July Becomes Deadliest Month for US in Afghanistan

[tekisui]

Source: AP

KABUL – Four Americans were killed Monday when a roadside bomb exploded in eastern Afghanistan, NATO said, making July the deadliest month for U.S. troops in this war.

A NATO statement did not give nationalities, but U.S. spokesman Lt. Robert Carr confirmed that all four were Americans. The deaths bring to 55 the number of international service members killed in July, also the deadliest month for NATO forces.

At least 30 U.S. troops have died this month — two more than the toll for June 2008, which had been the deadliest month for the American force in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, a British fighter jet crashed at NATO's largest base in southern Afghanistan on Monday, the second aircraft to go down there in two days.

The Royal Air Force GR4 Tornado crashed inside Kandahar Airfield during takeoff at 7:20 a.m., said Capt. Ruben Hoornveld, a spokesman for the NATO-led force. The crew's two members ejected and were being treated for injuries at the base hospital.

The Tornado is the fourth aircraft to crash down in Afghanistan in three days and the sixth this month. Military officials say there doesn't appear to be a common reason for the spate of crashes.

more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090720/ap_on_re_as/as_afghanistan

[Tangerine LaBamba]

1. August will be worse,

and then September will be worse than August. October will eclipse September, and by November, we'll be watching body bags coming home by the dozens.

We need to get the fuck out of there NOW.

The Afghans don't lose..............

[timeforpeace]

9. Agreed on all points. We ain't seen nothin yet.

[leftstreet]

2. So are we separating Iraq body counts from Afghan body counts?

Like, we're pushing the reset button?

[tekisui]

4. More are dying in Afghanistan than in Iraq, now.

Not that is matters to the families of the grieving where they died. We need out of both wars.

[timeforpeace]

10. If Afghans body counts begin like the Iraq ones, the public will freak out and we'll be out of there

[leftstreet]

11. I don't think so. The Democrats are in power. War is over

There won't be an anti-war movement for awhile.

[dolphindance]

3. tekusi - keeping us informed of all news dealing with the wars.

Thanks man, we really appreciate it!!!! :)

[zorahopkins]

5. Get US OUT of Afghanistan NOW!

As if we needed a reason to leave Afghanistan, the unneccessary deaths of American soldiers should be one reason to LEAVE NOW!

There is NO reason for us to be in Afghanistan. Afghanistan has NOT attacked us, and the people of Afghanistan pose NO THREAT AT ALL to us.

The war in Afghanistan is an imperial war of empire.

We MUST DEMAND that the US LEAVE Afghanistan -- NOW!

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

6. How many maimed? How many injured mentally? A scorecard of needless suffering.

For the sake of politicians and profiteers.

[tekisui]

7. Clinton regrets rise in US deaths in Afghanistan, but defends it still.

Source: AP

NEW DELHI — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Monday the surge in U.S. and allied deaths in Afghanistan this month is "regrettable and tragic," and that the Obama administration believes it has no choice but to continue the fight.

Four more Americans were killed in Afghanistan on Monday, making July the deadliest month for U.S. troops since the war began in October 2001.

At a news conference after consulting with Indian officials on a range of topics, Clinton was asked about the rising death toll and whether she takes responsibility for a failure to persuade allies and coalition partners to give the war effort more support.

"It is deeply regrettable and tragic that we have had the loss of life by our Marines and soldiers in the last weeks as they have aggressively pursued the Taliban in southern Afghanistan, and we are very concerned about the kidnapping of our American soldier," she replied, referring to Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdahl, 23. A day after he was seen in a Taliban video posted online, the Pentagon said Sunday that he had been captured.

Clinton said the U.S. government is doing all it can to obtain his safe release.

"But I think it's unfair to link the tragic loss of Americans in the battle against the Taliban and their associated terrorist allies with a failure by our allies," she said, noting that Britain has suffered a large number of casualties in recent weeks in Afghanistan.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5idrnZ4bpFlGMq9-s5XyuUj715lHQD99ICPAG1

[spanone]

8. put more people in a war zone, and more people will die...easy math...get. out. now