of society.
Socialism, the only way to go.
It's a dilemma... because socialism is also brutal and subjects the human spirit.
Call it what you wish, but we need a fair and just government controlled by a majority of the people.
Majority is not always "fair and just". Had it been up to the vote, would the slaves have been freed? would women have the vote? could gays marry whom they love? Some societal needs are outside of the mandate of the majority. A system that does not serve individual liberty - EXCEPTING the liberty to hurt others - is unfit for human government.
"At least 21 fighters were killed and four Nato soldiers wounded in the pre-dawn attacks on Saturday, officials told Al Jazeera."
–This story, despite being from Al Jazeera, does not ring true.
How can among the 30 insurgents for the liberation of Afghanistan, 21 be killed, while only 4 of Nato's imperial fascists– only be 'wounded?' Of course the imperial 'Storm Troopers' are all made of Kryptonite.
Is Al Jazeera now an American 'Black Ops' enterprise now run under the auspices of the C.I.A.?
Vaguely reminiscent of what many of our older American friends tell us about the triumphalist American newspaper headlines during the Vietnam war: "1500 Viet-Cong killed in battle, 2 U.S. Soldiers!"
Why is every battle the U.S. engages in somehow always made to resemble the battle of the Alamo, against Mexico?
Despite, even if the reported disparity in the death count were true, which would elicit great sadness, the very fact that the imperial bases are being breached, is good news for the future.
If not the future of the fascist occupation, good news for the larger human spirit, for which any fascist victory is inimical.
I don't think that there was any attack from Taliban-allied forces. I always get suspicious when officials say "suicide bomber", because I see it as an attempt to stop the discussion on the merits of the story.
I think that we killed a bunch of people, as usual, for political gain... THE VERY DEFINITION OF TERRORISM.
Everything we do in Iraq and Afghanistan is terror.
SOCIALISM : "A theory and a movement advocating public ownership of the ESSENTIAL means of production".. Clear? Such as providing hospital, schools, medications, doctors, nurses, roads, transport, clean water, police, army... and all those other ESSENTIALS.. for ALL. Some 'don't like' that idea?.... and, some think Socialism is a form of Communism? It is not... COMMUNISM : "A condition in which ALL property is in common owership." See the difference? (Penguin Dictionary of Philosophy.)
You are talking about the mechanics of socialism, which leaves us open to attack by capitalists who accuse us of robbing them of their rights. Property rights being above basic human rights according to their way of thinking. The principle being that if we deserve to live, we must also deserve the wealth to live, which proves that we deserve to be all we can be, to own all we can own and to be a dictator over all who are on land that we own. In essence to enrich our selves upon the misery others.
Whereas, the principle of socialism is that we do not deserve to live, this day of life being far more then anyone deserves. The result being that socialists enrich themselves upon the enrichment of others.
The very first "land owner" was a thief. Before that, the land belonged to all and every being.
TRUE SOCIALISM -- NOT GREEDY EQUALITY
Jonathan Edwards
“Democracy is a dilemma... socialism is
also brutal and subjects the human spirit."
LIGHT
Democracy is the illusion that we are all equal to the rich, equal in ability to be rich and equal in deserving to be rich. Which creates an ingrate mind and a guilt-free conscience that always takes all it can take.
Whereas, true socialism is the reality that no one deserves to be equal, not equal to the rich or equal anyone else. For to be truly social one must comprehend that this day of life is more then you deserve, as it creates a grateful harmless mind that always gives all it can give.
Nato says Haqqani might be their greatest strategic threat.
I told you we are fighting the Pastun Nation.
Haqqani is not a Talib !!
And the USA is doing its best to create a civil war situation. Uzbeks, Tajiks and Harraris against Pashtuns.
Sorta of like the Sunni- Shite civil war more easily instigated in Iraq.
Where AlQueda is, ( Iraq), Courtesy the USA invasion.
When the Journalist reported on the diatribe of McChrystal that got that general in "hot water' i mentioned how the Soldiers were arguing they were fighting the war with one hand tied behind their back due to the polcies of trying to limit "collateral damage".
When Patreus was appointed I suggested that this policy would change.
http://news.antiwar.com/2010/08/27/nato-kills-six-children-in-afghanistan-air-strike/
6 children killed while collecting scrap metal. The usual "we are investigating the claims" by NATO.
Now imagine a bomb went off in a playground in New York State wherein 6 American children killed.
What would be the consequences? How is it CHILDREN can be killed daily in Countries the West CHOSE to invade and their deaths do not cause that same "Outrage" ?
What do these pilots do when they go out on an airstrike mission? Just drop their payload on ANY person they see?
I am sure like those that defended bombing Children at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we have those who will support the murder of children because "They are Afghans, and that good enough" , but it should be abundantly clear to anyone that we have NO business being there and if we can not keep children safe from our own bombs should not be dropping them.
How many children must be killed so that we are "safe" from "terrorism"?
I agree.
We should only be senselessly killing people at least 15 years old.
The children should be spared.
The "News" from Afghanistan...no less valid.
NATO helicopter shot , 24 US-NATO invaders with 14 puppets killed in Khost operation Aug. 28 - 28 Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate participated in two separate large scale operations in Shahar Bagh and Old airbase areas in Khost province killed about 40 US-NATO and 14 local ANA and ANP puppets were killed Saturday. According to the report from the Khost province, 19 invaders were killed in Sahar Bagh and 21 got killed in the Old airbase areas of Khost with 8 soldiers of ANA and 6 cowardly policemen during the 7-hour long operation, also two of the NATO helicopter got shot with RPG's during the fighting, many other military vehicles and equipment were destroyed and damaged. Out of the 28 Mujahideen who took part in this heroic operation 22 were martyred and 6 returned safely. Reported by Zabihullah Mujahid
Number of US-NATO helicopter shot down in Khost Aug. 28 – Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate shot down Saturday evening another invaders helicopter while hovering in the air during the battle Mujahideen said from the area, adding that the frenzy fighting is still ongoing. Reported by Zabihullah Mujahid
Several enemy soldiers killed in martyrdom operation in Khost Aug. 28 – After the Mujahideen's successful operation in the Sara Bagh area of Khost province was over at about 10: 00 am, one of the Mujahids, as per preplanned tactic stayed inside the enemy base and detonated his explosives as soon as the enemy soldiers came into the base, in which several enemy soldiers were killed or injured on Saturday morning. Reported by Zabihullah Mujahid
Civilians Deaths up 31% this year in OilyBomber's kinder gentler war.
You should have voted for Kucinich.
Oh right, he had no chance in hell given the American political system.
Then, you should have voted for McCain.
Oh right, he's a senile wounded version of Bush II.
I guess Obama is the best President the American System will ever let you vote for.
Too bad.
Even if he *wanted* to change American War policy, he would be assassinated in two months.
"Jonathan Edwards
“Democracy is a dilemma... socialism is
also brutal and subjects the human spirit."
Socialism...
'To advocate public ownership (that is, provided from the public purse) of the essential means of production - producing clean water, hospitals, schools, transport etc. for ALL (including those who taxes go into that public purse) is 'brutal and subjects the human spirit'??
When the millions of people with barely enough to keep body and 'spirit' together have, for example, sick children they do not usually care about where the money comes from that is 'subjecting their human spirit'.
As for : "Democracy", the Ancient greeks (including Plato as in his 'Republic') thought democracy the worst form of government..
~
"power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely"
Socialist leaders and politicians are also subject to that rule, and what's far more dangerous is when they justify their oppression in the name of the people. Anarchists have it right when it comes to challenging state power, and limiting its abuse no matter the names used, whether its "democracy" or "socialism".
let us not forget that in the name of "socialism" the Greek president just sold out his people to the IMF, the World Bank and European leaders. so much for "socialist" principles.
If he was truly a "socialist" he would not have sold out.
He merely calls himself one. By agreeing to the IMF he followed the principles of Capitalism.
That, to me, sounds like the same excuse Christians make about the atrocities of the Christian past. "If they would have been true Christians..."
All of these systems are designed to deprive the individual of real power and participation, of liberty to choose, and enslaving him/her. Call it what you want. Democracy, Monarchy, Socialism, Fascism, Communism... all of these systems enslave the in individual to the 'collective' and yet, while we are social being, we are individuals.
Yes, it IS brutal and subjects the human spirit, because like the "tyranny of the majority" expressed in Democracy, it exercises it's own tyranny in that it deprives humans of the choice to participate... or not. All these '-ism's reduce man to a servant, a slave to the power wielder, the property of the one who forces him or her.
How many children should be spared? Got to kill the children, children grow up !!
""And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead." (Exodus 12:29-30)"
God's word.. and 'He' should know.
~
John...
"Whereas, the principle of socialism is that we do not deserve to live,..."
I think that it is Christians who say we 'do not deserve to live' ... sinners that we all are..
Tsk
~
'John'
"Even if he (obama) *wanted* to change American War policy, he would be assassinated in two months."
Right.
~
"Jonathan Edwards August 29th, 2010 5:42 pm
Yes, it IS brutal and subjects the human spirit, because like the "tyranny of the majority" expressed in Democracy, it exercises it's own tyranny in that it deprives humans of the choice to participate... or not.
"
............................................
How on EARTH does Socialism 'deprive humans of the choice to participate'?????????? In many countries, such as America, England, Australia...etc., Socialism runs alongside Capitalism. Are the amazingly different 'isms' 'socialism' and 'communism' STILL being confused? Communism could well be understood to mean : 'it deprives humans of the choice to participate.. or not'.
Under no circumstances could socialism be said to deprive people of a choice to participate or not!.. I can't even begin to understand how this idea could be thought to be what socialism consists in.
~
It's because you are happy to exploit others for your own gain, in your own way. ;-)
There are many programs I would not participate in, if I had a choice. Of course I can choose not to participate, except I cannot choose "not" to participate with my labour, which is forcefully taken from me, be it for the fiat-currency debt which is run up against my will, be it for the war industry and its wars of aggression, be it for the bloated 'health' industry, be it for a pension fund which is unlikely to exist by the time I am retirement age, be it for an 'unemployment insurance' fund which is completely inadequate should I ever need it, and other such programs. Whatever the opinion on the merits of these systems and programs - and I am sure you attach vastly different values to them than I do - is irrelevant to this discussion, as the issue is "tyranny" vs. the 'freedom to choose' participation.
[I suppose people are happy to "socialize" their expenses, however, not their income/gains/profit. People want socialized education in form of subsidized tuition, but once they are finished with their studies, they want to have the right to charge half a million dollars or more per year for their 'services'.]