Us suffer heavy losses in afganistan?

[sn1per 0]

S suffers heavy losses in Afghan offensive: Report

Arun Mohanty (IANS)

Moscow, April 6

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The US army suffered heavy losses in Afghanistan during its offensive against Taliban and Al-Qaeda fighters in Shahi-Kot valley on Thursday night, a media report said.

Nearly 100 US Special Forces personnel were killed and about 200 injured and four Apache helicopter gunships were destroyed in the offensive at Paktia province in eastern Afghanistan, Russian online newspaper Strana.Ru reported quoting well-informed sources in the Kremlin, the seat of the Russian government here.

Though the objectives of the operation remained unclear, apparently US forces along with Afghan troops launched the offensive after coming under massive missile attack by Taliban and Al-Qaeda fighters Wednesday, the paper said.

During an operation in Shahi-Kot valley two weeks ago, US troops had combed nearly 50 caves but did not find any Taliban or Al- Qaeda fighters except bundles of radical Islamic and terrorist literature, maps and operation plans.

Local commander Zalaludin Hakkani is leading the Taliban and Al-Qaeda resistance with the help of a large number of Chechen and Arab fighters, the paper said.

Hakkani has adopted a new tactic to fight the US troops: he keeps his men in small groups dispersed among the local population and changes their location frequently. He has also promised a reward of $100,000 to the local people for catching a US soldier, the paper said.

Hakkani, who became famous for starting the resistance movement against Soviet troops in the early 1980s, is believed to have wide support among the local people, particularly the Pushtuns, the paper said.

Well-acquainted with the geography of the region and a master of the guerrilla warfare, Hakkani is likely to turn out a formidable adversary to the US forces for a long time, according to Afghan experts here.

They said the Taliban and Al-Qaeda fighters are expected to put up strong resistance to the US troops from May when the mountains and the oases in Afghanistan turn green with the advent of spring

Has anyone else heard about this? Sounds really unreliable, 4 apaches, yeah right. But anyway, quite interesting that the western media has not said anything about this.

[Tex -USMC- 0]

LOL, thats pretty good. This is very funny stuff. Unfortunately, none of it is true. The operations in Shahi-Kot, while being the most costly phase of operations so far, only resulted in about 10 US soldiers dead. I doubt "well informed" sources in the Kremlin would know a whole hell of alot, considering Russia has no fighting troops operating in the Shahi-Kot region, not to mention their, shall we say, 'rocky' relations with Afghan guerrillas. Btw, no Apaches have been shot down as of yet, although I imagine some have been damaged.

[red oct 2]

thats news to me, but if it was last thursday, why wasnt it mentioned on CNN? that sort of thing doesnt go unnoticed w/ out some news media getting it

[KingBeast 0]

Last week in Afghanistan several American soldiers lost their lives in ferocious fighting with al-Qaeda and Taleban forces - a shock to anyone who had hoped that Osama Bin Laden's terrorist network had breathed its last.

Thats what the BBC says, but only in a general report, and no details whatsoever.

Rather weird

[KingBeast 0]

If it is true, i can easily see why Western media wouldnt publish the figures. A loss of 100 men and 4 apaches which most people consider "elite fighting machines" would be a Massive blow to morale.

But then it might just al lbe a big farce

[Tex -USMC- 0]

Yeah, the biggest news Ive heard recently out of Afghanistan is that guerrillas shelled a peacekeeper camp with some Chinese made rockets. Im watchin CNN right now, and Im not hearing anything

[Tex -USMC- 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (KingBeast @ April 10 2002,00:38)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">A loss of 100 men and 4 apaches which most people consider "elite fighting machines" would be a Massive blow to morale.<span id='postcolor'>

Well, see, this is the thing that is the most unlikely about this story. I have never heard of 300 Green Berets operating together at once...

But also, remember that we have a free press, and sometimes it almost seems like they are eager to report the failings of the military (I like to call it a Vietnam Complex lol).

[red oct 2]

well this is war, people need to realize that. bush said so himself,this is gona be a long war, and there are gona be causulties on americans, and the allies. thats just what the realality of war is. and i personally think the appachi is just too vulnirable, its sholder in paticular.

[Albert Schweitzer 10]

I must agree on that, special forces never work in more than 3-4 people (at least in my country). Are you sure it stated: special forces?

[KingBeast 0]

Special forces doesnt necessarily mean small elite patrols. Could it have been a whole bunch of marines?

I know the paras are considered special forces (British paras) And they have and do operate in large numbers

[Pukko 0]

I heard the other day that the war in Afganistan is far from over. Have any of you any idea how much there is left to do before its 'finished'?

[KingBeast 0]

Well there are thousands of fighters in the region and hundreds of caves. It wont be over until they have pretty much destroyed or routed the enemy fighters. Which is pretty hard to do, considering the way they operate.

It was predicted it would last for a couple of years

[Albert Schweitzer 10]

The russians had occupied and controled the country as well before the afghans changed strategy and started with effective counterattacks!

[Tovarish 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Pukko @ April 10 2002,00:56)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I heard the other day that the war in Afganistan is far from over. Have any of you any idea how much there is left to do before its 'finished'?<span id='postcolor'>

Just look at how long the mess in Chechnya has been going on

[Tovarish 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Albert Schweizer @ April 10 2002,01:05)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">The russians had occupied and controled the country as well before the afghans changed strategy and started with effective counterattacks!<span id='postcolor'>

Right, fact is, it's much easier to attack and demoralize an occupying force than it is to defend against an invading army.

[Mister Frag 0]

From a more objective perspective, I don't think there is a big-enough concentration of enemy forces left in Afghanistan to inflict losses like that.

The Al-Quaeda and Taliban have learned not to congregate in large numbers, since that attracts both immediate suspicion and precision munitions.

[Benze 0]

Hilarious report.

Green berets don't go in numbers like that. And neither the 82nd, 101st, 10th, or Marine MEUs are special ops.

[sn1per 0]

I think the news on so many casualties sounds really incredible and non-realistic. Guess the taleban (once again) tried to shoot some choppers down with rpgs and rifles and the told the news agencies about colossal US losses. That's what the cowards always do. Or then they blow up some restaurant and tell everyone how great warriors they are. Losers.

[sn1per 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Benze @ April 10 2002,03:29)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Hilarious report.

Green berets don't go in numbers like that. And neither the 82nd, 101st, 10th, or Marine MEUs are special ops.<span id='postcolor'>

Btw. In reports considering operation anaconda, 10th mountain division was mentioned as elite. And are the rangers in the 101st? At least SEAL units have been killed in afganistan.

[LordZach 0]

since when does the leftist media care about morale? they'd publish that fast if it was true. any chance they get to bloody the administrations nose a little

didn't they say they shot down a CH-47 in the early stages of their ass kicking when the wheels fell off?

[Badgerboy 0]

As for AH64 incidents, the group based in Afganistan has taken quite a beating from RPG's. Although none were destroyed, at one stage up to 2/3 of the force were grounded with battle damage.

Remember, the RPG was one of the most mass produced and cheapest weapons made by the Soviets, and as we know, Afgans are quite adept using them.

[rpc007 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (LordZach @ April 10 2002,01:36)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">didn't they say they shot down a CH-47 in the early stages of their ass kicking when the wheels fell off?<span id='postcolor'>

ya, a choppers wheels hit a wall and fell off when it was taking off real fast, and then the Taliban claimed that they shot the whole chopper down but only had teh wheels.........

[scout 0]

yes, but since AH-64 is ought to withstand direct hits of AAA up to 23 mm, the damage that air-brust RPG's can do is quite superficial, it'll take out soft-skinned transport-helo's though.

u must remember that they are actually using the fact that the RPG self-destructs after 4.2 seconds of flight, and u can adjust that.

[Tex -USMC- 0]

OKAY, heres the deal. The report specifically says "Special Forces". That means Green Berets, etc. Although the 10th Mountain Division considers itself an "elite" unit, and they are pretty good, but they are a REGULAR army unit. Therefore, either the reporter got bad information, or he or his source are lying. Notice the biased nature of the report, and you can obviously tell that the reporter got his info only from the guerrillas side.

[KingBeast 0]

Sure the media has no morals, but in times of war the mainstream media can and will be told just what they are allowed to do and what not to do by the leader of the country in question.

Quote from sn1per: "Or then they blow up some restaurant and tell everyone how great warriors they are. Losers."

When did the Taliban blow up some restauraunt?