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Subscribe to RSSAfghan security forces turned their guns on U.S. and NATO troops, killing four American soldiers and two British troops. NBC's Richard Engel reports.
Most joint U.S.-Afghan military operations have been suspended following what authorities believe was an insider attack Sunday that left four American soldiers dead, officials told NBC News.
“We’re to the point now where we can’t trust these people,” a senior military official said. So far this year, 51 NATO troops have been killed in these so-called blue-on-green attacks. Sunday's attack came a day after two British soldiers were shot dead by an Afghan policeman, Reuters reported.
Four NATO soldiers killed in Afghan 'insider' attack
"It's had a major impact on our ability to conduct combat operations with them, and we're going to have to back off to a certain degree," the official said.
The suspensions of the joint operations are indefinite – according to one official, they “could last three days or three months.”
The escalating violence — including a NATO airstrike that killed eight Afghan women and girls gathering firewood — is straining the military partnership between Kabul and NATO as the U.S. begins to withdraw thousands of troops sent three years ago to rout the Taliban from southern strongholds.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned the airstrike; the U.S.-led International Security Assistance Force later extended its regrets over those deaths.
The U.S. training mission and joint combat patrols are "critical" to the U.S. plan to withdraw all combat forces by as early as the middle of next year and almost all U.S. military from Afghanistan by the end of 2014.
In May, President Barack Obama announced that he and Karzai signed an agreement that would see the removal of 23,000 U.S. troops from Afghanistan by the summer's end.
“As our coalition agreed, by the end of 2014 the Afghans will be fully responsible for the security of their country," Obama said at the time. But the president was clear that the U.S. would stay engaged into the future.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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- NBC's Ayman Mohyeldin in Benghazi answers questions about attack
- In Niger, child marriage on rise due to hunger
- Obama: US has 'profound respect for people of all faiths'
- Clashes after South Africa cops raid miners' hostels to seize weapons
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So now that our politicos have figured out what all the rest of us have known for years, that being, there is no way to trust these people. What the hell is their justification for continuing to stay there? Still we keep on losing American life's and dumping billions in to this hell hole.
Should the taliban come back to power (likely), we can simply bomb them back to the stone ages without setting a boot on the ground.
Just bring our people out of there and put them in Japan to keep China honest for a while. If the Taliban come out of their rat holes, let them. Let them all come out in the open, them bomb them all!
“We’re to the point now where we can’t trust these people,” a senior military official said.
Well no @!$%# Sherlock. How many good Americans have died for something we all knew years ago? Have you never read any history of others experiences with the backward civilizations? They are animals. You never trust an animal, not even a sheep.
And since when has war been about nation building? You don't give the enemy a new infrastructure after punishing them. War is about punishment, and letting them rebuild their own country after a war is meant to give the enemy a chance to learn humility from their past hubris. One day America will have to learn that lesson to.
Where are the stories about what is going on in the middle east??? why arent NBC MSNBC CBS talking about that anymore.. Obama tell them not too?? He controls everything they say and do. He is doing such a bad job they wont tell us about it. They just talk about a video on Romney that they only play a part of and doesnt tell the whole story.. They are liars.. Socialist.. They are not journalists anymore.. PUPPETS..
I think its time we pull out the Middle East entirely, let them all fight it out, they've been fighting for centuries, and as far as Im concerned, why in the Heck are we supporting any government that supports and bases its culture on a religion that firmly believes in ethnic clensing, and a outward hatred for any other religous believes, the practive of any other, etc, and we keep supporting them, What benefit do we gain from that region, OIL? if we stopped exporting we'd be fine, and if we dont buy their oil what will happen , they'll be in deep doo doo, they have nothing else, "Sand and Rocks" not much market there.
You dont see all this hatred being targeted at most other countries, "DUH" because they stay out of the middle east affairs, you think we would have learned from what happened to Russia in Afganistan, whooooops we supported the Taliban fighting them didnt we, and see the thanks we got, Time to leave the Middle east to decide for there own. and If American Big business wants to stay, let them, but not at the cost of the tax payers wallets and our families lives.
We never supported the Taliban and I don't know where that came from, Some Republican said it so it must be true. In the begining they were Educators. There is a couple of stories about them in their beginings where they protected children and one of them is about a (child preditor as we call them) hanging the guy from a cannon on a tank. But as for protecting children that is all the good that's in them. They started as a groupe of 50 and grew from there. they recieved all the finacining from Turkey. Up until about 1990 Afghanistan was like something of a wild west story and fuedalism combined. Look up the Taliban and their history on Wikipedia, it'll take 10 min or so to read. I'm not going to spoon feed you, you need to learn how to things on your own, Or just continue being an ignoramis.
I think its time we pull out the Middle East entirely, let them all fight it out, they've been fighting for centuries, and as far as Im concerned, why in the Heck are we supporting any government that supports and bases its culture on a religion that firmly believes in ethnic clensing, and a outward hatred for any other religous believes, the practive of any other, etc, and we keep supporting them, What benefit do we gain from that region, OIL? if we stopped exporting we'd be fine, and if we dont buy their oil what will happen , they'll be in deep doo doo, they have nothing else, "Sand and Rocks" not much market there.
You dont see all this hatred being targeted at most other countries, "DUH" because they stay out of the middle east affairs, you think we would have learned from what happened to Russia in Afganistan, whooooops we supported the Taliban fighting them didnt we, and see the thanks we got, Time to leave the Middle east to decide for there own. and If American Big business wants to stay, let them, but not at the cost of the tax payers wallets and our families lives.
We have to stop trying to work with these people; stop giving them money; leave their country; and don' allow anyone from their country into our country; and monitor the ones that are here very closely. If they over-stay their visa, deport them. If they violate our laws, deport them. There is no fixing these crazy people. No matter how many billions we give to them. Talk about not having the money to afford it. We are borrowing money to give to people who are killing our people. Does it make any sense? Their leaders are the problem because they have no problem betraying America after taking America's money. We should change the philosophy of our dealings with the entire muslim world.
We should treat muslim countries like any other country. If they are reasonable we deal with them but if they are going to kill our people we should not have dealings with them. Let us get out of the Middle East and bring our boys and girls home. If the OIL COMPANIES NEED PROTECTION, THEY CAN JUST PAY FOR THEIR OWN PRIVATE MILITARY. The can employ the Blackwaters--or whatever their name is now--of the world. They make enough money. Having American taxpayers subsidize security for Oil companies is immoral.
Let it be known we are in the ME because of Oil and the Oil companies. Aside from that we have no other strategic interest. We do not need to be in Saudi Arabia in other to help Israel. Let's get out of the sewer now and stop the murdering of our citizen-soldiers.
look the problem is these people and i use the term very loosely have no honor, respect, or loyalty they only understand the boot heel on their necks its time for us to bring home our troops ans recind all forms of aid to the world and help our citizens get on their feet we have elderly eating cat food, people living in sewers and abandoned buildings, screw the world and let them all kill eachother funny when they were fighting to overthrow quadaffi and mubarak they were begging us for help now they are worse than what was there dont we ever learn
Enough is Enough. Time to pull out. When the same government we are trying to build and protect is telling us they don't want our help, then why can't we listen? One american live is worth more to me than that whole damn county!!!!!
My mother laughed at me when she found out I supported Ron Paul. She told me his foreign policy was a joke.
I guess this is what happens when the "adults" are in charge?
Our foreign policy has been a mess for decades. Leaning isolationist (not complete) seems logical to me.
So make the final step and withdraw now, cut all aid for Afghanistan and this creep Karzai and leave them alone. The Russian's made this experience a long time ago and it is sad that our Generals do learn so slowly.
What to do, What to do? The biggest problem are the nukes these idiots have. I still believe we should pull all of out troops out. Stop all aid to the country and simply point a dozen or so nukes at them. If any thing happens we simply vaporize them. I was going to say send them to the stone ages, but they are already there.
The reality? Everybody recognizes Afghanistan is a mess with the exception of our war profiteering politicians in Washington and the Pentagon brass who naturally want us in Afghanistan (and everywhere else for that matter) because that justifies their presence and of course their careers.
And yes President Obama also has to take some blame on this as well. Because even though he has posted a withdrawal timeline, he is still guilty of escalating the war in the first place. Despite overwhelming historical and current evidence that this tribal country is not ready and probably never will ready for true democracy.
Wow, what a bunch of crap. Blaming bush for clintons mistakes. It was clinton who abandoned the mujahadeen during the fight with russia. we offered and gave our support to the mujahadeen and then after clinton took over he pulled that support. that was what originally got them stirred up against us, and then Bush has to go after the mujahadeen for turning on us.
I can remember being at a gun show where the mujahadeen was introduced by our diplomats as freedom fighters and were given weapons for their fight with russia. But everyone wants to blame bush. The true fault is with our government supporting radicals in the first place. Remember Manuel Noriega? same mo. Iran contra? again... now the Muslim Brotherhood? when will the usa stop supporting radical movements hoping that they will turn to a democratic form of government?
The Buck stops where the Buck is supposed to stop, at the top.
Large portions of this campaign have been largely compromised for several reasons.
The number of troops requested by Commanders on the ground were drastically reduced by the White House.
Advance notice (which by any military standard is foolish) of troop movements and withdrawal served only two purposes. It was used as a Political tool to garner support from his base. It also served to inform the enemy, in advance, allowing them the time to formulate strategies against us.
When our military efforts are altered and directed by those with no experience in those areas, the results of such folly is now manifesting itself.
No fighter EVER tells the opponent what the next series of moves will be.
No football coach MAKES KNOWN exactly what plays are next.
A proper Commander in Chief should know this !
We've got a Community Organizer. That will make them wet their pants.
What's the problem? Are the corrupt Afghan government representatives tired of splitting the take with ours?
Yeah, DUMBASSES, if ya didn't get the hint yet, it means....GET THE F OUT OF THEIR COUNTRY! GET OFF THEIR SOIL!!! Let these religious obsolete-minded beasts and barbarians fade away with time! Our military CAN NOT solve this! Let time consume them! They operate on an obsolete framework! Obsolete thought process! Let them have their STONE AGE!!! Time-Space will consume them! Just allow nature to take its course!!! Stop interfering!!! Stop stealing their opium and lithium!!! This is merely CIA BLOWBACK, nothing more! GET OUT!!! NOW!!!
TIME & SPACE had made them grow from ZERO to 1 BILLION, LOL! ---
He it is who hath sent His messenger with the guidance and the Religion of Truth, that He may cause it to PREVAIL over all religion, however much the idolaters may be averse. ---
Go find yourselves ANOTHER PLANET before its too late. LOL!
It is amazing what all these wanna be Generals here know about Afghanistan. Perhaps as much as they proclaim to bomb everybody who has a different way of life. It is enough, enough our our boys have died for a miserable cause, for alliances with governments that work against us (Afghanistan, Pakistan). When do people in Washington realize that they will never be allies of us? Let our troops come back, take care of this country and if Netanyahu wants a war with Iran, let him and the Arabs sort it out.
i suggest we find a quaker to elect for our leader in order to keep us out of these never ending wars!
they dont want our help, so bring our friends/family home and let them fight their own battles from now on, why train ppl when they use what they learn against us??
well duhhh, in nam i was in a cap unit Combine Action Platoon. we lived in the villages with the people. set up ambushes on trails leading into the vills at night, etc. as part of this program we had regional forces with us (teenage kids not old enough for the army) they were armed and went with us. needless to say we watched them as much as we watched for vc and nva. a little common sense people. semper fi
Afgans are not interested in western-style democracy, they are focused on ancient tribal and religious wars. This is their choice, their destiny. We should leave them to destroy themselves as they wish because history has proven over and over again that they can't grasp the concept of a society of free will. Life is cheap in Afghanistan, always has been, always will be. Don't even get me started on the issue of trust.
Just look at what TRUST got the NATIVES of the Americas, Australia, New Zealand, West Indies, etc. TRUST got them EXTERMINATED. So why should Afghans or for that matter anyone TRUST you?
Make it indefinitely!
Anyone remember the war in Vietnam?-- Apparently, not.
Really,Seven2Seven, Trillions? Don't you get embarrased blaming Bush for everything after 4 yrs of your Hero! If not, you should be. Obama has spent more money on this whole thing than Bush ever imagined! "Mission accomplished" did not refer to the fact that we were done, stupid. Go back and fact check your statements. Dems had complete control of the house and senate for years with the ability to get anything they wanted done, but now it is someone else's fault for everything not being fixed!!! I think you just like complaining.