10 Weeks of Hell: Afghanistan Death Rate Exceeding Highest of Iraq War

by: Brandon Friedman

Tue Aug 19, 2008 at 14:48:24 PM EDT


Afghanistan is now deadlier than Iraq ever was.

When the Iraq War reached its deadliest peak during a 10-week period in April, May, and June of 2007, 308 coalition troops died.  That was 1 out of every 575 troops on the ground at the time.*  It was a terrible period in which even the most die-hard Bush supporters began to question the sense in continuing the occupation.   By contrast, 105 coalition troops have died in Afghanistan during the past 10 weeks.  But because there are only 52,700 troops in Afghanistan, this represents 1 out of every 502 troops on the ground.

The war in Iraq--at its most violent peak--was never as dangerous for our troops as Afghanistan now is.  In the past 10 weeks, three American soldiers have been captured, killed, and chopped up.  Nine American soldiers were killed in a single instance when their outpost was overrun by Taliban militants.  And today, the violence only intensified: 10 French soldiers were slaughtered in an ambush, with four of them being captured and subsequently executed.  Around the same time, Afghan insurgents launched a coordinated attack on a major U.S. base.

The fatality rate in Afghanistan during the past 10 weeks would be equivalent to 353 deaths in Iraq at the same time--a rate not even seen during the bloody crescendo of 2007.

This is a crisis.

* = The surge reached its peak in early summer 2007 and there were at least 177,000 coalition troops present.
Brandon Friedman :: 10 Weeks of Hell: Afghanistan Death Rate Exceeding Highest of Iraq War
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10 Weeks of Hell: Afghanistan Death Rate Exceeding Highest of Iraq War | 27 comments
Yeah but (0.00 / 0)
how do we know that Afghansitan is the central front on the GWOT either? Iraq is not it anymore. Whether it ever was is a moot point not worth wasting time arguing now. That said,  I think partisan interests are trying to spin Afghanistan into the CENTRAL FRONT. It requires more attention, but the minute we send a surge, I have a feeling that alot of these Taliban and Al Qaeda types will disappear, then either reappear someplace else, or wait out the surge and return again.
Well, when I say Afghanistan, (0.00 / 0)
I also mean Pakistan.  Ultimately, the military end game is in Pakistan.  The political one is in Saudi Arabia.  
[ Parent ]
Makes sense, (0.00 / 0)
but I am unsure that we have the will to do this job properly. The FATA is going to be a real fight which will probably get very ugly. I do not doubt we will do something, but when things start getting really nasty, the Saudis start throwing around dollars, and the Elitists in Europe start bitching up a political storm, what will happen?
[ Parent ]
I see your point, but right now (0.00 / 0)
We have a war raging on two main fronts - Iraq and Afghanistan.  Iraq is definitely not a threat to us in any way. Afghanistan borders the largest AQ base in the world - Pakistan - which the CIA claims as the primary base for AQ.  That puts Afghanistan up further on the playing field.

Personally, I would like to see our troops puilled from Iraq and distributed around Afghan-Pakistan border regions, as well as Djibouti, Somalia, and some of AQ's major strongholds in Africa.  I fear that if we put all of our eggs into the one basket of Afghanistan it wil open us up to the same threats we have faced due to the Iraq quagmire.

"No U.S. soldier ever dies in vain because they're carrying out the missions of their commander in chief. And we honor all the service that they've provided." - Barack Obama

[ Parent ]
Good call (0.00 / 0)
but what I think is going to absolutely kill us is the fact that we still haven't grasped the fact that our enemy doesn't think like us at all. It also doesn't help that they seem to know how we think.
[ Parent ]
Oh give me a freakin break (0.00 / 0)
they are not super religious super-bearded levitating fucking supermen.

They are Western educated, pampered rich kids on the outs with whatever political regime exists in whichever shitty kingdom they're from and they have convinced--CONVINCED--clowns like you to buy that this is a "religious" movement. The religion is a sham to get Westerners who have this belief that everything "eastern, religious, mystical" is badassed and must be defeated wth eternal war and fighting by only the bravest of our own warriors, armed with Jesus statues and better assault rifles. They are not a religious movement--they are a miniscule number of very savvy and very technical oriented businessmen who know how to manipulate poor, ignorant people to appear to be on some sort of "jihad."

Islamic fundamentalism is the marketing ploy, and you've swallowed it hook, line and sinker.

These people are no more religious or fanatical than anyone else--otherwise, how the fuck do we keep capturing them alive and how the fuck to they keep finding people to be the number three man in Al Qaeda?

[ Parent ]
Well, (0.00 / 0)
if they are so miniscule, then why do they have more control over your government than you do? Would you like to answer that one? By the way, you just sounded like a 6 year old, so I would give the shit a rest.
[ Parent ]
"control" over "your" government??? (0.00 / 0)
What are you smoking? What insane, batshit crazy conspiracy theory have you wrapped yourself around this week?

Lay off the ditchweed, dumbass. It's floating out of your ears.

[ Parent ]
I'm enjoying this (0.00 / 0)
All I have to do is mention Wahhabis and you go into some 4th grade, name calling rant, which accomplishes nothing except entertain the hell out of me and make you look like less and less of a man.  
[ Parent ]
Cowboy up, son (0.00 / 0)
they ain't gonna find you in your bed and cut your head off...

[ Parent ]
Well I am (0.00 / 0)
not the one who needs 160000+ US troops overseas to help myself sleep easier at night. Think about that for a minute.  
[ Parent ]
If I were you (0.00 / 0)
I would just stop now, before you make yourself look any worse, seeing that seem like a person who needs other people's approval.
[ Parent ]
Project much? (0.00 / 0)
Damn, son. Cowboy up means you stop crying in your beer.
[ Parent ]
Everything about this (0.00 / 0)
Wahhabist, mystical badass with a beard and a rag on his head thing is designed to make you feel better that there's a war on that gives you moral authority to walk around with your chest puffed out.

The reality? This is a law enforcement issue. Every time someone applies basic law enforcement tactics against these fuckers, they roll over and die or go to prison or give up screaming.

There is nothing mystical about them--they're posers just like you that the real adults simply have to deal with accordingly.

[ Parent ]
Why don't (0.00 / 0)
you take this juvenile rant of yours and recite it to someone who actually gives a damn. History will be the ultimate judge of whether I am right or wrong in the end, not some impotent, pompous political type.
[ Parent ]
Bwa! (0.00 / 0)
The jokes just write themselves.

The "man" afraid of Wahhabists and who goes off on these bizarre tangents that lead nowhere is calling someone juvenile.

Nice try, but you need to slip on them boots and man up.

[ Parent ]
You mean (0.00 / 0)
the boots I wore through Iraq twice. Are those the ones you are talking about?
[ Parent ]
Yeah, you love your (0.00 / 0)
moral authority, don't you?

Do you have more moral authority than the guy that wore his boots to Iraq three times?

Because if a guy like that comes along and tells you to shut the fuck up, I guess you gotta shut the fuck up then, right?

[ Parent ]
Launching personal attacks (0.00 / 0)
on a combat vet you disagree with? Forgive me for being observant, but doesn't that sound a little neoconnish????
[ Parent ]
Exactly--project much? (0.00 / 0)
When the guy who's done one more tour than you comes along and tells you to shut the fuck up, I expect you'll man up and shut the fuck up.
[ Parent ]
Might I (0.00 / 0)
add baseless personal attacks with little or no serious rebuttal to my actual argument.
[ Parent ]
You don't have one (0.00 / 0)
you just sit there and talk about how much of a man you are.
[ Parent ]
No I didn't (0.00 / 0)
are you living in Lala land?
[ Parent ]
You are the one who has to (0.00 / 0)
launch baseless personal attacks on anyone who doesn't bow down and worship your political views. By the way, I am still waiting for an actual rebuttal.
[ Parent ]
But hey (0.00 / 0)
thanks for a few minutes of entertainment. Seeing you look like a neocon was priceless. Not to mention you gave my argument credibility, saving me even more trouble.
[ Parent ]
Uh, dumbass-- (0.00 / 0)
you ran us out of thread.

My rebuttal is this--

Wahhabbists!!!!!! ZOMG!!!!!!!!!

[ Parent ]
Hahahaha (0.00 / 0)
hahahahaha. That is kind of funny. But you do realize that I knew that they weren't supermen coming to chop off our heads all along, right? Have a nice day!
[ Parent ]
10 Weeks of Hell: Afghanistan Death Rate Exceeding Highest of Iraq War | 27 comments
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