US deaths in Afghanistan triple in past 2 months. More Afghan civilians killed by US than by Taliban

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March 2, 2009

KABUL - U.S. deaths in Afghanistan increased threefold during the first two months of 2009 compared with the same period last year, after thousands more troops deployed and commanders ramped up winter operations against an increasingly violent insurgency.

As troops pour into the country and violence rises, another sobering measure has also increased: More Afghan civilians are dying in U.S. and allied operations than at the hands of the Taliban, according to a count by The Associated Press. In the first two months of the year, U.S., NATO or Afghan forces have killed 100 civilians, while militants have killed 60.

Twenty-nine U.S. troops died in Afghanistan the first two months of 2009 - compared with eight Americans in the first two months of 2008.

Part of the increase is due to the influx of troops. In early 2008 there were about 27,000 forces in the country, some 10,000 fewer than today.

"It has a lot to do with the fact that we have a presence in places and going into places and disrupting insurgents in area where they haven't been bothered much," Col. Greg Julian, the top U.S. spokesman in Afghanistan, said Saturday. That, he said, means more battles and more attacks.


report: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=20272022&BRD=1817&PAG=461&dept_id=68561&rfi=6

[pleah]

1. Got to free them hearts and minds

from their bodies.

:sarcasm:

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

2. Traditional American Values at work.....again...or...as usual.

[bigtree]

3. thinking about the threads that get kicked here

[slipslidingaway]

4. knr n/t

[Fireweed247]

5. It is time to take it to the streets again

ENOUGH!

[Stinky The Clown]

6. More troops will surely help with this.

:sarcasm:

[bigtree]

7. .

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8. .

[Karmadillo]

9. If only the Democrats controlled the White House and the Congress, this wouldn't be happening.

nt