Number of U.S. soldiers killed in Afghanistan doubles in 2009

[bemildred]

Source: LA Times

The year's tally was 319, compared with 155 in 2008, due mostly to the crude but ever larger and deadlier roadside bombs built by the Taliban.

Reporting from Kabul, Afghanistan - American military fatalities in Afghanistan doubled in 2009 compared with the previous year, and U.S. officials and analysts acknowledge that the new year is likely to prove even more lethal.

The planned U.S. troop buildup, coupled with ever-deadlier tactics adopted by the Taliban and other insurgent groups, is expected to result in at least a temporary spike in deaths and injuries among the nearly 70,000 American troops serving here and the additional 30,000 due to arrive in 2010.

Heading into a ninth year of warfare in Afghanistan, military casualties settled into near-lock step with the passing of each day -- a firefight here, a suicide bombing there. The most violent parts of the country -- the south, the east -- remained so, but some previously quiet corners also descended into carnage.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-fg-afghan-troop-deaths1-2010jan01,0,4935947.story

[Journeyman]

1. Better than 1/4 of all US casualties since 2001 have occurred in the last 8 months. . .

before the "surge" escalation was implemented. So yes, escalation will add fuel to a situation already afire. . .

http://www.icasualties.org/OEF/USCasualtiesByState.aspx

[bemildred]

4. This stuff kind of leaves me speechless.

I can think of lots of things to say, but none of them really seems adequate.

[Solly Mack]

2. k/r

[Soylent Brice]

3. .

[pansypoo53219]

5. how many soldiers have died FOR A MISTAKE/CRIME

in iWaq? really.

[ShockediSay]

6. We were mislead into Iraq, aiding AlQaeda.

What do you think giving up going against AlQ will
give us?

[WriteDown]

8. Story is about Afghanistan. nt

[Bigmack]

11. Al Qaeda is wherever it wants to be....

They all boogied into Pakistan.... or Yemen... or Indonesia... or whereverthefuck.

Whack-a-mole won't help resolve this thing.

I don't know how a country with an intel community that invites suicide bombers onto it's bases is going to do it, but we have to develop intel to get to the terror hierarchy.

Blasting the shit out of the civilians using conventional military will not stop AlQaeda.

Afghanistan is a loser, and any lives lost there are a waste. And Obama owns this clusterfuck now.

[Liberation Angel]

7. 474 US soldiers Dead in two years. How many permanently dmaged? How many civilians Obama?

The health care bill fiasco/debate clsterbump is really not what the left shoud be screaming about.

How many lives and to what fucking end?

And hw many Canadians (five mre dead today including a reporter).

Is it really worth it Obama?

Isn't this what the real left should be in the streets like the Iranians protesting (peacefully) against?

An unwinable war against an innumerable enemy.

Make peace, make ;ove, not war, Obama, for the sake of your daughters and ALL God's children.

Please!

Happy new year all.

Liberation Angel

[humbled_opinion]

9. Oh so this must be...

The "Good War" gone Bad....

President Obama had a chance to be a hero instead he blew it, so much for history teaching him any lessons.

[diamidue]

10. Does this number include Contractors? n/t