U.S. service member dead in Afghan attack

CBS

KABUL, Afghanistan

A U.S. service member was killed in a possible insider attack by Afghan forces in the east of the country late Saturday. A civilian contractor with NATO and at least two Afghan soldiers also died in the attack, according to a coalition statement and Afghan provincial officials. The nationality of the civilian was not disclosed.

The suspected attack occurred in Wardak Province.

British Lieutenant General Adrian Bradshaw, of NATO's International Security Assistance Force or ISAF, called a last-minute news conference in Kabul to address the incident, even though he had few details to give.

He said the initial report of an insider attack should be amended to note that the incident "is now understood possibly to have involved insurgent fire," and tried to stress that relations between international troops and their Afghan allies "are very strong and they're very effective."

A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the nationality of the NATO service member killed was American.

The toll has climbed steadily in recent months with a spate of attacks by Afghan army and police against American and NATO troops, and questions about whether allied countries will achieve their aim of helping the Afghan government and its forces stand on their own after most foreign troops depart in little more than two years.

Attacks by Afghan soldiers or police - or insurgents disguised in their uniforms - have killed 52 American and other NATO troops so far this year.

• Allen: Insider attacks "signature" of Afghan war
• Panetta: NATO rebuilding partner operations with Afghans
• 2 NATO troops killed in Afghanistan ambush After spate of "insider attacks," NATO lessens Afghan partnership

The so-called insider attacks are considered one of the most serious threats to the U.S. exit strategy from the country. In its latest incarnation that strategy has focused on training Afghan forces to take over security nationwide - allowing most foreign troops to go home by the end of 2014.

Although Obama has pledged that most U.S. combat troops will leave by the end of 2014, American, NATO and allied troops are still dying in Afghanistan at a rate of one a day.

Even with 33,000 American troops back home, the U.S.-led coalition will still have 108,000 troops - including 68,000 from the U.S. - fighting in Afghanistan at the end of this year. Many of those will be training the Afghan National Security Forces that are to replace them.

"There is a challenge for the administration," O'Hanlon said, "to remind people in the face of such bad news why this campaign requires more perseverance."

[PeaceInPeaceOut]

Where are the cries of body count outrage like when Bush was President? ObOzO

[lifeduringwartime]

When your "friends" are killing more of the troops than the enemy is, it's time to get new friends. Get everybody out of that hell hole.

[MrsHippy]

I know people think I am crazy for suggesting it, but 67 years ago, we dealt a terrorist nation a blow with 2 nuclear bombs. Now they are our friend and allies. If we dropped two well placed nukes on Pakistan the world would be so shocked that everybody would come back to their senses. So what if it starts an arms race. In reality the arms race has never ended. But America would be feared and respected again, and nobody would dare challenge us. But it requires leadership with GUTS. All our current leaders are hopeless losers!

[PeaceInPeaceOut]

Maybe if we had a leader but the incompetent child we have in the WH now? Nope.

[norulers]

Another mother's son lost to the allure of bloody nationalism and pagan sacrifice. Another mother's son consumed by the voracious beast of war.

[Yimmybob]

Placing our kids in small groups scattered all over an isolated 7th century country with the largest murder cult in history in control of the populace, ensures our US Army is not only incompetent but is in collusion with the enemy, Islam, and thus also is the enabler with the enemy Muslims, in killing our children, husbands and fathers in Muslim countries!
The US Army has forgotten how to make WAR! We are at war with Islam and its Muslim adherents and we place them next to us with guns and a Quran that orders them to kill us all in the name of Allah! How stupid can the Generals and the tailored suits in the Pentagon get!
Giving the enemy guns and placing them at our back is only for the liberal brain dead! Where is a George Patton when we need one?

[independanted]

Another of our soldiers dead while politicians in Washington play games with even more of their lives. While our men and women are trying to get permission to use their weapons from their politically shackled superiors they are being slaughtered by "friendly" fire. We have lost every conflict we have been in since WWII because of this asinine idea of a limited war. Either allow our military to do the job they were trained to do or bring them and all their equipment along with all our money home.

[tsigili]

That's exactly what I said would happen, if they returned to joint activities.

Those guys were murdered, by their superiors.