Green on Blue Attacks

These stories make me sad and angry (mad) all at the same time... maybe mad like animals go mad when they get infected with rabies..I mean that's how I feel. I am just mad, I feel that we are figthing a loosing battle.  Do you know what Blue on Green means? Of particular concern are “green on blue attacks,” in which uniformed Afghans unexpectedly kill members of the forces helping their government. In military parlance “green” refers to indigenous personnel and “blue” to NATO forces

There was a story about a Marine who sensed he was going to be attacked and killed by the people he was training in Afghanistan. Now I understand that this is a story, I haven't check the validity of it but I do trust this marine's father. Why would he make up a story like this? So this young marine who is stationed in Afghanistan, told his dad about this man, who kept repeating, "we don't want you here," "we don't need you here" he said the guys just kept repeating it over and over. This young marine got into an altercation with the Afghan Forces Trainee, and when the marine told his commanding officer, they commander just dismissed it, made the marine apologize to the Afghan Trainee, and shake his hand, well the trainee didn't shake his hand. So when the marine called his dad to tell him what happened, the marine said I don't think I'm coming home, please prepare mom and my brothers. The marine felt he would be killed in his base, and sure enough he was killed a few days later (two days before he was to return home).

The Taliban also continues to conduct larger spectacular raids. On Sept. 14, a sophisticated, coordinated ground attack against Camp Bastion in Helmand Province, possibly carried out with inside aid, killed two U.S. Marines and destroyed aircraft valued at approximately $200 million. Well-coordinated attackers in three teams wore U.S. Army uniforms.

A second attack on Sept. 16 in southern Afghanistan, believed to involve Afghan police, killed four NATO soldiers. The Associated Press estimates 51 NATO personnel killed this year by such attacks. Allied commanders announced reduction in joint operations with Afghans.

These are only the latest in continuing, but not continuous, enemy attacks. Last April, the Taliban carried out a stunning raid and successful mass prison break in the town of Bannu in Pakistan, near North Waziristan, a tribal area where sympathy for Islamic radicalism is strong. A lengthy gun fight climaxed with freeing approximately 400 prisoners.

Yet the Taliban remains unable to mount any attacks which recapture and hold territory, and NATO officials doubt the “green on blue” attacks are all related to insurgent groups. Combat stress is considered a key factor in at least some of the killings, especially since Afghan culture does not recognize post-traumatic stress disorder.

I just DON'T understand, and I know there are movements that regular civilians are not prvy too, but really what are we doing over there? Patrolling fields laced with IEDs? Going into places where yes people are opressed by the Taliban but regular citziens are afraid to overthrow the Taliban. We are looking a country where women aren't thought of as equal. We are here trying to do the right thing but we are loosing military personnel daily.

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