Taliban capture US and Afghan soldiers

[BoyBach]

Afghan insurgents capture US soldier, Pentagon says

Insurgents in eastern Afghanistan have captured a US soldier, the Pentagon said today as US forces launched a major offensive in the southern part of the country.

A US official said the soldier went missing on Tuesday, adding: "We are using all of our resources to find him and provide for his safe return."

The US official declined to provide details of where the soldier had been captured, but an Afghan police official said he went missing in the Mullakheil area of the eastern Paktika province during the day.

General Nabi Mullakheil said there was a US base in the area.

The soldier was first noticed missing during a routine check of the unit on Tuesday and was first listed as "duty status whereabouts unknown," a US defence official told the Associated Press.

It was not until today that officials said publicly that he was missing and described him as "believed captured".

Two US defence sources told the Associated Press the soldier "just walked off" post with three Afghan counterparts after he finished working. They said they had no explanation for why he left the base. He was assigned to a combat outpost, one of a number of smaller bases set up by foreign forces in Afghanistan, the officials said.

Other reports said the soldier and three Afghan soldiers had been captured by the Taliban's Haqqani faction, which is believed to control large areas of eastern Afghanistan.

The group, controlled by the insurgent leader Jalaluddin Haqqani and his son, Sirajuddin, is suspected to be behind a number of spectacular attacks in recent years, including the suicide bombing of the Indian embassy in Kabul, in which more than 50 people were killed last July.

Mullah Sangeen, a senior Taliban commander, told Reuters by telephone from an undisclosed location that the soldier had been taken as a patrol walked from a base in Paktika province. He said the soldier would be held until Taliban fighters held by US forces were released.

The news broke as thousands of US marines launched an offensive involving helicopter-borne troops in the Taliban stronghold of Helmand province.

The operation is the first serious test of Barack Obama's strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The missing soldier was not part of it.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jul/02/us-soldier-captured-afghanistan


Poor men. I can't think of worse situation for a soldier.

Let's hope this has a happy ending for all involved.

[QuantumLo0p]

Bleeding hearts in the U.S. are so worried about water boarding but that poor chap is going to have his head sawed off with a sword. There is no diplomacy.

Hopefully they make it through his spinal cord quickly so he doesn't suffer much. When the blade first goes through the throat there is still a ways to go before he meets his Maker.
:mad:

[Henri Gaudier]

He's a trained killer. One who no doubt has killed a lot of people in their own country and he's travelled thousands of miles do so. He was hired to exert somebody else's will over the indigenous people. Surrendering his own morality in the process. He's a mercenary invader who has gone there to kill. I hope he's released, realises the crime he's committed and quits the army to lead a better more reflective life. But if the worse happens, he's reaping what he helped sow. In international affairs, America is the giant retarded bully of the world and it's an immutable fact that it's the ordinary dopes who get it in the neck rather than the neo con war mongers in Washington and Jerusalem. Stop the killing.

[edesignuk]

Bleeding hearts in the U.S. are so worried about water boarding but that poor chap is going to have his head sawed off with a sword. There is no diplomacy.Yes, but the US is supposedly civilised, civilised people don't torture others and adhere to international agreements accordingly.

Obviously the Taliban fighters couldn't give a crap about this sort of thing. Doesn't mean the US (or anyone else) should act in the same manor though.

Henri Gaudier, he's a soldier doing what he's told. That's what soldiers do :rolleyes:

[Mousse]

He's a trained killer. One who no doubt has killed a lot of people in their own country and he's travelled thousands of miles do so. He was hired to exert somebody else's will over the indigenous people. Surrendering his own morality in the process. He's a mercenary invader who has gone there to kill. I hope he's released, realises the crime he's committed and quits the army to lead a better more reflective life. But if the worse happens, he's reaping what he helped sow.

You got all that from the article?:confused: I didn't even get his name, rank or serial number. I will conceded several points: 1) He is a trained killer, 2) he did travel thousands of miles, 3) he was there to do someone else's bidding. I don't see where you got the idea that he has already killed a lot of people in their own country or that he's a merc sent their to kill. First off, he could be a green horn straight out of basic training. I just met a soldier yesterday barely out of boot camp; I doubt he has even started shaving yet.:( Another possibility is that he's a medic. The don't carry rifles. They might carry a side arm, but will rarely be in a position to use one. I'd check the assumptions about someone until I get reliable details.

In international affairs, America is the giant retarded bully of the world and it's an immutable fact that it's the ordinary dopes who get it in the neck rather than the neo con war mongers in Washington and Jerusalem.

That I agree with. My solutions is to get all the world leaders into one room and let THEM shoot it out. Another thing about the US is how it treats it's war vets. Once you leave the service, the toss you aside like a used soda can.:mad:

[Nukemkb]

He's a trained killer. One who no doubt has killed a lot of people in their own country and he's travelled thousands of miles do so. He was hired to exert somebody else's will over the indigenous people. Surrendering his own morality in the process. He's a mercenary invader who has gone there to kill. I hope he's released, realises the crime he's committed and quits the army to lead a better more reflective life. But if the worse happens, he's reaping what he helped sow. In international affairs, America is the giant retarded bully of the world and it's an immutable fact that it's the ordinary dopes who get it in the neck rather than the neo con war mongers in Washington and Jerusalem. Stop the killing.

That is absolutely the funniest I've read in ages! You made me laugh hard! :p

[spaceboots06]

I saw this on the news too. Whoever was reporting made the point that this is the first time a US solider has been captured by them. They said that they wanted to make a trade because anything else might set the US on them in a direction they've never experienced, said the news reporter.

[Lord Blackadder]

He's a trained killer. One who no doubt has killed a lot of people in their own country and he's travelled thousands of miles do so. He was hired to exert somebody else's will over the indigenous people. Surrendering his own morality in the process. He's a mercenary invader who has gone there to kill. I hope he's released, realises the crime he's committed and quits the army to lead a better more reflective life. But if the worse happens, he's reaping what he helped sow. In international affairs, America is the giant retarded bully of the world and it's an immutable fact that it's the ordinary dopes who get it in the neck rather than the neo con war mongers in Washington and Jerusalem. Stop the killing.

Inflammatory, simplistic, and arrogant.

Don't pretend that America is the first, worst, or last "bully" out there. You are one of "us" too as far as I'm concerned. The captured soldier may be a trained killer (what soldier is not?), but you and I are killing people as surely as he is by supporting economic and political systems that maintain high standards of living (though various means) while others people starve to death or are caught in the middle of political conflict.

[BoyBach]

You are all forgetting that three members of the ANA were also captured. The US soldier is a powerful bargaining tool for the Taliban which gives him some hope. As for the three Afghans; it doesn't bear thinking about.

[TheShinyMac]

I really love how the thread about Mr.Jackson gets more attention than this one, If it weren't for the soldiers protecting us, we might not have this sense of security in our towns and cities and then I love how people talk crap about the soldiers. This world is awesome.

[skunk]

I really love how the thread about Mr.Jackson gets more attention than this one, If it weren't for the soldiers protecting us, we might not have this sense of security in our towns and cities and then I love how people talk crap about the soldiers. This world is awesome.Lots of crap is talked about (y)our soldiers, for example the crap about them protecting you in your towns and cities: they are in Afghanistan to project your quasi-imperialist power in support of a corrupt puppet government. Just sayin'.

[blackfox]

... they are in Afghanistan to project your quasi-imperialist power in support of a corrupt puppet government. Just sayin'.

While I can't really argue with what's quoted, I will note that it is hardly that simple. It's not as if Afghanistan was the model of self-government traditionally, and weak states tend to be the vacuum that nature so abhors...

This is not giving carte-blanche to US actions/policies, but an acknowledgement that "quasi-imperialism" is sometimes a more necessary and benign thing than it is given credit...

[mactastic]

Let's hope he's treated better than we treat our prisoners...

[skunk]

What's "I demand my rights under the Geneva Conventions" in Pashtun?

[mactastic]

What's "I demand my rights under the Geneva Conventions" in Pashtun?
"Keep me the hell out of Guantanamo"?

[zioxide]

He's a trained killer. One who no doubt has killed a lot of people in their own country and he's travelled thousands of miles do so. He was hired to exert somebody else's will over the indigenous people. Surrendering his own morality in the process. He's a mercenary invader who has gone there to kill. I hope he's released, realises the crime he's committed and quits the army to lead a better more reflective life. But if the worse happens, he's reaping what he helped sow. In international affairs, America is the giant retarded bully of the world and it's an immutable fact that it's the ordinary dopes who get it in the neck rather than the neo con war mongers in Washington and Jerusalem. Stop the killing.

are you serious


he's just a soldier who was following orders. don't blame the soldiers for the retarded decisions of their commanders.

[mactastic]

are you serious


he's just a soldier who was following orders. don't blame the soldiers for the retarded decisions of their commanders.
Do you blame the 9/11 hijackers? Or do you hold them blameless for following the retarded decisions of their commanders?

Just sayin'...

[zioxide]

Do you blame the 9/11 hijackers? Or do you hold them blameless for following the retarded decisions of their commanders?

Just sayin'...

many terrorists are brainwashed by their leaders in to thinking they are doing the right thing

[Queso]

many terrorists are brainwashed by their leaders in to thinking they are doing the right thing
And this differs from soldiers how exactly? :p

[skunk]

And this differs from soldiers how exactly? :pSkin colour and beardiness, mostly.

[Nukemkb]

...and a willingness to meet allah by killing themselves :eek:

[mactastic]

many terrorists are brainwashed by their leaders in to thinking they are doing the right thing
Do you have any proof that the 9/11 hijackers were brainwashed? :confused:

[BoyBach]

The Taliban have "confirmed" that they've captured a US soldier. (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jul/06/taliban-capture-us-soldier) No news in the short report about the three Afghan soldiers.

[skunk]

A video has been released of the captured US soldier:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/8157795.stm
US military spokesman in Kabul, Capt Jon Stock, condemned the use of the video.
He told Reuters: "The use of the soldier for propaganda purposes we view as against international law."Rings a little hollow, doesn't it?

[awmazz]

Insurgents in eastern Afghanistan

the Taliban's Haqqani faction, which is believed to control large areas of eastern Afghanistan.

The group, controlled by the insurgent leader Jalaluddin Haqqani

Mullah Sangeen, a senior Taliban commander

in the Taliban stronghold of Helmand province.

The Commander in Chief of the United States Armed Forces, President George W Bush himself, told me personally via my TV set that the Taliban insurgency had been defeated.

So clearly this entire story is a complete fabrication because not only is it claiming the Taliban still remain undefeated, they in fact actually control large areas of the country. And I'm supposed to believe it over the word of the President of the United States? So I don't believe a word of it. There is no captured soldier because there is no Taliban to capture him.

Unless President Bush is the liar. Straight to our faces. Lying about a winning a war? And to think he won office based on the previous President lying about something as serious as a blow job.

in the Mullakheil area of the eastern Paktika province.

General Nabi Mullakheil said there was a US base in the area.

Why does the General have the same name as the area? Is it his own native/family/tribal area then? That makes him a Warlord in his own fiefdom, not a General. More freaking lies about what's actually happening there.

[awmazz]

In international affairs, America is the giant retarded bully of the world

So who bullied the Egyptians into giving up their lunch money? I believe it's referred to as the Crise du canal de Suez in French.

And I don't believe it is American soldiers in Côte d'Ivoire protecting the billion dollar European chocolate industry's supply of cocoa from those pesky local natives.

And if the Vietnamese defeated the Americans in the 2nd Indochinese War, who did they defeat in the 1st Indochinese War immediately prior?

Pot. Kettle. As much as I myself am critical of American imperialism, I unfortunately am in the position where my country is always right there alongside them kicking impoverished brown peoples' butts to protect the first world's energy and resources supply lin... er, I mean freedom! and democracy! from the threat these poor people pose, so I can't talk.

[Ttownbeast]

I won't jump to the conspiratist conclusions such as those written if I did I would be wearing a tin foil hat and looking for black helicopters like the rest of the crazies, none of us knows a damn thing about Afghanistan or about the BS going on in our own respective countries anywhere for that matter. But it sure does make us feel good to criticize other nations for the sake of our own national prides doesn't it? Obama has been in office 6 months, but still we complain about Bush and Clinton. I wouldn't so much as complain about Obama yet either(he's only been running the executive branch for 6 months mind you), if you remember there is a whole legislative branch of American government that operates relatively less criticized and capable of doing a lot more damage than one man in office. We like to put single faces to blame so we complain about the branches of our governments that have the simplest parts. The UK has a prime minister and a queen(Elizabeth with little to no authority in this day and age), but it also has a parliament as do most republics in some form or other Canada, Australia, France, Germany, etc., but I suppose it is easier to blame individuals for all the worlds problems. This does not necessarily mean complex conspiracy is involved either just because legislative bodies tend to make bad choices, just horrible planning by large groups attempting to manipulate for supposed betterment of a populace as a whole based on faulty data from other large groups who might be well misinformed of the core issues.

[danpass]

next time your country is attacked, thousands of its citizens killed (along with foreigners) and a national symbol destroyed we'll see how you react.


if at all

[mgguy]

The Commander in Chief of the United States Armed Forces, President George W Bush himself, told me personally via my TV set that the Taliban insurgency had been defeated.

...

And to think he won office based on the previous President lying about something as serious as a blow job.

Please provide citation for Bush saying Taliban was defeated.

Clinton lied to a grand jury investigating a court case against him alleging sexual harassment against a woman he didn't know. Please provide some evidence that this is the main factor that lead to Bush being elected, including his second term.

[skunk]

next time your country is attacked, thousands of its citizens killed (along with foreigners) and a national symbol destroyed we'll see how you react.


if at allTo whom is this addressed?

[it5five]

To whom is this addressed?

The freedom-hating terrorist lovers, of course.

[awmazz]

Please provide citation for Bush saying Taliban was defeated.

I'm assuming you are not an American otherwise you wouldn't need an Australian to tell you what your own leader says. Like this:

Bush: “Our first objective in the first theater against the war against terror has been achieved: The Taliban are out of business.” [2/4/02]

or this:

Bush: “Because of American soldiers and our brave allies and friends, who have fought beside them, the Taliban is out of business.” [3/15/02]

or this:

Bush: “Now thanks to the United States and our fine allies, Afghanistan is no longer a haven for terror, the Taliban is history, and the Afghan people are free.” [8/14/03]

or this:

Bush: “Working with a fine coalition, our military went to Afghanistan, destroyed the training camps of Al Qaida, and put the Taliban out of business forever.” [11/24/03]

Not just defeated, but relegated to history "forever".


Clinton lied to a grand jury investigating a court case against him alleging sexual harassment against a woman he didn't know. Please provide some evidence that this is the main factor that lead to Bush being elected, including his second term.

Again, I'm assuming you are not an American otherwise you wouldn't need an Australian to tell you what your own leader campaigned on during his election campaign. He didn't refer to it directly, just as restoring 'respect' and 'integrity' etc etc to the Oval Office but everyone knew what he meant, like this an actual pledge, not just an election promise:

Bush: “Trust, pride, and respect: we pledge to restore these qualities to the way Americans view their government.”

Of course, he campaigned on other issues, I'll grant you that, like these:

Bush: “The current administration has casually sent American armed forces on dozens of missions without clear goals, realizable objectives, favorable rules of engagement, or defined exit strategies.”

Bush: “Sending our military on vague, aimless, and endless missions rapidly saps morale. Even the highest morale is eventually undermined by back-to-back deployments, poor pay, shortages of spare parts and equipment, inadequate training, and rapidly declining readiness. When it comes to military health, the administration is not providing an adequate military health care system.”

Bush: “Today, gas prices have skyrocketed [$1.55 a gallon], and oil imports are at all-time highs….By any reasonable standard, the Department of Energy has utterly failed in its mission to safeguard America’s energy security. “

At least Clinton faced a grand jury.

[skunk]

^^^ Nice work :)

[awmazz]

Clinton lied to a grand jury investigating a court case against him alleging sexual harassment against a woman he didn't know. Please provide some evidence that this is the main factor that lead to Bush being elected, including his second term.

Oop, I missed these last four words. You are being facetious of course. Or purposely obtuse. Why would he campaign against the Clinton adminstration in 2004?

Edit: He campaigned, successfully, in 2004 on his twin victories - in Iraq and over... the Taleban.

Oh, and I remember now. And by getting his supporters to trash the Purple Heart. Band-aids if I recall.

[skunk]

Oop, I missed these last four words. You are being facetious of course. Or purposely obtuse. Why would he campaign against the Clinton adminstration in 2004?Some would say he only got elected once...

[bobber205]

Bleeding hearts in the U.S. are so worried about water boarding but that poor chap is going to have his head sawed off with a sword. There is no diplomacy.

Hopefully they make it through his spinal cord quickly so he doesn't suffer much. When the blade first goes through the throat there is still a ways to go before he meets his Maker.
:mad:

:rolleyes:

There is no evidence to support the claim that wateboard has EVER given out even somewhat useful information. People are against torture like waterboarding, because it is not productive. At all. Ever.

[mgguy]

I'm assuming you are not an American otherwise you wouldn't need an Australian to tell you what your own leader says. Like this:



or this:



or this:



or this:



Not just defeated, but relegated to history "forever".




Again, I'm assuming you are not an American otherwise you wouldn't need an Australian to tell you what your own leader campaigned on during his election campaign. He didn't refer to it directly, just as restoring 'respect' and 'integrity' etc etc to the Oval Office but everyone knew what he meant, like this an actual pledge, not just an election promise:

Thanks for the cited material. I wasn't aware that Bush said this so many times so directly. I concede to you on this point.

However, I still am not convinced that Bush got elected because of Clinton's behavior. Sure, he may have alluded to it tangentially, but certainly there were other factors that the electorate considered in voting for him. Can you cite any evidence that this was the main, or at least a key, factor in his winning?

[iShater]

next time your country is attacked, thousands of its citizens killed (along with foreigners) and a national symbol destroyed we'll see how you react.


if at all

I hope the Iraqis don't think across those lines and get the military power to do something about it. We would be truly #$%@ed over here. :rolleyes:

[awmazz]

next time your country is attacked, thousands of its citizens killed (along with foreigners) and a national symbol destroyed we'll see how you react.

What nationality are you? It's hard to tell when you say stuff like that. You probably mean 9/11, but your words could just as easily be saying this:

next time your country is attacked
http://goatmilk.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/450_shock_and_awe.jpg

thousands of its citizens killed
http://www.dialoginternational.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/03/19/irakkrieg_0330_flue_529509g.jpg [non graphic image for sake of decency]

and a national symbol destroyed
http://www.csudh.edu/dearhabermas/saddamimg05.jpg

we'll see how you react.
http://www.back-to-iraq.com/Files/angry%20iraqis.jpg

So how did you react? Is that you on the left or in the middle of the last pic? Or are you the kid directly in front of the US soldier there? See the look in his eyes? If he's still alive, that kid's grown up by now. And guess what he wants to do. And so the world turns...

[it5five]

You could also have used the example of how the U.S. practically allowed the National Museum to be looted. Not only was that a national symbol, but also contained Mesopotamian relics.

[awmazz]

Thanks for the cited material. I wasn't aware that Bush said this so many times so directly. I concede to you on this point.

However, I still am not convinced that Bush got elected because of Clinton's behavior. Sure, he may have alluded to it tangentially, but certainly there were other factors that the electorate considered in voting for him. Can you cite any evidence that this was the main, or at least a key, factor in his winning?

You're asking someone who's vantage point of the whole episode was from the other side of the planet? Okay, apart from offering direct cash bribes to voters in the form of 'tax cuts'**, Bush didn't actually offer anything else except to play the evangelical voters like the easy marks they were/are (and subsequently delivered none of what they expected in the following 8 years). The "Jesus is my favorite philosopher" was the most obvious to the lay person, but mostly it was couched in code words and phrases that went over non-evangelical heads so he literally went unchallenged on it by his opponents ignorant of what he was doing. But that's still all one and the same as getting those shameless and godless philanderers and sinners out of the Oval Office.

Not even Bin Laden's attack on the USS Cole in September registered as more than a blip to get Lewinski off the front pages, so 'security' was a non-issue. There was of course the low-brow ridicule and mockery of Gore 'inventing the internet' as we know it (which he in fact did assist in), much the same as the waving of summer footware around four years later. But that's very low brow stuff designed to appeal to ignorance and emotion, so doesn't apply to your question about the electorate considering their vote, which actually requires thought.

**Bit of a pedantic rant here - 'tax cuts' by the way is yet another code word for handing out govt money for nothing to people who already have money. The impoverished and unemployed for instance don't pay tax, so don't get 'tax cuts'. Give govt money to unemployed auto workers who need it to survive and it's welfare (shudder, horror) and it's a bad thing. Give exactly the same govt money to people who actually have or are earning their own money already anyway (so it's just pure greed) and it's called 'tax cuts' and it's a good thing. But what does anyone care. It was all borrowed Chinese money he ended up handing out anyway after he blew through Clinton's surplus faster than a drunken sailor in a whorehouse. So it's the grandkids' problem now. Or their grandkids'..

[solvs]

Well, this thread went to hell in a handbasket didn't it.

On topic, this is absolutely horrifying, and I would hope it brings the focus back on the wars, though instead it seems to only bring out... other things. In another forum, I don't even want to post to or read the rest of the comments on, you think this is bad, lots of talk over there of those "evil Muslims", "how dare they". Regardless of your view of the troops (though the majority I know aren't evil imperialist) or why they're there, can't we all agree we hope this young man comes home safely? Yes, I know, it's hypocritical if they torture him the way we did our captured and we want to complain about it (kind of a big point a lot of us made when talking about the torture issue), but they could do far worse to him, which is what I'm worried about, which is only going to make things worse.

BTW, the only one on TV actually criticizing the captured soldier seems to be this guy:

http://mediamatters.org/blog/200907200030
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/williamkwolfrum/2009/07/death-becomes-them.php?ref=reccafe
http://washingtonindependent.com/51789/so-ralph-peters-thinks-the-taliban-might-do-some-good-by-executing-a-captured-u-s-soldier
http://www.registan.net/index.php/2009/07/20/ralph-peters-continues-the-crazy-train/
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/07/20/ralph-peters-kill-soldier/
etc.

Conservative retired Army Lt. Col Ralph Peters who said:
I want to be clear. If, when the facts are in, we find out that through some convoluted chain of events, he really was captured by the Taliban, I’m with him. But, if he walked away from his post and his buddies in wartime, I don’t care how hard it sounds, as far as I’m concerned, the Taliban can save us a lot of legal hassles and legal bills.
Think it's context, yeah, listen to the whole thing and it's actually worse.

Michelle Malkin, a conservative pundit who rails on liberals for being against the troops, applauds his "tough words" (as noted in my last link) and follows up on the not speculation.