Thursday, December 07, 2023
Blog
Apr 5

Written by: Diana West
Thursday, April 05, 2012 4:59 AM 

AP photo: Wounded American soldiers, dazed, hurt, unassisted, moments after a suicide bomber detonated in a park in Maimanah, Faryab Province, April 4, 2012.

American soldiers should not be dying for COIN's parks and bazaars in Afghanistan.

On January 18, 2012, a suicide bomber blew himself up around a bridge in Kajaki Sofla bazaar. There were, as expected, many terrible casualties, but what was especially disturbing about this incident was that the military failed to acknowledge any US military casualties. Local US media outlets, quoting family members, reported that Marine Cpl. Philip McGeath, 25, was killed in the Kajaki Sofla explosion. Marine Cpl. Chrisopher Bordoni, 21, was also grievously injured. Uncle Sam stayed mum. This was something I paid particular attention to, given an alarming report on January 17, 2012 in USA Today on a new ISAF policy to curtail information about troops casualties. So did Uncle Sam.

I was recently reminded of this January incident, first, on reading the sad news that Cpl. Bordoni died of his wounds on Tuesday, April 3; and later on reading about Wednesday's suicide attack on a park (picture above) in Maimanah, Faryab province, which is in the north of Afghanistan, near the border with Turkmenistan. The facts of this recent attack are still being gathered, but we know that among those killed in the blast, apparently set off a suicide bomber either on foot or on a motorcycle (as at Kajaki), are three American soldiers. ISAF is calling it an IED attack, which is a little odd in that we have come to understand as IED as a buried explosive device, not the human-guided missile that initial reports tell us caused this explosion.

Is this more official obfuscation?

The Los Angeles Times is now reporting that Afghan investigators believe the bomber may have been in Afghan police uniform, according to the governor of Faryab, Abdul Haq Shafaq. If true, I guess this attack gets chalked up to more of General Allen's "additional risk."

Tags:
Archive
<December 2023>
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
262728293012
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930
31123456
Monthly
November, 2023
October, 2023
September, 2023
August, 2023
July, 2023
June, 2023
May, 2023
April, 2023
March, 2023
February, 2023
January, 2023
December, 2022
November, 2022
October, 2022
September, 2022
August, 2022
July, 2022
June, 2022
May, 2022
April, 2022
March, 2022
February, 2022
January, 2022
December, 2021
November, 2021
October, 2021
September, 2021
August, 2021
July, 2021
June, 2021
May, 2021
April, 2021
March, 2021
February, 2021
January, 2021
December, 2020
November, 2020
October, 2020
September, 2020
August, 2020
July, 2020
June, 2020
May, 2020
April, 2020
March, 2020
February, 2020
January, 2020
December, 2019
November, 2019
October, 2019
September, 2019
August, 2019
July, 2019
June, 2019
May, 2019
April, 2019
March, 2019
February, 2019
January, 2019
December, 2018
November, 2018
October, 2018
September, 2018
August, 2018
July, 2018
June, 2018
May, 2018
April, 2018
March, 2018
February, 2018
January, 2018
December, 2017
November, 2017
October, 2017
September, 2017
August, 2017
July, 2017
June, 2017
May, 2017
April, 2017
March, 2017
February, 2017
January, 2017
December, 2016
November, 2016
October, 2016
September, 2016
August, 2016
July, 2016
June, 2016
May, 2016
April, 2016
March, 2016
February, 2016
January, 2016
December, 2015
November, 2015
October, 2015
September, 2015
August, 2015
July, 2015
June, 2015
May, 2015
April, 2015
March, 2015
February, 2015
January, 2015
December, 2014
November, 2014
October, 2014
September, 2014
August, 2014
July, 2014
June, 2014
May, 2014
April, 2014
March, 2014
February, 2014
January, 2014
December, 2013
November, 2013
October, 2013
September, 2013
August, 2013
July, 2013
June, 2013
May, 2013
April, 2013
March, 2013
February, 2013
January, 2013
December, 2012
November, 2012
October, 2012
September, 2012
August, 2012
July, 2012
June, 2012
May, 2012
April, 2012
March, 2012
February, 2012
January, 2012
December, 2011
November, 2011
October, 2011
September, 2011
August, 2011
July, 2011
June, 2011
May, 2011
April, 2011
March, 2011
February, 2011
January, 2011
December, 2010
November, 2010
October, 2010
September, 2010
August, 2010
July, 2010
June, 2010
May, 2010
April, 2010
March, 2010
February, 2010
January, 2010
December, 2009
November, 2009
October, 2009
September, 2009
August, 2009
July, 2009
June, 2009
May, 2009
April, 2009
March, 2009
February, 2009
January, 2009
December, 2008
November, 2008
October, 2008
September, 2008
August, 2008
July, 2008
June, 2008
May, 2008
April, 2008
March, 2008
February, 2008
January, 2008
December, 2007
November, 2007
October, 2007
September, 2007
August, 2007
Privacy Statement  |  Terms Of Use
Copyright 2012 by Diana West