U.S. military officers among dead in Kabul attacks
KABUL, Afghanistan — U.S. Defense Department officials have identified five U.S. soldiers, including a colonel and two lieutenant colonels, killed by a suicide bomb in Afghanistan's capital this week.
The Tuesday blast killed at least a dozen civilians, five U.S. troops and a Canadian service member, officials said. It occurred on a busy road near a NATO-led military convoy and a registration center for the Afghan Army.
The five U.S. soldiers are Col. John M. McHugh, 46, of New Jersey; Lt. Col. Paul R. Bartz, 43, of Wisconsin; Lt. Col. Thomas P. Belkofer, 44, of Ohio; Staff Sgt. Richard J. Tieman, 28, of Pennsylvania; and Spc. Joshua A. Tomlinson, 24, of Louisiana.
U.S. defense officials confirmed the five deaths, and Canadian forces confirmed the death of their service member. Local medical officials said at least 12 civilians were killed and 48 injured.
The British Foreign Office put the civilian death toll at 19.
NATO's International Security Assistance Force confirmed that five U.S. military vehicles were destroyed along with 13 civilian cars. One of the civilian cars was a bus filled with people, a spokesman said.
Zabiullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, confirmed the operation and said the attacker was able to "destroy five foreign vehicles and damage one more."
The U.S. Embassy decried the attack, saying it demonstrates the Taliban's "callous disregard for the well-being of the Afghan people."
CNN's Atia Abawi contributed to this report.
ou did a righteous chore creating a words in favour of the view photographers like me with no feel with stock. You explained so much that I needed to know. I reflect on it with acute interest. You are a noteworthy writer. I’m on uppermost of the life to receive met you and obstinate that you are as good and approachable as your skillet manifest indicates. Your advancement is appreciated.
I was close to tomlinson and if I had the chance I would scalp every muslim that ever had the thought of killing one of us cross their mind.
They were backward warriors they went to kill something and got themselves killed in the process...Simpler Fi or is it Simple Pie
Thank you all for all the good and kind words. The comments all. But unless you are here right now like the rest of us..... you don't really know don't you. Media has it's ways reporting news and that's that! Being here and seeing it first hand is an experience.
Only one thing..... we've been here for 9yrs since Charlie Wilson tried to do something..... and we left it at that.... Now it's a monster with many countries involved. Now you think about it!
I think its time that Obama needs to admit that he couldnt deliver the change
he promissed to the people who elected him and to the world. He simply needs
to come forward and say that its imposible to achieve that important goal unless something fundemental
has changed in the minds of u.s policymakers. They must wake up and realise that the rest of the world is becoming more and more hostile towards their unfair foriegn policies.
As long as the world continues to attack their veins with syringes laced with heroin, Afghanistan will remain unstable...
Bring them home now!
my deep condolences to all fallen soldiers, it breaks my heart to read this kind of death, all they are doing is to make that country at peace with each other i hope this will end i hope our soldiers will prevail in helping this coun try.
i feel sad in every innocent victims of this senseless attack by this army of evil (TALIBAN ) , but we have to make some sacrifices to be able to achieved our main goal. and i pray to GOD that he will let those evildoers be vanished forever in this world of civilization. MAY GOD BLESS YOU COALITION FORCES.
@ brown, I can understand that you are sad for the troops killed in this incidence but please keep in mind that Afghans are part of global village and their lives worth as much as others in the world. Remember that due to sacrifice of 1.5 million Afghans the rest of free world including the US got rid of the Soviet Union. If Afghans would have not been abandoned after soviet withdrawal and they would have been assisted to reconstruct their country which was destropyed during war with russians neither the Taliban nor Bin Laden would have come to power.
The Afghan people are not worth the life of one US soldier.
Bring our troops home and let them destroy themselves if they want. Why have our people destroyed for people who live in such a manner. The U.S. needs to stop trying to play God amongst these other nations. We need to take care of our own instead of throwing them to the wolves for these countries. Israel is the only one we need to stand by and if these other people want to be barbarians, so be it but, leave us out of it. It's ridiculous the lives being lost of american for their stupidity over there.
another attack now, this time at the khandahar airfield in the south of afghanistan : http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/05/22/afghanistan-insurgents-nato-base.html
Checking in:Another USMC Nam Vet 67-69. Today I can walk down the streets of Hanoi with not a breath of fear. I can mingle with those who are no longer the enemy but friends. Keep that in mind whatever your particular leaning. In WWII my dad also USMC fought against the Kamakazi mostly Buddist extremists and later bought the toys they made for his kids... Was it because we were never promissed 72 virgins or heaven when we died?? Yours truly semper fi
The ruthless killers of innocent civilians of afghanistan and iraq got killed,whats the diff bet a terrorists and the terror army worse than the militants.
killer rulers speaks soft but hold hate and venom against others,and sacrificing others life in the name of peace.
Dear simpleton,
There is a difference. There is the very unfortunate cases of collateral damage when despite one's best efforts innocent lives are lost while confronting the real threats. Every effort should be made to prevent collateral damage. Compare this to the callous evil tactics of purposefully targeting innocents or at the minimum not caring if innocents are caught up in the cross fire...
that is the difference between the NATO forces that spend billions on making their weapons the most precise possible to try and avoid civilians as opposed to your militants that seem to have a preference to plow their suicide attacks into the highest density of civilians possible (if the NATO forces really didn't care why not just drop cheap dumb un-guided bombs at a fraction of the cost and flatten the whole area a target is in than use these million dollar targeted munitions... NATO is the "evil capitalist" army right? Wouldn't the "evil capitalist" prefer to kill for as little cost as possible given our heathen love for the almighty dollar/euro? Darn... that just ruins your whole line of reasoning doesn't it!)
We need to get rid of this mythological belief that the Russians were the villains and the the NATO forces are the heros in this obscene war.The Russians went ther to preserve a tottering Communist regime and NATO went there to expand it's control over the region.Neither scenario is true.
Military fact: When the U.S.A decides to drop a bomb they really think about Collateral damage.
If the number of children is 35 or less then they drop it and kill them all.
If the number of children is over 35 then they think about it then may or may not drop it.
I wonder how many children did the dead soldiers killed.
bull.... stop repeatedly posting this propaganda.
hey guys (Hammad and Muhammad).. as muslims you are not suppose to taunt the dead. that is a cheap call. not called for. Respect people's emotions. thanks. Unless you guys are not muslims and have a hateful agenda.
Muhammad, I agree with you 100%, Americans are doomed, they are the sons of Satans, look everone in the world hate them, why? because they back up the jews' ill thoughts. Who ever shake hand with jews will find himself like the Americans.
My prayers are with the families.
May GOD Bless & keep those brave souls & comfort their familys.
NONE MAY JUDGE UNLESS YOUR HUBRIS COMMANDS YOU TO DO SO. THE CLEANSING WILL COME TO YOUR BLACKEND SOULS POOR PITIFUL LOST ONES. SPFS CAN AND WILL ROCK YOUR WORLD TO VAPORS OR OFFER THE SERIOUS HELP THAT YOU DISPLAY YOU NEED. ALL ARE HUMBLED BEFORE THE VERITAS. NO FREE LUNCH MOOHAMEED.
Muhammad – You, I, and Lucifer will have lunch someday.
I guess the reason muzlames don't want anyone to draw pictures of mohammad, is because then everyone would realize they drew lucifer.
What is the different between a militant,insurgent and someone fightting someone that invaded their country ?
tactics, motive
purely boiled down there isn't any difference except the moral overtones associated with each term as ascribed by the majority upon a minority.... however, this is not to dismiss this labeling. The moral compass of humanity should be allowed to apply negative or positive connotations to any movement, idealistic or otherwise. If we don't then we are bound to repeat some of the darkest moments in history by the tacit approval of their acts implicit in our failing to condemn them by calling an evil "evil" or in these cases appropriately labeling a terrorist, insurgent, militant, soldier, freedom-fighter, rebel, etc. as is appropriate.
The answer to you question is that there is truly no real difference.The Taliban who were originally part of the so-called "anti-Soviet freedom fighters" fought the Russians for the very same reason they're fighting NATO today.
Muhammad, you, bin Laden, the Taliban and any extremist that kills in the name of their prophet or God, will be judged and thrown into hell for eternity!
NAMVET GOD BE WITH ALL OF YOU SAD TO SAY DEATH IS THE PAYMENT, FOR WAR AND IT IS HELL ! I'VE BEEN THROUGH THE VALLEY OF DEATH TWICE OVER NAM WAS HELL ALL WARS ARE HELL THEY MAKE NO SINCE WE AS THE PEE ON'S ARE THE ONE'S THAT SUFFER MOST AND THE OUR MOTHERS! BLESS AL YOU BROTHERS AND SISTERS WHO STAND IN HARMS WAY!!!!!!!!!
Looks like the Army spin-misters are working overtime. Previously reported as NO US soldiers killed. Now, a Colonel and two Lt. Colonel's, a Staff Sgt. and a Spc as having been killed. I guess since the Pat Tillman friendly fire death and the extensive Army cover up, expecting the truth and accuracy in the reports of engagements, casualty's and overall if any progress is simply not forthcoming.
The US Military spin-misters should just report pure fantasy and forget trying to craft a truthful or accurate report weeks or months later after the evidence has long been removed and the scene sanitized.
Smith in Oregon - No the US never said there were not any US casualties they said there were 6 ISAF/NATO casualties. Because of the mixed ISAF casualties you wouldnt come out and say there was one Canadian and five US. What an impersonal way to find out especially for the Canadian Officers family(the families knows who they are traveling with) i would tell my wife. They only release the names KIA once all families of the deceased have been notified and sometimes it can take a few days. You wouldnt understand because you haven't ever notified a family or been trained to.
Thank you Meshawer.
Thank you, Meshawar. I'm guessing these arm-chair soldiers don't know that there is a complete communications black out in war zones when a soldier is killed to prevent the families from finding out or being mistakenly informed through rumor and conjecture. This is not to prevent the families from being informed, it's to inform them with all due honor and respect that their loss deserves. RIP brave soldiers.
It takes time to find out facts and make notifications to families. Don't think the media will have all the facts right after a something happens. Your assumptions are incorrect.
Time and again the US Army spin-misters has fudged and deliberately with held accurate KIA numbers of US Soldiers as well as Afghanistan civilians that have been killed during the ongoing 8 year War in Afghanistan. With-holding the numbers of US Soldiers killed in specific missions, or Taliban attacks has nothing to do with notifying the familys of the dead, it is a question of the truth and accuracy of the NUMBER killed. It is purely a propaganda move by the US Military to obscure the failure of a particular mission or the failure to obtain any progress in the failed Afghanistan War.
Much of Marjah has returned back to Taliban control, and yet Gen. McChrystal's failed 'shake and bake' Clear, Control, Rule cookie cutter approach is still in effect on a much larger city, Karbul. Even thou the shake and bake regional government for Marjah is by all accounts 'failed', and the residents see the Afghan shake and bake Police troops as 'more corrupt than the Taliban'.
Yep, I could see why the US Military would want to resort to propaganda instead of accurately reporting KIA and outcomes in its continued campaigns.
Actually the articles you have read have been spun by the media and have nothing to do with the military's Public Affairs news releases. So the media you select to expose yourself to are the ones who either do or do not have errors of ommission or editorializing. Having said that, deal with the inadequacies of our free media system, and either shut up or support the forces of the government you elected. Have a nice day, it is 0900 and about 109 degrees F here in the back country of Afghanistan this fine Sunday.
We need to rid ourselves of all this hatred and realize that the Taliban are fighting for what's theirs the same way they fought the Russians and for the same reason.The Afghans quite simply do not want foreign rule despite all that right-wing bla-bla-bla to the contrary.Let's try to find a way out of there.
Oversimplified and inaccurate. The response in the 80's to soviet invasion was a populist response to a threat on sovereignty. The response of the Taliban (not to be equated as the 'same' group of Soviet area freedom fighters) are fighting to regain control of the country from fellow countrymen and re-install a punitive Islamic theocracy form of government and eliminate the current government. This is more akin to a civil war than to the self-defense against the Soviets.
OH BROTHER! Your post actually made me laugh! How sad that you think the way these people live is actually ok. They kill innocent civilians ON PURPOSE. These zealots are attacking civilians in other countries and killing them by the droves. So please explain to me, dear Daniel-2, how that is "fighting for what is theirs?"
LTC Paul Bartz was one of the finest Officers I have ever served with. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family.
Hunt them down and shoot them like the dogs they are! They killed servicemen in war, which is expected, but none-the-less saddens us. I pray for their families. But the Taliban didn't care who else got killed and many innocent civilians including women and children were killed...murdered by these Godless thugs. Find them, isolate them and kill them. Go get 'em boyz!!
Military fact: When the U.S.A decides to drop a bomb they really think about Collateral damage.
If the number of children is 35 or less then they drop it and kill them all.
If the number of children is over 35 then they think about it then may or may not drop it.
I wonder how many children did the dead soldiers killed.
Stop all wars
The US military is not trained to seek out and kill children. I am tired of ignoramanous and lies being told of the US forces oveseas. The Nato soldiers as well as the US forces there are there to kill make no mistake about it. As well as stir the bees nests in the surronding countries.
However, for politiicans and instigators to spread lies so that they can justify terrorism is just inexcusable.
god1 you have little or no idea of how the U.S. military evaluates collateral damage. Or the politics by the left wing media to report on such cases.. There are more ethics and care in dropping a bomb then you'll ever understand. Noted by your mis guided comments.
This comment is STUPID. You obviously know nothing about what you are talking about. I know personally that the amount of children aren't even looked at. There is a HUGE effort to stop ALL civilian casualties. People like you kill me, you're so smart, your STUPID.
God1 you are an idiot. You have no idea how far out of the way we go to avoid killing civilians. Unlike the Taliaban who use children as sheilds. If you are really Gods warriors step out from behind the saety of your civilian sheilds. Put on a uniform so we know who you are and fight us. If Allah is on your side how could we win. Ohh wait Allah is not on the side of people that throw acid in the faces of girls who are trying to get an education. Allah is not on the side of cowards who use the mentaly ill as bombers. Allah hates the cowards in the Taliban and they know this. That is why they have to hide like the rodents they are. That is why they won't wear a uniform. They know that Allah wont protect them and will smile on their trip to hell. You want to kill the Great Satan kill your leaders who lie to you. Suicide Bombers are not marters. You think that if you kill your self to kill Americans Allah will welcome you into heaven. No he wont because at the moment you die in that blast you have done nothing but killed your self which is Suicde and is a sin in all major religions. You and all your maryters are sinners and may you long roast in hell like the pigs that you are!!
You are an a$$. Now that I've said that, I won't waste anymore words on you.
http://politinform.at.ua/publ/rosija_ta_snd/v_cerkvi_kak_v_armii_chtob_k_utru_bylo_sdelano/3-1-0-177
"I feel how weak and fruitless must be any word of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save. I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom." – Abraham Lincoln Rest in peace, brothers in arms. Your sacrifice will never be forgotten.
Many thanks corporal, no one could have said this better and it expresses what a lot of good people are thinking and feeling.
The pain of these families resonates with all of us, both here and in Afghanistan. May we find a way to peace soon.
God1 you are an idiot. You have no idea how far out of the way we go to avoid killing civilians. Unlike the Taliaban who use children as sheilds. If you are really Gods warriors step out from behind the saety of your civilian sheilds. Put on a uniform so we know who you are and fight us. If Allah is on your side how could we win. Ohh wait Allah is not on the side of people that throw acid in the faces of girls who are trying to get an education. Allah is not on the side of cowards who use the mentaly ill as bombers. Allah hates the cowards in the Taliban and they know this. That is why they have to hide like the rodents they are. That is why they won't wear a uniform. They know that Allah wont protect them and will smile on their trip to hell. You want to kill the Great Satan kill your leaders who lie to you. Suicide Bombers are not marters. You think that if you kill your self to kill Americans Allah will welcome you into heaven. No he wont because at the moment you die in that blast you have done nothing but killed your self which is Suicde and is a sin in all major religions. You and all your maryters are sinners and may you long roast in hell like the pigs that you are!!
Now having said that God rest the souls of those all the Afghan, American, British, Canadian, German and all the other soldiers who died fighting to improve Afghanistan. No matter where they are from or what God they worship they are Gods choosen. They are Gods choosen because they sacrificed their lives to protect and defend those weaker than themselves. Rest in Peace!!