Soldiers in Afghanistan facing growing danger from supposed allies

(CBS News) BALTIMORE, Md. - U.S. forces are facing a growing danger: attacks by Afghan allies.

Since January 2007, 88 NATO troops have been killed by Afghan security forces. CBS News National Security correspondent David Martin spoke with the family of one fallen U.S. soldier.

Army Major Robert Marchanti had a family photo on his desk when he was killed last February. The Afghan policeman who shot him and Lieutenant Colonel John Loftis from behind probably saw it. Marchanti's wife Peggy Marchanti -- who was at the head of his funeral procession -- was so shattered it took her some time to comprehend the killer was not the enemy but a supposed ally.

Army Major Robert Marchanti and his wife Peggy Marchanti

/ CBS

"The pain, the tragedy involved is what it is," Peggy told CBS News. "But it does make it ... it just does sting a little bit more that it was by the same people he was trying to help and that he trusted."

"If he would have known he wasn't safe, then he would have been able to fight for himself. I just don't think he had the opportunity," daughter Leah Marchanti said.

Marchanti and Loftis were working at a heavily guarded building in Kabul which is frequently visited by officials, including Defense Secretary Leon Panneta.

"I thought that was a very safe place," Peggy said. "I thought that was the safest place you could probably be in Afghanistan."

Their deaths happened three days after American servicemen mistakenly burned copies of the Quran they had confiscated from enemy prisoners. Everybody was on high alert for trouble.

"The last time I talked to him he said he was in lockdown so I went to bed thinking, you know, he's safe," Peggy recalled.

Marchanti and Loftis worked behind a door protected by a combination lock, but the door was somehow open and the Afghan policeman was able to simply walk up behind them -- and then make his escape.

"He killed them both and closed the door behind him and walked out. How he got out... he must have gotten help. Some people have been arrested. Some people have been let go," Peggy said, and added that she thinks it may have been a conspiracy.

Peggy said that killer himself is gone.

U.S. investigators told Peggy that her husband's killer fled to Pakistan after the shooting. She had the flag which draped his casket when it came home, but as long as his killer remains in Pakistan she knows she is unlikely to get justice.

[ohitsubob]

"The pain, the tragedy involved is what it is," Peggy told CBS News. "But it does make it ... it just does sting a little bit more that it was by the same people he was trying to help and that he trusted." Don't for a second ever think any of those people (or the Pakistanis, or the Saudis, or the Iraqis...) are our allies and can be trusted. They tolerate us because the have to. Given the choice, they would shoot us all.

[pbaird2]

We mistakenly believe democracy can be developed anywhere. Cultures such as those in the Middle East cannot comprehend the theory of democracy and find it fearful; they are unable to process the concept of individual freedom of thought. The best we can do is ensure their primitive ideas are quarrantined to that region of the world and prohibit the opportunity for it to infect the democracies and logical thinking peoples of the rest of the world. We must accept some cultures will never evolve.

[Resin-Smoker]

I'd prefer to see that glass parking lots are made from them and be done with it forever.

[forumcomments]

I think the decision on war is part of a much bigger isuue involving how special interest, no interest, party interest and foreign interest have impacted what is good for the country. Given today's environment no matter what the decision there will be an opponent. It takes working together and stength to put aside all of the various interests and make the right decision. The GSA spending scandal even though it wasn't a great example, brought the parties together for a common reason and the country supported what was happening and how the system can andsgouldwork. This type if action is what the country needs. The lack of cooperation is what frustrates so many voters.

[marychgo]

Any death is a tragedy, and all Americans extend sincere condolences to the soldiers' families and loved ones.

Horrendous as those deaths are to those who loved the men and women who were killed, however, 88 deaths over 5-1/2 years -- roughly 16 deaths a year -- is NOT an astonishing statistic given the language, religious, and cultural barriers between NATO forces and the Afghan soldiers and police they're working with.

Any group of a hundred or so people is going to include a few who have personal, mental, or moral problems. Now take those hundred people and give them all the arms of war....

How does this statistic compare to the count of "fragging" incidents in the last 5-1/2 years of Vietnam? And "fragging" was primarily US soldiers killing US noncoms and officers....

[Choons]

We have NO allies in that part of the world. You'd think we would have learned that lesson after what happened with the weapons we provided to Saddam Hussein. The duplicity of Pakistan is manifest and yet we continue giving them money as well. I wish the U.S. would just cut all diplomatic and business ties to the Mid-East altogether

[rubytart]

The real culprits sit in DC - named Obama, Pinetta and Clinton. They created Rules of Engagement that tie our boys hands and get them killed and maimed in RECORD numbers (see icasualities.org), they negotiate with the Taliban while throwing our boys under the bus at every opportunity, they negotiate to RELEASE high ranking enemy taliban from afghanistan prison, and they sign deals to keep us there for 10 more years with billions more dollars.

[skitbit]

listen to Fox News much? LOL

[venusvegasvada]

Their scum.

[wfw3536]

And Obama signs an agreement to keep us there another 10 years. We should be out of there today, what a mistake by this president.

[cassie1655]

Then the news comes out today that Obama has been allowing for caught Taliban to be released, should they agree to not join up with their buddies to fight again. How insane is that?

[hillbillyvol]

Foreign troops on home soil never bodes well. Rumsfeld's plan of using tribal leaders and special ops troops to clean out the Taliban and al Qaeda was a complete washout. Those people are all cousins and we are killing their kin. They will drop religious differences when an infidel comes to their house. Bring them home.

[FP1970]

Vincent Lawrence is correct that America needs to withdraw its troops from the Afghan cesspool as soon as possible. Why does the gov't insist on maintaining open immigration to America, though, knowing full well that it gives groups like al-Qaeda their best chance to attack from within? Why are we tolerating radical Imams all over the country and scam artists like "the flying Imams" who are doing their best to test American defenses?