U.S. casualties in Afghanistan hit 1,000 with massive Taliban suicide bombing in Kabul
BY Stephanie Gaskell DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Originally Published:Wednesday, May 19th 2010, 12:25 AMUpdated: Wednesday, May 19th 2010, 8:57 AM
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/05/19/2010-05-19_1000_and_counting_us_casualties_in_afghan_hit_milestone_after_latest_bombing.html#ixzz0oRJ8DZwe
Seven U.S. troops were killed in Afghanistan on Tuesday - five in a massive Taliban suicide bombing in Kabul that filled the streets of the capital with blood.
The attack brought the U.S. toll to a grim new milestone - 1,000 American soldiers dead in Afghanistan since the war began in 2001, the independent Web site icasualties.org. reported.
A 42-year-old Canadian colonel also died in the morning rush-hour blast, along with at least a dozen Afghans.
"I saw one person lying on the ground with no head," said Mirza Mohammad, who was on his way to work when a van filled with 1,650 pounds of explosives rammed into a NATO convoy.
"Dead bodies were everywhere," said an Afghan cop. Many of yesterday's dead were women and children who were riding on a bus. Officials said more than 50 other people were wounded.
"A van driving very fast approached the convoy of foreigners and a huge blast went off," said government worker Noor Mohammad.
"I didn't know I was hurt. The explosion deafened my ears and I had a blackout."
The blast wrecked nearly 20 vehicles, including five SUVs in the NATO convoy, and scattered debris and body parts across the wide boulevard.
The body of a woman was smashed against the window of the bus.
According to the Pentagon, 1,060 U.S. soldiers have been killed in the overall campaign, dubbed Operation Enduring Freedom, which includes casualties in other countries like Pakistan and Uzbekistan.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who just returned from a trip to Washington, called yesterday's attack "heartbreaking."
The fighting continued into today as insurgents launched a predawn assault against the U.S.-run Bagram Air Field.
Seven militants had been killed during the "ongoing attack" on Bagram, which included rockets, small arms and grenades, a U.S. statement said. Five service members have been wounded.
The assault began when U.S. guards spotted attackers just outside the base and opened fire, sparking a gun battle, said an Afghan provincial police commander.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
U.S. CASUALTIES HIT 1,000 IN AFGHANISTAN WITH MASSIVE TALIBAN SUICIDE BOMBING
MEMORY LANE VIDEO: JEFFERSON AIRPLANE AND VIETNAM WAR
We decided to post this video of Jefferson Airplane singing "Somebody to Love" to footage from the Vietnam War.
As the Afghanistan War enters the ninth year, the Department of Defense has announced 1,000 young Americans have been killed in Afghanistan since the war started.
TURN UP YOUR SOUND
WATCH VIDEO HERE:
http://www.youtube.com/v/CiKzqcII0jQ&hl=en_US&fs=1
CLICK ON LINK AND DIAMOND-SHAPED ARROW TO PLAY VIDEO
APACHE HELICOPTERS SPRING INTO ACTION AND KILL TALIBAN COMMANDER AND 14 OTHERS
Just outside of the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar, Afghanistan, U.S. Apache helicopters are seen in this video killing a Taliban commander wounding 14 other members of the Taliban.
TURN UP YOUR SOUND
WATCH VIDEO HERE:
http://www.youtube.com/v/02PnaHAxtTU&hl=en_US&fs=1
CLICK ON LINK AND DIAMOND-SHAPED ARROW TO PLAY VIDEO
MUST SEE VIDEO: "THE WOUNDED PLATOON" PBS FRONTLINE VIDEO
This video should be a must view for everyone who has a family member in the military.
The video follows the troops from one platoon who return home from war with mental health issues and what is more well-known as PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
I urge everyone to watch this Frontline PBS video that aired May 18, 2010.
WATCH VIDEO HERE:
http://video.pbs.org/video/1497566525/
PASS THIS LINK ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW WHO HAS A FAMILY MEMBER IN THE MILITARY.
GRAPHIC VIDEO: U.S. SOLDIERS BOMB HOUSE USED BY TALIBAN SNIPERS
The sound on this video is slow to kick in, but when it does you will see U.S. soldiers taking out a house that was used by Taliban snipers.
TURN YOUR SOUND WAY UP.
WATCH VIDEO HERE:
http://www.youtube.com/v/T-YWob4i5Eo&hl=en_US&fs=1
CLICK ON LINK AND DIAMOND-SHAPED ARROW TO PLAY VIDEO
FIRST VIDEO OF ATTACK ON BAGRAM AIRFIELD IN AFGHANISTAN
This is a Pentagon Report of the attack Wednesday morning on the Bagram AFB in Afghanistan.
NEW VIDEO
TURN UP YOUR SOUND
WATCH VIDEO HERE:
http://www.youtube.com/v/HEAw_W8NJc8&hl=en_US&fs=1
CLICK ON LINK AND DIAMOND-SHAPED ARROW TO PLAY
BREAKING NEWS: TALIBAN ATTACK BAGRAM AFB IN AFGHANISTAN
Taliban attack biggest NATO base in Afghanistan
News by Sardar Ahmad Sardar Ahmad – 32 mins ago
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100519/wl_sthasia_afp/afghanistanunrest_20100519082221
BAGRAM, Afghanistan (AFP) – Taliban gunmen armed with rockets and grenades attacked the largest NATO base in Afghanistan at dawn Wednesday, sparking battles that killed 10 militants and wounded seven soldiers.
The audacious assault on Bagram Airfield came one day after a suicide car bomber killed five US soldiers, a Canadian colonel and 12 Afghans in Kabul, highlighting the relentless pace of the nearly nine-year insurgency.
The Taliban claimed responsibility, saying that 20 suicide bombers took part in the assault. The militia is known to exaggerate its claims and there was no other confirmation that suicide attackers were involved.
Major Virginia McCabe, a press officer at Bagram, said the attack was still going on after 9:00 am but denied the insurgents had been able to penetrate the sprawling base, nor was she able to confirm they were suicide bombers.
"It is still going on, but it is sporadic now," she said.
"They targeted a gate but couldn't enter, they didn't enter.... Seven ISAF soldiers were wounded. Our soldiers' response was pretty quick.
"More than 10 Taliban were killed," she said.
The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said the ongoing attack on Bagram "included rockets, small arms and grenades".
Around 60 kilometres (35 miles) north of Kabul, Bagram is run primarily by the US military and is the biggest NATO base in the country.
