“The American people will never knowingly adopt Socialism. But under the name of ‘liberalism’ they will adopt every fragment of the Socialist program, until one day America will be a Socialist nation, without knowing how it happened.”

Socialist Party presidential candidate Norman Thomas


Monday, May 02, 2011

The terrible cost of Afghanistan

 POSTED BY BILL


The "trend" of our Afghan allies gunning our guys down in cold blood is a huge problem.  I wish Karzai would get as exercised over it as he does over accidental - or fabricated - deaths of civilians in combat ops.

The most recent atrocity was widely reported as "Soldiers."  In fact they were eight Airmen (plus a contractor) who paid the price for serving our country and trusting the murderer.  They were not just random Airmen, but accomplished officers and a senior NCO.  God Speed.

Airmen Killed in Kabul Shooting Identified: The Defense Department has released the names of the eight airmen killed in last week's shooting incident at Kabul International Airport in Afghanistan. They are: Lt. Col. Frank D. Bryant Jr., 37, of Knoxville, Tenn. He was assigned to the 56th Operations Group at Luke AFB, Ariz. Maj. Philip D. Ambard, 44, of Edmonds, Wash. He was with the 460th Space Communications Squadron at Buckley AFB, Colo. Maj. Jeffrey O. Ausborn, 41, of Gadsden, Ala. He was assigned to the 99th Flying Training Squadron at Randolph AFB, Tex. Maj. David L. Brodeur, 34, of Auburn, Mass. He was assigned to 11th Air Force at JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. Maj. Raymond G. Estelle II, 40, of New Haven, Conn. He was assigned to Headquarters Air Combat Command at Langley-Eustis. Capt. Nathan J. Nylander, 35, of Hockley, Tex. He was assigned to the 25th Operational Weather Squadron at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz. Capt. Charles A. Ransom, 31, of Midlothian, Va. He was with the 83rd Network Operations Squadron at Langley-Eustis. MSgt. Tara R. Brown, 33, of Deltona, Fla. She was assigned to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations at JB Andrews, Md. (DOD release)

1 comment:

Ed said...

A lot of talking heads are floating the notion that bin Laden's head on a pole is all the more reason to stay in Afghanistan rather than leave but I fail to follow that particular logic. Bin Laden was not pulling any tactical strings for probably the last 8 years. His departure from the scene means nothing outside of a temporary morale defeat for Al Qaeda. I mean it's not like he leaves a power vacuum behind nor is this any indicator that we have Al Qaeda on the run. Nothing's changed in Afghanistan. We should still leave them to their poppy crop and fight them another day.