DOD: US military casualties in Afghanistan as of Oct.19, 2012

Another six US soldiers were killed in Afghanistan during the past week. The casualties continue to occur in southern Afghanistan, Kandahar and Helmand provinces or in the east, as 106 US soldiers were wounded in action (WIA).

According to casualties.org 359 NATO troops have been killed so far this year. Afghanistan continues to be a hostile environment and the main cause of death is insurgent attacks, roadside bombs and suicide bombers.

With the impending withdrawal deadline, the TalibanTaliban and al-Qaida have intensified their attacks on the civilian population, especially in the south. There are also the increasing attacks, characterized as "green-on-blue" attacks, where Afghans in police or military uniforms have attacked NATO troops that are either mentoring or training them. The combined training was suspended for almost a week, before it was resumed. Last night another six Afghan police officers were killed in a "green-on-blue" attack.

Decentralized cells of al-Qaida have spread throughout North Africa, the Arab world, Afghanistan and Pakistan. While the killing of Osama bin Laden diminished al-Qaida's central operations, the terror group has changed its method of operating. This shift has been ongoing for some time. The Taliban and al-Qaida realized long ago that they could not confront a larger NATO force and be successful. The decentralized attacks, however, have changed the battle.

The general public in the US and NATO nations is war-weary. More than a decade of a war, which doesn't appear to have yielded any positive results, has been a costly venture in both monetary and lives. In 2011 alone there were over 3,000 civilian casualties and just slightly more wounded. These estimates, according to Wikepedia, which provides a detailed report on civilians by year, are likely underestimated.

More than 40 percent of casualties are attributed to IEDs so far this year, according to iCasualties. How long will this go on and to what end? Politicians and senior military officials have not been able to answer this questions. There have been assertions that the Afghan strategy is working and that Afghan Security Forces are increasingly taking over the responsibility for their own security. This flies in the face of the reality on the ground and recent comments by Hamid Karzai. Talks with the Taliban have broken down and their attacks have become increasingly violent and cruel.

There is no doubt that the war will end in 2014. NATO capitals and the US administration have made that clear. Without tangible progress in the war-torn nation, the faith has been put into Afghans to manage their own country, including security. Economically that is impossible and militarily it appears to be a pipe dream.

Afghanistan and victory will never be uttered in the same sentence. The US and NATO should cut their losses and get out of Afghanistan sooner rather than later.

As the toll of American soldiers in both deaths and wounded warriors continues to climb, there are also thousands with mental scars. As a society we have an obligation to support the survivors of this war and their families. Both the Canadian and American government have not done enough in this regard. Lest We Forget.

Roll of Casualties

Below are this week?s updated DoD casualty figures:

Op Enduring Freedom Total Deaths KIA Non Hostile WIA

Afghanistan Only------------2012--------1679-----329-----17790

Other Locations----------------118-----------12-----107

DoD Civ Casualties--------------3-------- ----1--------2

Worldwide Total-------------2133-------- 1691------438----17790

Accumulated 2012 Casualties:

KIA Non Combat Deaths WIA

219------------86---------------2005

Source: http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/13226236-0-inshare-linkedin-pin-it-stumbleupon-2-dod-us-military-casualties-in-afghanistan-as-of-oct19-2012

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