31 Americans dead

[Grace]

Why don't we just get out of this God forsaken country?

31 U.S. troops killed in Afghan crash
By: Associated Press
August 6, 2011 07:06 AM EDT

KABUL, Afghanistan - A helicopter crash in Afghanistan’s eastern Wardak province killed 31 U.S. special operation troops and seven Afghan soldiers, the country’s president said Saturday. It was the highest number of American casualties recorded in a single incident in the decade-long war.

A senior administration official said the NATO helicopter was apparently shot down.

President Hamid Karzai sent his condolences to President Barack Obama, according to a statement issued by his office.

“A NATO helicopter crashed last night in Wardak province,” Karzai said in the statement, adding that 31 American special operations troops were killed. “President Karzai expressed his deep condolences because of this incident and expressed his sympathy to Barack Obama.”

The Taliban claimed to have brought the helicopter down with a rocket attack, but they have been known to make exaggerated claims in the past.

[sasvermont]

How dreadful. When are we going to get out of that place? It made me sick to hear this news.

I am SO anti-war. I hate it.

[wombat2u2004]

Well.....we could win.....if the pollies let us.

[lizbud]

I believe we missed our chance to get out. When Osama was killed
we should have declared victory and left. We went there supposedly
to find Osama. We did, mission over.Leave.

[Grace]

My response to anyone who thinks we can truly "win" over there, and to anyone who thinks we need to stay, for whatever stupid reason -

When will you be leaving for the front lines?

[Grace]

Latest reports saying that up to 25 of the Americans may have been SEALS.

[dab_20]

i believe we missed our chance to get out. When osama was killed
we should have declared victory and left. We went there supposedly
to find osama. We did, mission over.leave.

thank you!

[Puckstop31]

I believe we missed our chance to get out. When Osama was killed
we should have declared victory and left. We went there supposedly
to find Osama. We did, mission over.Leave.

This is the reason we "lost" 'my' war. Somalia.

The mission CANNOT be about ONE man. Somalia was. Get him and it takes away some of your ability to do other things that may need done. DON'T get him and the mission is a failure, no matter what else you accomplish.

Nope, the mission should never be about ONE man.

[lizbud]

We were unable to capture & punish the ones who commited the 9/11
bombings, they died too. So Bush vowed to find & punish the man who sent
the bombers on their mission.It took years & another President to accomplish
the mission, but we did it, as promised. The end, come home.

[wombat2u2004]

Nope, the mission should never be about ONE man.

Two then.
I think two is good.

[Miss Z]

The mission CANNOT be about ONE man. Somalia was. Get him and it takes away some of your ability to do other things that may need done.

I was intrigued by this statement. I wonder if you could clarify - did you mean that focusing on destroying one man takes the proverbial eye off the ball, with regards to the real problems in the country? Or perhaps that, once you have the man, you create more problems in getting the population on your side? Just curious.

I agree with Puck that war cannot be about knocking one guy off his perch. I believe Osama was justification for sending troops out to Afghanistan. 'We want to risk soldiers' lives to sort out a country whose regime is displeasing to us' probably wouldn't have sat very comfortably with most UN countries, I should imagine.

Osama Bin Laden was the face of terrorism, and whilst it's great he can no longer bring any more of his hate to the world, there's plenty of other nutjobs like him bringing fear to the people of the Middle East through acts of terrorism. I suppose that is the 'unwinnable' part; the fact that it's one nutjob after another. I personally wouldn't like to say.

I for one am glad that we haven't abandoned the innocent once we got what we 'came' for. That being said, the loss of more and more lives of our soldiers is heartbreaking. Again, I have faith that someone's got to know when the cons outweigh the pros, and that they will have the means to take action.

Same unit but different men. I read that they were flying on a rescue
mission to pick up other men who were pinned down by sniper fire.Along
with the men on the helicoper were a dog & his handler.

Thanks for clarifying, Liz. How sad, too, that they were on their way to help others.

[blue]

Why don't we just get out of this God forsaken country?

They dont follow your God so they are God forsaken?

Well.....we could win.....if the pollies let us.

This. Fight To Win! Screw the Hearts and Mind feel good garbage.

I believe we missed our chance to get out. When Osama was killed
we should have declared victory and left. We went there supposedly
to find Osama. We did, mission over.Leave.

We should have let my late boss, a 2 tour volunteer for Viet Nam, run the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. We probably would have had it wrapped up in 2 or 3 years. He would have made fighting us so miserable and unbearable that unequivocal surrender would be preferable to continued hostilities. We could have made it so hostile that the muslims hiding Osama would have given him up in a second, and not after 10 years.

If we had actually fought a War more of our men and women in uniform would still be with us.

My response to anyone who thinks we can truly "win" over there, and to anyone who thinks we need to stay, for whatever stupid reason -

When will you be leaving for the front lines?

If we as a Country become serious in bringing the Fight to the Enemy, and if I could get a medical waver, I'll leave before the ink is dry on the paper. We need to make War more horrendous for them then it is for us. If we arent willing to do that we should just give up and continue the collapse of our country that Hope and Change is accelerating.

And Wom if Aussieland lets you back in get me a spot if they decide to actually Bring It to the Enemy.

[wombat2u2004]

Well said blue. All of it....well said.

[Bonny]

Well.....we could win.....if the pollies let us.

Yup! It reminds me of the Viet Nam War. Should send the pollies to fight the war. It would be over in no time.

[wombat2u2004]

Yup! It reminds me of the Viet Nam War. Should send the pollies to fight the war. It would be over in no time.

If the pollies had shut their mouths in the first place, the war would have been won and over.