By Thomas Gibbons-Neff and Erin Cunningham
...The use of the GBU-43 (click here) in eastern Afghanistan comes less than a week after a U.S. Army Special Forces soldier was killed fighting in the same region. Army Staff Sgt. Mark R. De Alencar, 37, was mortally wounded by small-arms fire Saturday.
U.S. and Afghan forces have been fighting the Islamic State in Afghanistan since 2015. Special Operations forces from the Army’s Ranger battalions as well as the Green Berets have conducted numerous operations to push the militants out of their sanctuaries.
The Taliban, the insurgent group that has fought the United States and the Afghan government since 2001, also clashes with the Islamic State, though many of its members have defected to the terrorist group....
Some might call it revenge, but, more than likely it is a matter of ending the danger. The idea more US military would be coming home in a coffin isn't the way I see the USA involvement.
Daesh is tenacious. They were never going to surrender. They aren't capable of taking responsibility for the deaths they cause.
I don't know all the particulars the day Staff Sgt. De Alencar was killed, but, there are some times when the battlefield needs to be cleaned up. Evidently, it was necessary to clear out an infestation of tunnels.
...A spokesman for U.S. forces in Afghanistan did not respond to a query regarding the bomb’s effects on its intended target, an Islamic State tunnel complex in Nangahar province....
...Achin is close to the border with Pakistan, which has long been used by militants to smuggle weapons and fighters between the two countries. The group has also targeted tribal elders and fighters it suspected of being loyal to the Taliban....
Daesh is a brutal regime. There is no counting on their loyalty to the people they claim as their own. They patrol the towns where they have had control and round up people they deem to be unholy for trial and execution.
I am sure the bomb was necessary because of the fighting conditions that took the life of Staff Sgt. De Alencar. I would be insulted if the USA military dropped such an ordinance for the purpose of revenge. That is not a priority or a strong military strategy.
The danger is using such a weapon is the killing of innocent people, but, the military has stated there were none. The Afghan - Pakistan border has always been turbulent. There was also the incident where 'friendly fire' killed something like 25 Pakistan soldiers. I am glad to hear this is not the case this time.
Some might call it revenge, but, more than likely it is a matter of ending the danger. The idea more US military would be coming home in a coffin isn't the way I see the USA involvement.
Daesh is tenacious. They were never going to surrender. They aren't capable of taking responsibility for the deaths they cause.
I don't know all the particulars the day Staff Sgt. De Alencar was killed, but, there are some times when the battlefield needs to be cleaned up. Evidently, it was necessary to clear out an infestation of tunnels.
...A spokesman for U.S. forces in Afghanistan did not respond to a query regarding the bomb’s effects on its intended target, an Islamic State tunnel complex in Nangahar province....
...Achin is close to the border with Pakistan, which has long been used by militants to smuggle weapons and fighters between the two countries. The group has also targeted tribal elders and fighters it suspected of being loyal to the Taliban....
Daesh is a brutal regime. There is no counting on their loyalty to the people they claim as their own. They patrol the towns where they have had control and round up people they deem to be unholy for trial and execution.
I am sure the bomb was necessary because of the fighting conditions that took the life of Staff Sgt. De Alencar. I would be insulted if the USA military dropped such an ordinance for the purpose of revenge. That is not a priority or a strong military strategy.
The danger is using such a weapon is the killing of innocent people, but, the military has stated there were none. The Afghan - Pakistan border has always been turbulent. There was also the incident where 'friendly fire' killed something like 25 Pakistan soldiers. I am glad to hear this is not the case this time.
