U.S. says Taliban gain strength; 29 dead in clash

[sabra]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/ISL157000.htm

U.S. says Taliban gain strength; 29 dead in clash

KABUL, May 24 (Reuters) - The Taliban are gaining strength in parts of Afghanistan, the U.S. military said on Wednesday, after a week of the heaviest fighting in years killed about 300 people.

Nearly five years after they were forced from power by U.S. and Afghan forces, the Taliban appear better organised and more aggressive than at any time since their ouster in 2001.

Most of those killed in a series of clashes since Wednesday last week were militants but dozens of Afghan police, soldiers and civilians have also been killed, along with four foreign soldiers.

...

"There's no doubt that the Taliban have grown in strength and influence in certain areas in Kandahar, Helmand and in southern Uruzgan," U.S. military spokesman Colonel Tom Collins told a briefing, referring to three southern provinces.

[NJ_Lib]

1. Wonder how the families who lost kids over there...

... feel about this...? Shameful...

[TechBear_Seattle]

2. Oh, you mean in Afghanistan

I thought you were referring to the Talibangelicals in Ohio or North Dakota or Oklahoma or something.

The Taliban successfully fought off a concerted Russian attempt at conquest. Why does the US think they can succeed at a half-hearted attempt?

[lonestarnot]

3. Yeah. I've been fight'n em over here.

[pezdespencer]

6. I live in Oklahoma

And I take offense to that. We are trying to remove the scum.

I registered 876 new Dem's this year and we did vote in a new Democrat mayor in tulsa with a little help from me. I think its a good start and possibly the start of a new a wave.

Look out Repukes in November!!!

[lindisfarne]

4. So glad all the billions we've spent and lives that have been lost have

accomplished the "mission".

[The_Casual_Observer]

5. If didn't know better I would say we lost.

It's not supposed to work like this, it's supposed to be like Germany or Japan where after they lose everybody just goes back to work making products for the US consumers and everybody is happy ever after. They aren't supposed to keep fighting. Didn't anybody tell them they lost?

But what do I know.

[DoYouEverWonder]

7. This can't be true

Bush told us that he defeated the Taliban. Why would he lie about such a thing?

:sarcasm: