http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/9786921/British-soldier-killed-in-Afghanistan-insider-attack.html
And with Hagel coming into the Admin as Sec of Defense , the wind down of US and NATO troops will speed up.....
The Obama administration is set to draw down the US military presence in Afghanistan by the end of 2014. But top military general’s have insisted on keeping anywhere from 6,000-20,000troops in Afghanistan for the foreseeable future, perhaps until 2024.
8:00AM GMT 08 Jan 2013
As many as six British troops were also injured in the shooting in Helmand Province. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement released shortly after details emerged, the BBC reported.
It is the latest such incident in a string of insider attacks that threatens to undermine the handover from international forces to local troops.
The Ministry of Defence said a soldier with 28 Engineer Regiment, attached to 21 Engineer Regiment, was killed at Patrol Base Hazrat in the Nahr-e Saraj area. His family have been informed.
Major Laurence Roche, a spokesman for Task Force Helmand, said: "This is an extremely sad day for the Corps of Royal Engineers and everyone serving with Task Force Helmand. Our thoughts are with the soldier's family and friends at this time."
The attack on Monday evening came as Hamid Karzai, the Afghan President, flew to Washington for talks with President Barack Obama to plan for the long-term security of the country as international forces leave next year.
"An individual wearing an Afghan National Army uniform turned his weapon against International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) service members in southern Afghanistan yesterday, killing one," is how Isaf, the Nato force described the killing in a statement on Tuesday.
The Ministry of Defence said the attacker had initially turned his weapon on fellow ANA members, before turning his fire on Isaf soldiers.
Last year, more than 60 troops from the force were killed in so-called "green on blue" attacks, leading to concerns about whether a strategy of training local forces to take over security when Nato combat forces leave in 2014 could work.
The Taliban frequently claim such killings are the work of their agents who have infiltrated Afghan security forces. However, ISAF and Afghan officials say that many are due to personal grudges.
Such is the severity of the threat that international soldiers working alongside Afghan security forces are often watched over by "guardian angels", troops tasked with providing personal protection.
A member of the Afghan National Army in Helmand said the attacker - shot dead after opening fire - was from Laghman Province, in the east of the country and had joined the Afghan army a year ago.
"He was well-known as being religious and would lead prayers, acting as an imam," said the soldier, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Colonel Mohammed Rasool Zazai, a spokesman for the Afghan National Army, said: "We don't have the full details yet but have launched a full investigation."
And with Hagel coming into the Admin as Sec of Defense , the wind down of US and NATO troops will speed up.....
http://news.antiwar.com/2013/01/07/if-confirmed-hagel-likely-to-favor-swift-withdrawal-from-afghanistan/
If Confirmed, Hagel Likely to Favor Swift Withdrawal From Afghanistan
On Iran and Syria too, Hagel appears reluctant to commit troops
by John Glaser, January 07, 2013
Former Senator Chuck Hagel, nominated on Monday by President Obama to be the next Secretary of Defense, would be “likely to favor a sizable drawdown in Afghanistan, more frugal spending at the Pentagon and extreme caution when contemplating the use of force in places like Iran or Syria,” if confirmed, Reuters reports.
The Obama administration is set to draw down the US military presence in Afghanistan by the end of 2014. But top military general’s have insisted on keeping anywhere from 6,000-20,000troops in Afghanistan for the foreseeable future, perhaps until 2024.
Obama hasn’t challenged those recommendations publicly yet, but anonymous administration officials told Reuters Obama is quietly considering slightly less troops to stay beyond 2014, with numbers like 3,000-9,000 floating about.
Chuck Hagel, given his previous statements in opposition to the Iraq war and the surge in Afghanistan, and his own experience in a military quagmire in Afghanistan where he served as a soldier, is likely to urge a quicker withdrawal with less leftover troops.
“We can’t impose our will. The Russians found that out in Afghanistan. We’ve been involved in two very costly wars that have taught us a lesson once again,” Hagel told PBS’s “Tavis Smiley” show last year.
On Syria, Hagel is similarly reluctant to commit any troops. ”I don’t think America wants to be in the lead on this,” he told Foreign Policy magazine.
“We’ve got to understand great-power limitations,” Hagel said. “There are so many uncontrollable variables at play in Syria and the Middle East.” This, incidentally, puts in him agreement not only with the Obama administration, but with virtually the entire US foreign policy establishment.
“It’s frustrating; it’s maddening. I get all that. But we’re still in the longest war in American history and our standing in that part of the world is not that good,” he added.
On Iran, a similar story. “The two options — attack Iran or live with a nuclear-armed Iran — may be eventually where we are. But I believe most people in both Israel and the United States think there’s a ways to go before we get to those,” Hagel said.
Again, this appears to be closely in line with both the Obama administration and the bulk of the US foreign policy crowd in Washington.
No comments:
Post a Comment