Officials: U.S. Strike Kills Afghan Troops

U.S. Military Says It "May Have Mistakenly Killed" 9 Soldiers; Cites Mistaken Identity "On Both Sides"

(AP)  A U.S.-led coalition airstrike hit an Afghan army checkpoint Wednesday, killing nine soldiers, Afghan officials said. The American military acknowledged that its forces may have "mistakenly" killed allied troops.

The U.S. acknowledged that its forces "may have mistakenly killed and injured" Afghan soldiers in what may have been a case of mistaken identity "on both sides." The deaths come as Afghan President Hamid Karzai presses international forces to avoid airstrikes in civilian areas.

Arsallah Jamal, the province's governor, said the Afghan soldiers died at a fixed army checkpoint in a region where American and Afghan troops have been conducting operations for over a week. Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi, the Defense Ministry spokesman, confirmed nine soldiers died and three were wounded in the airstrike in the Sayed Kheil area of Khost province in eastern Afghanistan.

"As a Coalition forces convoy was returning from a previous operation, they were involved in multiple engagements," a U.S. military statement said. "As a result of the engagements, ANA (Afghan army) soldiers were killed and injured."

Col. Greg Julian, the chief spokesman for U.S. troops in Afghanistan, said American officials would meet with Afghan defense officials to "sort out the details."

In June 2007, Afghan police mistook U.S. troops on a nighttime mission for Taliban fighters and opened fire on them, prompting U.S. forces to return fire and call in attack aircraft. Seven Afghan police were killed.

In the last month, uniformed Afghan police officers have twice opened fire on U.S. troops, killing two soldiers. The police officers were killed by U.S. soldiers returning fire, but the incidents raised fears that insurgents have infiltrated Afghanistan's security forces as a cover to launch attacks.

In the country's southern Uruzgan province, a two-day battle that ended early Wednesday killed 35 Taliban fighters and three Afghan police, said Juma Gul Himat, Uruzgan's provincial police chief.

Himat said the battle was led by Afghan forces but also involved helicopter gunships. Afghan forces recovered 35 bodies from the battlefield, he said. Some 100 Taliban fighters were involved in the battle.

In other violence, U.S. troops killed seven militants and detained seven others in a series of operations throughout Afghanistan, the military said in a statement. Among the dead was a Taliban leader in Helmand province responsible for attacks on coalition forces and Afghan security checkpoints, the U.S. said.

More than 5,200 people - mostly militants - have died in insurgency related violence this year, according to an Associated Press count of figures from Western and Afghan officials.

[dooney8]

Obama will put an end to this.

[dooney8]

McCain for Change!

[samsel3]

Sounds a lot like McShame s fairy tale.

Posted by nor-one at 08:16 PM : Oct 22, 2008

Another McShame fairytale is Dril Here Drill Now !

When McShame made that staement There were 1,995 rigs
drilling for Gas & Oil here in the USA.

1,995 rigs actively searching for Oil& Gas both off-shore & on-shore.

Of the hundreds of millions of acres of leased Federal sites, 33 million acres of off-shore sites and approximately 45 million acres of on-shore sites are not being explored.

Big Oil will eventually get to these sites. In the meantime they want control of all Federal lands before Bush leaves office.

[nor-one]

"samsel3" don''t worry about UNOCAL it is happily burried inside "Chevron" the Bush family''s new partners. Daddy still enough clout to bail out junior again. He''s real used to bailing out that usless piece of *** he spawned! The sharks in the pacific sure failed the rest of the world. I wonder how much of that story is true? Sounds a lot like McShame''s fairy tale.

[good4always]

GWB is the most BEAUTIFUL, MOST beloved president of America. EACH AND EVERY AMERICAN American want him to be the president of USA as long as the human race stays on earth.

According to a completely trustworthy survey, there is a very extremely serious fear that about 97.8% American WILL CIMMIT SUICIDE du to extreme sadness and fear when GWB leaves the office.

the rest 2.2% will have GWB pic in their wallet and all over the walls.... staring at it and will become alcoholic eventually will die.....

THAT WILL BE THE END OF AMERICA!

[samsel3]

The US needs to get out of Afghanistan. It is over. Iran, Pakistan & India have signed an agreement for the IPI Pipeline which circumvents Cheney s Big Pipe Dream.

Former Afghan President Karzai was protecting a US led consortium for the TAPI Caspian Sea Pipeline which will supply Southeast Asian markets. Additionaly, 1.6 billion barrels of oil,in the Afghan-Tajik Basin, and 15.7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, in the Amu Darya Basin will be exploited.
The Taliban reneged on an agreement with Big Oil & Gas before the invasion holding out for a larger share of pipeline tariffs for their people. The US decided a regime change was a better choice.
Taliban leader Mullah Omar said: "There are thousands of security forces ... and it is clear that they are criminal, thieves, and the people can not trust the security forces at all,"
February 12, 1998 John J. Maresca vp of UNOCAL oil appeared before a House sub committee. The purpose of the meeting was to gain support for exploitation of oil & natural gas resources, for the rights purchased by BIG OIL in the Caspian Sea area.

In his testimony he stated, "The key question is how the energy resources of Central Asia can be made available to nearby Asian markets ".

The exploitation option stated : "One obvious route south would cross Iran, but this is foreclosed by American companies because of U.S. sanctions (with Iran ) . The only other possible route is across Afghanistan,.." UNOCAL sold it s interest to a US led coalition.

[andrew_693]

specially terrorists that were called freedom fighters by the government you defend. Hopefully your afghan "allies" are reading your posts it would be interesting to see what they thought about their "american allies". Thank you for clarifying that you are there as an invading force with no "friendly" purposes.

[edward1975-2009]

niceface09: You sleep with dogs, you get fleas. You allow terrorists to operate within your borders, you deserve all that comes your way. And to answer about going, have already proudly served my country, and considered it an honor.

[good4always]

GWB is the most BEAUTIFUL, MOST beloved president of America. EACH AND EVERY AMERICAN American want him to be the president of USA as long as the human race stays on earth.

According to a completely trustworthy survey, there is a very extremely serious fear that about 97.8% American WILL CIMMIT SUICIDE du to extreme sadness and fear when GWB leaves the office.

the rest 2.2% will have GWB pic in their wallet and all over the walls.... staring at it and will become alcoholic eventually will die.....

THAT WILL BE THE END OF AMERICA!

[edward1975-2009]

dagrandma: Here''s the thing. Bush sought to do the same thing, with Hussein also being a target. One was achieved, one not yet. Obama rails against McCain for wishing to finish the job, claiming it to be Bush''s agenda. My point is, we will still be at war, so that won''t change. Obama, along with McCain and Biden, voted for the failed bailout plan. No change yet between them. Neither has a economic plan that will help the middle class that is getting creamed. Where is the change at, what will change, I don''t see a difference, other than party. Neither stay to their words, flip flopping so often, I can''t keep track.

[fjinnw]

Nothing new.

[dagrandma]

With elections not far off and things getting more heated. Couple things are weighing on my mind. There''''s been a lot of bashing Bush on Iraq, how they never attacked us, why did we go, cost of the war. People say McCain, who wants to stay in Iraq and finish the job, is an extention of Bush''''s agenda. No one seems to have a problem with Obama wanting to go immediately into Afghanistan, after abandoning Iraq, they have never attacked us, the cost will be similiar, and we will still be a nation at war. So what will have changed after November, other than the location we are fighting in. Where''''s this "change" at. Appears to me to be business as usual. Thought that was what we were trying to get away from.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by Edward1975 at 11:02 AM : Oct 22, 2008

Edward -- Senator Obama wants to go after bin Laden which is what we should have been doing all along.

[edward1975-2009]

niceface09: How do you feel about all those innocent women and children used for human bombs in Iraq. Things happen. And sometimes innocents die, get over it.

[listenupf00l]

Right (Obama) VS. Responsibility (McCain) healthcare in Crisis

Senator Obama believes that every American should have affordable healthcare and it is a right for having the great privilege of being an American Citizen and also a taxpayer. Healthcare should never be a choice or an option!


Senator McCain in believes that it is your responsibility to have your own healthcare! I suppose that it%u2019s easy to say that when you own 13 houses and 18 cars.

www.chilitoz.com

[edward1975-2009]

With elections not far off and things getting more heated. Couple things are weighing on my mind. There''s been a lot of bashing Bush on Iraq, how they never attacked us, why did we go, cost of the war. People say McCain, who wants to stay in Iraq and finish the job, is an extention of Bush''s agenda. No one seems to have a problem with Obama wanting to go immediately into Afghanistan, after abandoning Iraq, they have never attacked us, the cost will be similiar, and we will still be a nation at war. So what will have changed after November, other than the location we are fighting in. Where''s this "change" at. Appears to me to be business as usual. Thought that was what we were trying to get away from.

[hotpaulie]

Wups! I''m sure they will understand...right?

[listenupfo0l]

McCain needs to answer on the story below! Why in the world would he select someone so dangerous to run with him!

Breaking News: The Terrorist Group AKA Alaska Independent party Calling on Russia to help secede from the Union

Extremists Mark Chryson and Steve Stoll former leaders of the Alaska Terrorist group AKA Independence Party and friends of Sarah Palin are calling on Russia to help them gain independence from the United States.

Watch video of Sarah palin addressing The Alaska Terrorist Group also known as The Independence party. They are calling for a civil war against the mainland.

www.chilitoz.com

[listenupf00l]

McCain needs to answer on the story below! Why in the world would he select someone so dangerous to run with him!

Breaking News: The Terrorist Group AKA Alaska Independent party Calling on Russia to help secede from the Union

Extremists Mark Chryson and Steve Stoll former leaders of the Alaska Terrorist group AKA Independence Party and friends of Sarah Palin are calling on Russia to help them gain independence from the United States.

Watch video of Sarah palin addressing The Alaska Terrorist Group also known as The Independence party. They are calling for a civil war against the mainland.

www.chilitoz.com

[gop_will_win]

And you liberals whine and cry and say we are losing in Afghanistan. Well that this libs!

[petro49l]

George W. Bush has made an enemy of Iran and Pakistan. What about Afghanistan? Kabul has threatened ending its alliance with NATO. Al Qada expressly wants the Coalition out of the region. They actively traffick narcotics. The Coalition cuts into their profits dealing substances to psychotic Junkies.