5 U.S. Troops Dead, 2 Missing in Afghanistan

(AP)  Last Updated 11:42 a.m. ET

Two U.S. troops are missing in eastern Afghanistan, a military official said Saturday. An Afghan official said one may have been killed and the other captured by the Taliban.

Also, five American troops died Saturday in bombings in the south where international forces are stepping up the fight against the insurgents.

A NATO statement Saturday said the two service members left their compound the previous day in Kabul but did not return.

The statement did not identify the pair by nationality but U.S. officials said they were American.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information.

Special Section: Afghanistan

The military has dispatched vehicles and rotary-winged aircraft to search for them and their vehicle.

Samer Gul, district chief of Charkh district in Logar province, said Saturday that a four-wheel drive armored vehicle was seen Friday night by a guard working for the district chief's office. The guard tried to flag down the vehicle, carrying a driver and a passenger, but it kept going, Gul said.

"They stopped in the main bazaar of Charkh district. The Taliban saw them in the bazaar," Gul said. "They didn't touch them in the bazaar, but notified other Taliban that a four-wheel vehicle was coming their way."

The second group of Taliban tried to stop the vehicle, but when it didn't, insurgents opened fire and the two occupants in the vehicle shot back, he said.

NATO said a search is under way for the missing service members. According to Gul, one may have been killed and the other taken hostage by the Taliban.

"Maybe they wanted to go to Paktia province or to the American base, but they came down the wrong road toward Charkh," Gul said. "They didn't pay any attention to the police. Otherwise we could have kept them from going into an insecure area and now this unfortunate incident has happened."

Military officials could not confirm the district chief's account.

The only U.S. service member known to be in Taliban captivity is Spc. Bowe Bergdahl of Hailey, Idaho who disappeared June 30, 2009 in Paktika province of eastern Afghanistan. He has since appeared on videos posted on Taliban websites confirming his captivity.

Mohammad Nasir Medaruz, director of radio station in Logar called Meli Pegham, or "national message," said he received a phone call from coalition officials who asked that he broadcast a message offering $10,000 for information about the whereabouts of each missing service member.

"I told them that Logar is not a safe area and if I broadcast that, I could get attacked," Medaruz said.

He said that if the military officials paid him, he would broadcast the information but say that it was an "advertisement."

He said he did not broadcast the information, but another radio station, sponsored by the military in Logar, did air the message.

The five troops died Saturday in roadside bombings - four in a single blast, NATO said in a statement without specifying nationalities nor providing further details. A fifth service member was killed in a separate attack in the south, NATO said.

U.S. officials confirmed all five were Americans. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity under rules regarding casualty identification.

The latest deaths bring to 75 the number of international troops killed in Afghanistan this month, including 56 Americans.

[mttrailboss01]

It's time Mr. President, to say.., "The buck stops here.." We either do something different or a better strategy to 'winning' this war, or bring our troops home. I am 100% behind our military.., however, Mr. President, I can read polls and what my friends and neighbors are saying about this expensive war in lives and money. We either show a major show of strength and weaponry, and take the enemy out, or bring our men and women in the armed services home. I am at the point to where I don't care how you do it.., just do it. Start being a President of the United States and 'win' this war and get it over with. I blame you, Mr. President for the mess we are in, including loss of life, serious injuries, hostages and bankruptcy of the United States, and 'our' national debt in the trillions. No more passing the buck to Bush and his incompetent cronies. Its your time to take responsibility and accountability for your actions and bring this war to a close. Enough said.., bring our troops home and take out the enemy, anyway you can. Where's Truman, Stormon Norman and Collin Powell when you need them.. Lets get this war over with. Mike in Montana

[Simifanene]

The harder we fight, the harder they fight. We send in more troops they counter with more. We kill one, ten of their, brothers, sisters, uncles and aunt join the fight. Vietnam again. People fighting for their way of life and country. When Bush schock awed, tortured and burnt down their churchs all he did was make the innocent to 911 to defend themselves and their country. What would we do if we we're schock and awed? Mean while Bush and Cheney start thinking torture is the way, so they order torture. What would we do if our children we're tortured? To top it off the small band of dogs that flew two of our own airplaines into the twin towers, escape to Pakistan because Bush diverts their pursuit to invading Iraq, sayint their the real terrorist with nukes. Bush schock and awes Iraq, and has our troops search every niche and cranny for nuclear bombs he claimed they had before he invaded. Well, after 9 month?s of breaking into Iraqi homes and temples our troops conclude he had no nuclear program and it was all a mistake. Meanwhile 50,000 Iraqi?s are dead, ten thousand of our troops are maimed or dead and Bin Ladin and his thugs are laughing and partying in hiding, watch us destroy and rebuild. Alkaida is cheering Bush on, hoping he kills more innocent non terrorist and keeps his torture in full gear. For every innocent killed or tortured, ten more join Ladin. I wish I could say my country was defending, protecting or saving because that?s what America does. We defend, protect, feed, cure, invent and help the weak. Bush & his fellow Corporate puppets though changed that when they schock and awed civilians, & then sent our teenage soldiers into both countries breaking into their homes, arresting their children as Ladin and his gang sit back in the luxury partying in their Pakistan safe haven. The Taliban was never a part of Alkaida until Bush started torturing and killing. These religious fanatics, ruled Afghanastan and had nothing to do with 911. Bush really picked some bad azz people to push around. These fanatics took their the whole Russian Army and whipped their azz. They fight to the death of their children. Vietnam, Bushes Vietnams, Iraq and Afghanastan. I?m a Vietnam vet who?s seen this before. Nixon and Lbj schock awed, hit them with napalm and made teenagers like me join or be drafted, no choice. For what? After 8 years of destruction we surrendered and in one day ran out of Vietnam with our tail between our legs. Since we left Vietnam the visious animals Nixon said they we?re never harmed a hair on head since. Bush, Cheney and Palin lied about everything, the same as Nixon and Lbj did. Iraq and Afghanastan are Bush?s Vietnams but with our America adding torture and church burning to the mix. Bring our armies home now, today, overnight, but don?t give up the persute of terrorist. Leave a special force base in both countries with a new strategy against terrorist. Armies can?t catch terrorist, but the Cia, Green Beret?s, Seals, Commando?s, drones, snipers, satalites, spies assassian?s and clandestine attacks can. I salute our teenage soldiers who we?re killed fighting as order to their death. We must change the orders and stategy to end Bush?s Vietnams as wisely as possible. I speak for the young, the innocent and all who have died in Bush?s Vietnams. How do we keep electing people like Bush, Nixon, Cheney and Palin? They pied pipe sweet lies as Corporate America?s band wagon charms us. Time for change.

[GeWay]

And how do we elect Obama, who calls Afghanistan "the necessary war"? Strange that you stick only to Bush, Cheney and even Palin (who has had no connection with foreign wars), but omit Obama who keeps sending even more (30,000) poor American boys/girls to slaughter in Afghanistan.

[GeWay]

Can't help but notice that the NYTimes always reports these losses as "NATO trooops," never American troops. during a previous administration, they always called them "American" troops. Wonder why the change?

[GeWay]

Where the hell are the "peaceniks" now? Where are the mass demonstrations against the war? Where is Cindy Sheehan, who used to camp outside Bush's place in Texas? Strange as it seems, all these mounting deaths are acceptable when a Democratic president Obama is in the White House. They were causes of outrage when the other party ruled. Afghanistan, after all, is what Obama called "a necessary war," which is OK as long as he sits safely in the White House, Camp David, Acadia National Park, Cape Cod and elsewhere. Please!

[underdogus2007]

The United States should never underestimate the resolve of the North Korean military, one that is further emboldened now by Chinese opposition to the military drills..............

[underdogus2007]

"There will be physical response against the steps imposed by the United States, militarily. It is no longer the 19th century which... maintained the gunboat diplomacy," Ri Tong Il, a spokesman for the North Korean delegation.........................

[usunus]

We will never know how many of these tragic deaths are attributable to the politically correct rules of engagement.

[underdogus2007]

China warning: China has criticised the plans and warned against any action which might "exacerbate regional tensions"

The war games....... which begin on Sunday - will involve the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, 20 other ships and submarines, 100 aircraft and 8,000 personnel.


If you keep on stabbing an animal with a sharp stick, eventually it'll bite you...............

[underdogus2007]

Two World Wars have already been achieved, and the Third and final World War envisions an attack on Iraq, Iran and/or Syria as being the trigger to set the entire Middle East into fiery conflagration. Once America is firmly entrenched into the Middle East with the majority of her first-line units, North Korea is to attack South Korea. Then, with America's forces stretched well beyond the limit, China is to invade Taiwan. This will usher in the start of World War Three..............

[larry0304]

Any logical thinking person would agree your scenario is a plausible one.

[underdogus2007]

North Korea has a message for it's neighbor to the south: Hold friendly naval drills with the U.S., and you can expect a nuclear response.