Soldier's Home : 9/11 Marks Deadliest Year for U.S. in Afghanistan

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9/11 Marks Deadliest Year for U.S. in Afghanistan

David Botti

It used to be that the term "forgotten" was often applied to the war in Afghanistan, at least in comparison to the stream of news coming out of Iraq during the past few years. Now, as Iraq quiets, troop shifts to Afghanistan are planned for the near future, and the media once again devotes more column inches to that conflict, word comes of a new milestone: 2008 is the deadliest year for U.S. forces in Afghanistan since the 2001 invasion.

The Associated Press reports that two U.S. soldiers were killed today, the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, bringing 2008's death toll to 113, passing the 111 U.S. soldiers killed there last year. At the same time, 33,000 U.S. troops are currently operating in Afghanistan; the most since 2001. As the two latest U.S. deaths are still recent, there are few details available:

The NATO-led force said one soldier was killed when insurgents attacked a compound. The separate U.S.-led coalition said a second service member died in combat. No other details were released, but a Western military official told The Associated Press that both troops were American.

Yesterday the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Michael G. Mullen, told congress that NATO forces are running out of time in Afghanistan and attention needs to be given to Pakistan's tribal areas along with the border. His testimony came as U.S. forces are openly conducting cross-border raids into Pakistan, which is drawing condemnation from that country's government. From the LA Times:

Mullen said the new strategy for Afghanistan must focus on more than just increasing troop strength. He noted that existing provincial reconstruction teams did not have enough agricultural, educational and judicial experts. The U.S. must focus on boosting foreign investment and improving governance in Afghanistan, he said.

"We can't kill our way to victory," Mullen said.

Mullen said he was not convinced the U.S. and its allies were winning in Afghanistan but said he believed victory was possible.

There's been scant coverage of day-to-day U.S. military operations in Afghanistan, but still there is some quality work out there. The UK Guardian has this interactive piece following U.S. and British soldiers in various regions of the country. The paper also has a striking series of videos riding along with a U.S. Army Medevac helicopter crew. There was also this frightening and candid New York Times Magazine piece following a unit of soldiers operating in the volatile Korengal Valley.

In the News, War Reporting, Afghanistan, Army

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Member Comments

Posted By: Kuksha (September 18, 2008 at 12:37 PM)

From Russia. Were USSR was at war in Afghanistan too, USA at this time raised the Afghani terrorists - here and has grown up! Now terror a headache for all! USSR has not won - the people not to win in injust war. USA is at war for 9\11, but in their Afghanistan consider as aggressors. For this reason of the end of war will not be - while the American soldiers will not leave Afghanistan. The army in guerrilla war is ineffective, here (excuse) it is necessary SS. Transfer electronic. Errors are possible.

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Posted By: willoe1 (September 16, 2008 at 3:25 PM)

These guys in Afghanastan need help and I'm appalled that our government won't even consider them until next year. I guess the priority was never Bin Laden and the Taliban. What a sad, sad turn of events for out military. The guys in Afghanastan now must stand their own Alamo until someone besides Bush has control. They need all our prayers.

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Posted By: HarleyisHere (September 14, 2008 at 9:16 PM)

The problem for McCain is his "Judgment", if he really had superior military insight, he would have never agreed to go to Iraq until Afghanistan was "mission accomplished". If mccain would have wanted to defeat Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, where they make base and train, if he would have wanted to actually bring BIN LADEN to justice, if MCCAIN has TRUE judgment, he would have stood on the floor of the Senate and said "WRONG WAR< WRONG TIME!" We would have "WON" in Afghanistan, instead of "cutting" our ability to supply more troops and "running" to Iraq, for a "WAR FOR OIL" and for the bush ego.

If McCain had done that, there would not have been a "SURGE" required, AT ALL. thousands of Iraqis and hundreds od Americans would have been saved...but NOPE! McCain and BUSH wanted to go to a country that NEVER ATTACKED THE US, and star another war, and now MCCAIN AND BUSH want to go "bomb Iran, bomb bomb Iran". before AFGANISTAN or Iraq are clear...and you call that a "military mentality", you call that "Judgment"?

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