DEVASTATING SERIES OF NEW VIDEOS SHOWING US FORCES ATTACKING TALIBAN

There are more than 50 new videos in this series of action-packed combat videos from the war in Afghanistan showing US forces fighting the Taliban. There are also videos of NATO troops in brutal firefights in Afghanistan.

TURN UP YOUR SOUND

REMEMBER: VIDEOS move from one to another in a steady stream of action-packed videos.

WARNING: Some of the footage is very graphic and the language is very explicit.

WATCH VIDEOS HERE:

http://www.youtube.com/v/DU44Iixd8xY&hl=en&fs=1

CLICK ON DIAMOND-SHAPED ARROW TO PLAY VIDEOS.

Submitted by BILL CORCORAN, editor, CORKSPHERE, http://corksphere.blogspot.com
Email: corkcol@aol.com

VIDEO FROM INSIDE THE FT. HOOD HALL WHERE 13 SOLDIERS WERE KILLED. CASEY J. PORTER FILM

Casey J. Porter, noted film producer and former Sgt in the U.S. Army who served two tours in Iraq, made this video in the same hall where 13 GIs were killed and 31 wounded during the shooting spree at Ft. Hood on Thursday.

TURN UP YOUR SOUND

WATCH VIDEO HERE:

http://vimeo.com/5142245

Submitted by BILL CORCORAN, editor, CORKSPHERE, http://corksphere.blogspot.com
Email: corkcol@aol.com

WARNING: VERY GRUESOME VIDEO. TALIBAN SHOW OFF REMAINS OF 2 U.S. HELICOPTERS SHOT DOWN IN NOORSTAN PROVINCE AFGHANISTAN

This video should be viewed with extreme caution. The video is Taliban footage showing the Taliban going through what is left of two U.S. helicopters that were shot down over Noorstan Province, Afghanistan.

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WARNING: View with extreme caution.

WATCH VIDEO HERE:

http://www.youtube.com/v/4XXzUEOo6OY&hl=en&fs=1

CLICK ON DIAMOND-SHAPED ARROW TO PLAY THIS VIDEO

VIOLENT VIDEO OF TALIBAN ATTACK ON US SOLDIERS

Video is from the Taliban and shows a series of violent attacks on US soldiers and Marines in Afghanistan.

TURN UP YOUR SOUND

WATCH VIDEO HERE:

http://www.youtube.com/v/hr-BVMx3s4E&hl=en&fs=1

CLICK ON DIAMOND-SHAPED ARROW TO PLAY VIDEO

BREAKING NEWS: 2 AMERICAN SOLDIERS DIE IN IRAQ

BAGHDAD -- The U.S. military says two American soldiers have died in Iraq -- one in combat and one of noncombat-related injuries.

Associated Press Last updated: 2:45 a.m., Thursday, November 5, 2009

The military released a statement late Wednesday saying two Multi-National Corps-Iraq soldiers died on November 4. The statement did not describe the circumstances of either death.

The names of the soldiers were being withheld until the military can notify family members. The statement said both deaths are under investigation.

The deaths raise to at least 4,358 the number of U.S. military personnel who have died in the Iraq war since it began in March 2003. That's according to an Associated Press count.

"DEATH FROM ABOVE"--APACHE HELICOPTERS DESTROY TALIBAN IN AFGHANISTAN

Watch video of Apache helicopters destroying enemy fighting positions above the village of Donga, Afghanistan.

The positions were discovered a day earlier during an ambush of a patrol conducting a key leader engagement. With help from a forward observer, the helicopters identified the targets, ensuring no civilians were present and then destroyed the positions using their 30 mm cannon and rockets.

Produced by Sgt. Justin Puetz with the 5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.

WATCH VIDEO HERE:

http://www.youtube.com/v/79CdqhTW5tQ&hl=en&fs=1

CLICK ON DIAMOND-SHAPED ARROW TO PLAY THIS VIDEO

NEW VIDEO OF TALIBAN AMBUSHING US FORCES IN AFGHANISTAN

This video shows a winding road through the mountains of Afghanistan and how the Taliban ambushed a convoy of US vehicles. Very graphic footage.

WATCH VIDEO HERE:

http://www.youtube.com/v/a4tTjD3T_Xg&hl=en&fs=1

CLICK ON DIAMOND-SHAPED ARROW TO PLAY THIS VIDEO

VIOLENT VIDEO OF US SOLDIERS RESPONDING TO TALIBAN AMBUSH: WARNING: STRONG LANGUAGE

This video shows how a unit of US soldiers respond to a Taliban ambush in the mountains of Afghanistan.

WARNING: VERY STRONG LANGUAGE

TURN UP YOUR SOUND

WATCH VIDEO HERE:

http://www.youtube.com/v/zQ0vbg2uE3Q&hl=en&fs=1

CLICK ON DIAMOND-SHAPED ARROW TO PLAY VIDEO

VIDEO OF WAR BOOTY TAKEN FROM AMERICAN BASE IN AFGHANISTAN BY THE TALIBAN

This is a video made by the Taliban showing war booty taken by the Taliban when they stormed an American forward operating base in Afghanistan.

WATCH VIDEO HERE:

http://www.youtube.com/v/7ebOh5PIvOU&hl=en&fs=1

CLICK ON DIAMOND-SHAPED ARROW TO PLAY VIDEO

GORY VIDEO OF TALIBAN ANNIHILATING US BASE IN AFGHANISTAN

This video was acquired from the Taliban and shows them destroying a US base deep in the heart of Afghanistan.

WARNING: Some of the footage is very graphic

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WATCH VIDEO HERE:

http://www.youtube.com/v/BODVafegt_w&hl=en&fs=1

CLICK ON DIAMOND-SHAPED ARROW TO PLAY THIS VIDEO

VIOLENT TALIBAN FOOTAGE OF ATTACK ON US CONVOY IN AFGHANISTAN

This video was made by the Taliban and shows how they attack a US convoy and other US vehicles in Afghanistan.

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WATCH VIDEO HERE:

http://www.youtube.com/v/XgrGZyNSJ3I&hl=en&fs=1

CLICK ON DIAMOND-SHAPED ARROW TO PLAY VIDEO

BRUTAL BATTLEFIELD FIREFIGHT IN AFGHANISTAN COSTS US EIGHT LIVES

CBS News released this video of a brutal firefight in Afghanistan a week ago that cost the US eight lives.

The war in Afghanistan is now reaching a fever pitch and President Obama is going to be pressed even harder by Republicans and the Pentagon to send more troops to Afghanistan.

The US Army and US Marines are stretched to the breaking point and without a military draft it will be impossible to provide the ground troops needed to continue the battle in Afghanistan.

During the month of October there were 55 US military personnel killed in Afghanistan.

At this writing nobody has yet explained what US troops are supposed to be doing in Afghanistan.

The mission has not been defined and there also has not been a plan released for when US troops can leave Afghanistan.

Some military observers say the US could be in Afghanistan for another TEN YEARS.

Why?

WATCH VIDEO HERE:

http://www.youtube.com/v/WMz9Tbu-B1I&hl=en&fs=1

CLICK ON DIAMOND-SHAPED ARROW TO PLAY VIDEO

Submitted by BILL CORCORAN, editor, CORKSPHERE: http://corksphere.blogspot.com
Email: corkcol@aol.com

MUST SEE VIDEO: HOW MEDIA AROUND THE WORLD VIEW AMERICA IN AFGHANISTAN. IS US MEDIA TELLING THE REAL TRUTH?

U.S. TV news finally focuses on Afghanistan.

Why did it take so long?

And what will they show us?

Since President Obama announced plans to deploy another 17,000 troops to Afghanistan, and possibility of up to 40,000 more US troops to Afghanistan, the U.S. networks are finally setting up bureaus there.

But while the American focus is on U.S. troops and the political implications of Obama's policies, the international media is telling a different story.

From the Middle East, there are reports of missile strikes, civilian casualties, and Pentagon ineptitude. And Russia reminds the U.S. that they have been there, done that with disastrous results.

SOURCES: CNN, U.S.; NBC News, U.S.; Al Jazeera English, Qatar; South Asia Newsline, India; Press TV, Iran; New York Times, U.S.; Bloomberg.com, U.S.; RT, Russia.-- Global Pulse is a fast-moving and informative television and web series that helps you navigate the news of the world by comparing and contrasting TV news reports.

See all the episodes of Global Pulse at http://linktv.org/globalpulse

WATCH VIDEO HERE:

http://www.youtube.com/v/txtp9XVkv4Q&hl=en&fs=1

CLICK ON DIAMOND-SHAPED ARROW TO PLAY THIS VIDEO

FRIGHTEING VIDEO OF NEW TALIBAN OFFENSIVE IN AFGHANISTAN

In this NEW video you hear a Taliban fighter say 20,000 more American troops will mean nothing against the 70,000 suicide bombers the Taliban have recruited and are prepared to use against the US forces President Obama is prepared to send into Afghanistan.

The Taliban claim in this video they will fight until none of them are left standing and they are prepared to rid their country of the "infidels" who have invaded Afghanistan.

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WATCH VIDEO HERE:

http://www.youtube.com/v/U3C_6ZmwNWs&hl=en&fs=1

CLICK ON DIAMOND-SHAPED ARROW TO PLAY VIDEO

QUAGMIRE: WHAT US TROOPS WILL FIND WHEN OBAMA SENDS THEM TO AFGHANISTAN

Afghanistan is a quagmire and is only going to get worse no matter how many troops President Obama sends into the country.


The situation is Iraq is not that much better.

A sucide bomber on a bicycle blew themselves up today in Southern Iraq killing 5 people and injuring scores.

Both Iraq and Afghanistan will NEVER be conquered and all that is going to happen is more and more young Americans are going to die in both countries.

WATCH VIDEO HERE:

http://www.youtube.com/v/AMr6HEni1X8&hl=en&fs=1

CLICK ON DIAMOND-SHAPED ARROW TO PLAY VIDEO

BREAKING NEWS: BICYCLE BOMB KILLS 5 IN SOUTHERN IRAQ

Police: Bicycle Bomb Kills 5 in Southern Iraq

Police: A bomb attached to a bicycle kills 5 in Hillah, southern Iraq

By HAMID AHMED
The Associated Press

BAGHDAD
A bomb attached to a bicycle killed five people in southern Iraq on Sunday and two others were killed when twin car bombs exploded in the western Anbar province, police said.

Maj. Muthana Khalid said a booby trapped bicycle exploded at a popular fruit and vegetable market Sunday near Hillah, the capital of Iraq's Babil province, 60 miles (95 kilometers) south of Baghdad.

Thirty-seven people were wounded in the attack, Khalid said.

Also Sunday, a police official in the western city of Ramadi said two people, including a policeman, were killed and four wounded when two car bombs exploded minutes apart in the visitors' parking lot of the city's Traffic Police Directorate.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Ramadi is the capital of Anbar province, 70 miles (115 kilometers) west of Baghdad.

Last week, twin suicide attacks in downtown Baghdad killed 155 people, the worst attacks in Iraq in two years.

10 NEW VIDEOS OF TALIBAN SPEAKING ABOUT THE WAR

The war in Afghanistan is about to make a dramatic shift in attention by the mainstream media in the United States as President Obama gives details of troop deployment to the war zone.

In this series of 10 videos members of the Taliban explain what they are fighting for and how they plan to carry the battle to American and NATO troops.

The Taliban talk about the civilian casualties incurred by American bombings and the rage that is felt by the people of Afghanistan.

TURN UP YOUR SOUND

REMEMBER: The videos are played in a continuous loop.

WATCH ALL THE VIDEOS HERE:

http://www.youtube.com/v/WT6sb5A7_TM&hl=en&fs=1

CLICK ON DIAMOND-SHAPED ARROW TO ACTIVATE THE VIDEOS

MSNBC'S LAWRENCE O'DONNELL BLASTS LIZ CHENEY FOR KNOCKING PRESIDENT OBAMA FOR GOING TO DOVER AFB

Liz Cheney is a chip off the old block. She is rabble-rouser and trouble-maker and even worse than that she is IGNORANT.

Cheney went on a right wing radio show hosted by former FOX NEWS blabbermouth John Gibson and ripped into President Obama for going to Dover Air Force Base to pay his respects to military personnel lost in the Afghanistan War.

Liz Cheney's father, former VP Dick Cheney, NEVER went to Dover Air Force base and used five deferments to avoid military service during the Vietnam War.

O'Donnell doesn't spare any words in trashing Liz Cheney for her petty remarks about President Obama.

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WATCH VIDEO HERE:

http://www.youtube.com/v/qCrAxDENELk&hl=en&fs=1

CLICK ON DIAMOND-SHAPED ARROW TO PLAY THIS VIDEO

MEMO TO PRESIDENT OBAMA: AFGHANISTAN IS NOT WORTH THE LIFE OF ONE MORE AMERICAN: GET OUT NOW

This blogger has been blogging about the wars in IRAQ and AFGHANISTAN for almost two years now and more than 300,000 people have visited my blog.

I have seen a lot and learned a lot about both conflicts.


President Obama is faced with a major decision regarding sending upwards of 40,000 more US men and women into Afghanistan.

The Republicans and all the talking heads on radio and TV want Obama to send the troops that Gen. Stanley McChrstal wants to wage the war against the Taliban.

The truth of the matter is the Republicans want more troops sent to Afghanistan so they can then say the Afghanistan war is "Obama's war."

History has always been a great teacher and when you look back at the history of wars in Afghanistan you will find Alexander The Great could not defeat the Afghans. The Britsh and Russians tried, but were also doomed to failure.

The argument put forth by the Republicans is that it is in the interest of United States security to bring down the Taliban in Afghanistan.

But is it really?

There is no such things as "winning" in Afghanistan because the country is divided into scores of tribal groups without any one group in charge of the destiny of Afghanistan.

The government of Afghanistan is in shambles and this week we learned the President of Afghanistan, Harmid Karzai's brother, is a war lord and in charge of the opium trade in Afghanistan.

Are we supposed to send our young soldiers and Marines into Afghanistan to try and beat the Taliban when in the end all we are doing is propping up the opium trade and Karzai's brother and his drug cartel?

Some military observers say it would take 10 or more years to defeat the Taliban and in the course of the battle thousands of US troops would be killed and injured.

The reason the Bush administration invaded Afghanistan was to find and kill Osama bin Laden, but that was nearly eight years ago and most people feel he has slipped across the border into Pakistan and is hiding out in the rugged mountains of that country.

The other argument the Republicans present is Afghanistan could become a training ground for Al Queda, but Al Queda is now spread out all across the mid-East and Europe and even have cells here in the United States.

The terrain of Afghanistan is a brutal place to fight a war. It is all mountains and caves and to add to the misery winter is coming to the country and our troops will be bogged down in freezing weather much like the German Army was when they tried to take Russia during World War II.

President Obama may have made a campaign pledge to continue the war in Afghanistan, but nowhere is it written he can't change his mind and decide the sacrifice of thousands of young Americans is not worth it.

President Obama: Get out NOW.

You will take some heat from the Republicans, but so what. Most of them don't have a family member in the military and they haven't got a dog in the fight.

Editorial comment by BILL CORCORAN, editor, CORKSPHERE: http://corksphere.blogspot.com
Email: corkcol@aol.com

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT TO SEE MORE OF WHEN PRESIDENT OBAMA SENDS MORE US TROOPS TO AFGHANISTAN

Bulldog Troop, 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th BCT, 25th Infantry Division - September 2009, Afghanistan [...: FK-TK :...]

This is the type of video you can expect to see more of on your TV after President Obama decides just how many more troops he is going to send into the quagmire of Afghanistan.

WATCH VIDEO HERE:

http://www.youtube.com/v/7ogWnPhIeTA&hl=en&fs=1

CLICK ON DIAMOND-SHAPED ARROW TO PLAY VIDEO

VIDEO SHOWS WHAT MORE US TROOPS WILL ENCOUNTER IN BATTLE WITH TALIBAN IN AFGHANISTAN

ON TOP OF A MOUNTAIN WHEN I NOTICED A WHITE FLASH IN THE DISTANCE, A CAMP WAS BEING ATTACKED WITH MORTAR'S BEING FIRED BY THE TALIBAN IN THE MOUNTAINS NEARBY, YOU CAN SEE THE INCOMING HITTING THE CAMP AND THE OUTGOING HITTING THE TALIBAN WITH A GRAND FINALEE LIGHT SHOW USING NIGHT VISION. 1/221 CAV LAS VEGAS NV PRT KUNAR SECFOR

TURN UP YOUR SOUND

WARNING: Graphic night combat battle with strong language

WATCH VIDEO HERE

http://www.youtube.com/v/4PXKPemzSKw&hl=en&fs=1

CLICK ON DIAMOND-SHAPED ARROW TO PLAY VIDEO

EXTREME VIOLENCE IN THESE NEW VIDEOS FROM THE WAR IN AFGHANISTAN

These videos are very, very violent and should be watched with caution. They show US and NATO forces battling the Taliban in Afghanistan.

This is what US troops can expect to see if President Obama elects to send more troops to Afghanistan.

TURN UP YOUR SOUND

REMEMBER: Videos play in a continuous loop.

WARNING: Very graphic footage and raw language.

WATCH VIDEOS HERE:

http://www.youtube.com/v/7rk0gx3pUew&hl=en&fs=1

CLICK ON DIAMOND-SHAPED ARROW TO PLAY VIDEOS

NEW VIDEOS SHOWING FIREFIGHTS AT FORWARD OPERATING BASES IN AFGHANISTAN

If President Obama decides to send more troops to Afghanistan many of them will be deployed to Forward Operating Bases like the ones you see in this collection of eight videos.

The duty is rough because our troops out in the middle of nowhere and have very little protection from a Taliban attack.

TURN UP YOUR SOUND

REMEMBER: Videos move from one to another until all eight are played.

WATCH VIDEOS HERE:

http://www.youtube.com/v/u6y9DHQIXZw&hl=en&fs=1

SUBMITTED by BILL CORCORAN, editor, CORKSPHERE, http://corksphere.blogspot.com
Email: corkcol@aol.com

OVER 50 RAW VIDEOS OF US LAUNCHING MASSIVE ATTACK ON TALIBAN

There are over 50 extremely violent videos in this footage of US and NATO forces launching massive attacks on the Taliban in Afghanistan.

TURN UP YOUR SOUND

REMEMBER: The videos skip from one to the next without interruption.

WARNING: Some of the videos are very graphic with raw language.

WATCH VIDEOS HERE:

http://www.youtube.com/v/DU44Iixd8xY&hl=en&fs=1

CLICK ON DIAMOND-SHAPED ARROW TO ACTIVATE VIDEO

Submitted by BILL CORCORAN, editor, CORKSPHERE, http://corksphere.blogspot.com
email: corkcol@aol.com

TALIBAN BURNING: US AND AFGHAN TROOPS SEEN IN VIOLENT BATTLE WITH THE TALIBAN. SERIES OF 28 VIDEOS

The war in Afghanistan is heating up to a fever pitch, but the mainstream media in the United States is still giving only token coverage to the war.

In this series of 28 videos you get to see US and Afghan troops in battle against the Taliban.

TURN UP YOUR SOUND

REMEMBER: When one video ends it moves automatically to the next video until the entire playlist if viewed.

WATCH VIDEOS HERE:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hv_NzLtRiy4&feature=PlayList&p=32F558FB5BA044BF&index=0&playnext=1

Submitted by BILL CORCORAN, editor, CORKSPHERE, http://corksphere.blogspot.com
Email: corkcol@aol.com

FANTASTIC SERIES OF 19 VIDEOS SHOWING THE VIOLENCE OF FIGHTING A WAR IN AFGHANISTAN

The mainstream media provides little or no coverage of the war in Afganistan, and yet you have people from the right-wing screaming for President Obama to send more troops to Afghanistan while at the same time doing everything in their power to keep their own children out of our military.

The war in Afghanistan is a no-win situation as so many others have found dating all the way back to Alexander the Great. The British and Russians had to pullout after years of fighting in Afghanistan.

US and NATO forces in Afghanistan are in a brutal war without any real mission or exit strategy.

This series of 19 violent combat videos gives you an idea what it is like to be deployed to Afghanistan.

TURN UP YOUR SOUND

WARNING: Graphic footage and raw language.

WATCH VIDEOS HERE:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQLP4n-llWU&feature=PlayList&p=693B57C6551C96D6&index=0&playnext=1

Submitted by BILL CORCORAN, editor, CORKSPHERE, http://corksphere.blogspot.com
Email: corkcol@aol.com

BATTERY OF VIDEOS ABOUT WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT AFGHANISTAN

These videos are from Al Jazeera, CBS News and other news outlets and they will help you understand what and who we are fighting in Afghanistan.

The series of videos have a short commercial before the video start. After the videos start they jump from one to another until the entire series of videos have been shown.

If the video stops during playing just click on the picture and it will resum playing.

The videos show raw combat footage and a study of the Taliban.

TURN UP YOUR SOUND.

WATCH ALL THE VIDEOS HERE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaZXh1XPk-0&feature=PlayList&p=9F566D983B2C4218&index=0&playnext=1

Submitted by BILL CORCORAN, editor, CORKSPHERE, http://corksphere.blogspot.com
Email: corkcol@aol.com

EUGENE ROBINSON, PULITZER PRIZE WINNING WASHINGTON POST COLUMNIST, WRITES: "BRING THE TROOPS HOME."

Bring the troops home

By Eugene RobinsonTuesday, October 27, 2009

http://tinyurl.com/yfdkwtm

Barack Obama didn't set out to be a "war president," but that's what history compels him to be. The nation and the world are fortunate that he doesn't have the reckless, ready-fire-aim mentality of George W. Bush. But Afghanistan doesn't present the kind of "false choices" that Obama, by nature, habitually rejects. The choices are real and awful, and no amount of reframing and rephrasing will make them go away.

Monday's tragic events -- 14 Americans killed in helicopter crashes in Afghanistan -- remind us of the decisions Obama faces. At least he seems to recognize that he can't just let the situation drift.

But it looks as if Obama's inclination is to disappoint both hawks and doves -- and, yes, I'm consciously using Vietnam-era language. The debate over whether we stay or leave is bound to become sharper and more passionate as American casualties continue to mount.

One person who deserves no voice in that debate is Dick Cheney, who helped get us into this quagmire. By turning from Afghanistan prematurely to launch an elective, unnecessary and ill-advised invasion of Iraq, Bush and Cheney managed to transform one war we were winning into two that we were in danger of losing.

For Cheney to charge that Obama is "dithering" over sending more troops to Afghanistan, when he and Bush ignored a troop request from U.S. commanders for the better part of a year, is obscene. For Cheney to complain that Obama ought to simply accept the Bush administration's in-depth analysis of the situation in Afghanistan, rather than conduct his own careful review, is a sick joke.

NEWS ALERT: 8 US SOLDIERS KILLED IN AFGHANISTAN BOMBING

8 U.S. Troops Are Killed in Bombings in Afghanistan

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/28/world/asia/28afghan.html'

By ALISSA J. RUBIN
Published: October 27, 2009

KABUL, Afghanistan — Eight Americans died in combat in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday, bringing October’s total to 53 and making it the deadliest month for Americans in the eight-year war. September and October were both deadlier months overall for NATO troops.

The troops, along with an Afghan civilian accompanying them, were killed in several attacks involving “multiple, complex” improvised bombs, according to a statement from the NATO-led coalition.

A Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, said that Taliban in Zabul Province were responsible. He said they had blown up two armored vehicles carrying the troops. He also said that the Taliban had engaged in a fierce firefight lasting more than a half-hour with Afghan police in Zabul and killed eight officers. His report could not be verified because the American military is with-holding additional information until the families of the dead had been notified.

On Oct. 26, two incidents involving helicopter crashes resulted in the death of eleven
American troops and three drug enforcement agents, but hostile fire was almost certainly not a factor in those cases, according to a military spokesman.

The October toll of 53 American soldiers killed exceeds that of August, when 51 died, according to icasualties.org, a Web site that tracks military losses in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The United States has been increasing the number of soldiers and marines in Afghanistan and many have gone into some of the toughest areas of the country. Southern Afghanistan has been the most contested ground with both locally-based insurgents and fighters that cross the border from Pakistan.

BREAKING NEWS: US OFFICIAL QUITS IN AFGHANISTAN. FEELS US POLICY IS MAKING THINGS WORSE

Matthew Hoh, the senior U.S. civilian in Afghanistan's Zabul province, resigned in protest because he believes the American effort there is simply fueling the insurgency, the Washington Post reported Tuesday.

http://tinyurl.com/yjaqs6a

Hoh, a former Marine Corps captain who also served in Iraq, wrote a four-page letter to the State Department's head of personnel in September, and his resignation became official last week."I have lost understanding of and confidence in the strategic purposes of the United States' presence in Afghanistan," he wrote in the letter.

"I have doubts and reservations about our current strategy and planned future strategy, but my resignation is based not upon how we are pursuing this war, but why and to what end."Hoh's letter caused a stir in the Obama administration, and he was hastened to meetings with senior U.S. officials in Kabul and Washington.

They praised his record of service and begged him to stay, offering him new positions in both locations. Hoh initially accepted the Washington job, but changed his mind a week later.Hoh said that his act of protest and decision to speak out were painful, even "nauseating" at times, but he was strongly motivated by the friends he had lost on the battlefield and the mental anguish he has experienced since returning home.

"I want people in Iowa, people in Arkansas, people in Arizona, to call their congressman and say, 'Listen, I don't think this is right,' " he explained, adding that he "is not some peacenik, pot-smoking hippie who wants everyone to be in love."

Read more here: http://tinyurl.com/yjaqs6a