'Double Tap' U.S. Airstrike Kills 16 Afghan Police Members

[enhanced_deficit]

Bush with his war mission accomplishments is long gone, DGP with his Afghan war escalation/double tap drone strikes has come and gone, now Trump's strategic patience/belligerence foreign policy mix is in and Operation Enduring Freedom war still endures on:

U.S. Airstrike Kills Afghan Police Members; Local Officials Say 16 Died

July 22, 2017
Bill Chappell




Afghan officials say 16 members of the Afghan National Security Forces died in a U.S. airstrike Friday, during operations against Taliban fighters in southern Helmand province. The U.S. says it is investigating the circumstances that led to the mistake.
Afghan media report that 16 members of the security force died, citing local government officials. Although a U.S. statement acknowledging the strike did not specify the number of casualties, a Pentagon spokesman later put the figure at from 12-15 deaths.

In a statement about the strike, U.S. Forces Afghanistan said, "We would like to express our deepest condolences to the families affected by this unfortunate incident."
Local media outlet Pajhwok News reports that two commanders were among the policemen killed.
"The strike comes during a period of already poor morale among Afghan forces fighting for the government," Diaa says. "But U.S. airpower is key to helping the Afghan government stay its ground. Afghan forces are struggling to hold areas that U.S.-led troops helped take from the Taliban."

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-w...ls-say-16-died


Affghanistan has strong "revenge" culture, this may lead to more tribes/clans shifting their loyalties.








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[timosman]

Affghanistan has strong "revenge" culture, this may lead to more tribes/clans shifting their loyalties.

Also known as blowback. Many in the west pretend it does not exist. All we have to do is sincerely apologize for our mistakes and we can still be friends.

[enhanced_deficit]

RT is questioning hi-techness of our military with a "Afghan people are fedup" narrative:

'How can the hi-tech US military accidentally bomb its Afghan allies with such frequency?'

Published time: 22 Jul, 2017

‘Afghani people fed up’

RT: Do you think today's incident will be followed by a strong reaction from Afghanistan?
Abdel Bari Atwan, writer and commentator: Yes, definitely. They would be appalled by the so-called friendly-fire which has been repeated literally every day, Afghani soldiers were killed by American airstrikes or by missiles. I believe those people are definitely fed up with these kinds of incidents because it does embarrass them in the eyes of the Afghani people. And it shows that they are not capable of protecting even the soldiers. Definitely, this incident will stir a lot of anger among the Afghani leadership, the Afghani military leadership and also among the families of the victims who have been massacred by this American incident.

All we have to do is sincerely apologize for our mistakes and we can still be friends.

Apology for killing innocent is certainly not adequate , though it could be a good first step in some other cases.

Related

Poll: Should US apologize for financing radicalization of Afghan children in 1980s?

[goldenequity]

gawd... we just need to leave. srsly.

[enhanced_deficit]

They look very unmotivated. Were these the same guys who helped US/Israel/Saudi alliance defeat Russians in the great Afghan Jihad on 80s?

[dannno]

Word on the street is that McMaster is pushing for a surge in Afghanistan, and Trump is starting to get sick of this $#@!. McMaster has a new mortal enemy, he was heard screaming in the White House about Mike Cernovich's tweets. The Mooch is onto McMaster and his leakers, hopefully he will be gone soon.

Check this out, Mike Cernovich 2:39:00

[libertariantexas]

They look very unmotivated. Were these the same guys who helped US/Israel/Saudi alliance defeat Russians in the great Afghan Jihad on 80s?

An unmotivated soldier is almost always a useless soldier.

The same Afghans that tenaciously fought the Russians a couple of decades ago are now fighting for a corrupt puppet regime (the one we installed). They have no loyalty to that government or the USA. They are just there for a US taxpayer funded paycheck and a hot meal 3 times a day.

We should have learned in Vietnam. The soldiers who were fighting for the corrupt puppet government (the one we installed) were worthless- they were just there for a US taxpayer funded paycheck and 3 hot meals a day. The same Vietnamese people, fighting for nationalist leader Ho Chi Min, a leader they believed in, fought with savage tenacity.

You can train soldiers for years, you can give them top of the line equipment, but it they are just there for a meal and a paycheck, they won't fight.

Witness the collapse of the well-equipped Iraqi Army against the rag tag "ISIS" militia in 2014. After decades of training, equipped with tons of brand new (US Taxpayer funded) equipment, the Iraq Army ran from lightly armed militia like frightened school girls.

Because they were only in the army for 3 hot meals a day, and a US taxpayer funded paycheck. They wanted no part of real fighting and had no loyalty to the corrupt puppet government (the one we installed).

[goldenequity]

An unmotivated soldier is almost always a useless soldier.

SO true.