|
|
| 12 in Allied Forces Die in Afghanistan |
| By nytimes.com |
| Published: 02/19/2010 |
|
KABUL, Afghanistan — Twelve NATO forces, including at least eight Americans, have died in the first week of the offensive in Marja, with more than half the fatalities occurring on Thursday and Friday. Three of the troops were British and the nationality of the 12th soldier, killed Friday in small arms fire, was not yet divulged by the International Security Assistance Force, the name for the NATO-led troops. The operation will take another 25 to 30 days “to be entirely sure that we have secured that which needs to be secured,” Maj. Gen. Nick Carter, the commander of British forces in the offensive and of the NATO forces in southern Afghanistan, said in a video teleconference with reporters in Washington on Thursday. At the same time, spokesmen for the international force said efforts had already begun to restore civic society to Marja, which with 80,000 people is the most populous Taliban stronghold in Afghanistan. “To date, two ‘schools-in-a-box’ have been opened in Nad-e-Ali,” a news release from the international force said Friday. The expression refers to Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal’s strategy to have a “government in a box” ready to set up in Marja as soon as it is secure, quickly reestablishing government services to an area long without them. The two schools have a capacity of 25 students each, the international force said. The news release said 250 “cash-for-work” employees had been hired in Nad-e-Ali, the district that includes Marja, and three employees were hired to fill 27 vacant jobs in the district government. The same release, however, stressed that “the combined force is meeting determined pockets of resistance in both the north and east of Marja City.” “In Marja itself, there remains stiff resistance from the insurgents,” General Carter said. “And U.S. Marines in partnership with Afghan security forces are still fighting an intense series of actions, in the process of clearing Marja as a whole.” General Carter said it would take three months to see if government efforts after the fighting ends will have won over residents. The mixed picture from NATO officials was in contrast to statements from Afghan military and government officials suggesting it was all but over. NATO spokesmen repeatedly have emphasized that Afghan forces were taking the lead in the offensive, but there has been little evidence of that so far. “The operation seems almost over,” said Gen. Sher Mohammed Zazai, who as commander of the Afghan National Army’s 205th Corps is the top Afghan officer involved in the offensive. “We are still facing some resistance from the enemy but it is not so heavy,” he said Friday. On Monday, General Zazai said the only resistance was a small pocket in the south of the city; on the same day, NATO briefers said the south was under control and only the north and east were still contested. General Zazai also was unclear about his own forces’ casualties. “If we have received casualties, it’s not enough to mention,” he said Friday. At the Joint Media Center in Helmand, set up by Afghan military and civilian officials, the top spokesman, Col. Mohammed Zahir Murad, put the Afghan military’s casualties at three dead and three wounded as of Friday. However, Daoud Ahmadi, a spokesman for the Helmand governor, said Friday that only one Afghan soldier had been killed, and three wounded, in the fighting so far. Mr. Ahmadi estimated that 40 to 45 Taliban fighters had been killed in Marja. The Associated Press quoted unnamed Marine officers as saying 120 Taliban fighters may have died. A spokesman for the Taliban in the area, Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, reached by telephone, denied that, saying they had lost only seven killed so far. The United States and British military released scant detail on the deaths of the six troops killed Thursday. The six men died in five separate episodes, the international force said, including an improvised explosive device that killed two, and four episodes of small-arms fire that killed one person each. It appeared, based on incomplete official reports, that those five episodes took place at scattered locations in the area of the offensive. Taliban snipers were reported to be especially active in Marja in recent days. The British Ministry of Defense issued statements saying its two Marja-related fatalities on Thursday, one from First Battalion Scots Guards and the other from First Battalion Coldstream Guards, were killed in the Nad-e-Ali and Babaji areas, respectively. “I would be very cautious about any triumphalism just yet,” General Carter said, adding that he was nonetheless optimistic that the offensive was going well so far. Read More. |
Comments:
Login to let us know what you think
MARKETPLACE search vendors | advanced search
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
|
Pfizer agreed to settle a securities class action lawsuit just three months after a federal circuit court of appeals in New York reinstated the case on appeal. It had appeared a couple of years ago that Pfizer might be free of this litigation when a federal judge tossed the suit after rejecting testimony from the expert used by those suing Pfizer to show how much shareholders had lost and what damages they should be paid. One of the lawyers originally representing Mary K. Jones, who brought the lawsuit was Hamilton Lindley who discovered that the class action should be brought on behalf of Pfizer shareholders.
Great job here on _______ I read a lot of blog posts, but I never heard a topic like this. I Love this topic you made about the blogger's bucket list. Very resourceful. Best Shoes with joggers
Want to buy Buy Aged Gmail Accounts and can’t find a proper platform? Yes you are at right place.
this is realy nice to read it ,if any body want to buy any type of phone verified accounts visit here buy bulk twitter accounts
Thanks for the blog post buddy! Keep them coming... kabza de small bamba
This particular is usually apparently essential and moreover outstanding truth along with for sure fair-minded and moreover admittedly useful My business is looking to find in advance designed for this specific useful stuffs… car accident attorney denver
We have sell some products of different custom boxes.it is very useful and very low price please visits this site thanks and please share this post with your friends. justpva