Jeff Schogol from Stars & Stripes sends us a video of some the firefight today in Kabul when Taliban attacked the US Embassy there;
The kids burned up some ammo. I sure hope they hit something. A lot of somethings. From Reuters;
At least 9 people were killed and 23 wounded in the four attacks, and a gun battle around a half-built high-rise building raged on into the evening as NATO and Afghan attack helicopters circled overhead.
The fighters had chosen a strategic and heavily fortified main target for the well-coordinated attacks.
Their ability to shower artillery around the diplomatic district was a clear show of strength at a time when NATO-led forces are claiming significant security gains and preparing for their exit by 2014.
Although the Taliban have attacked multiple targets in Kabul in the past, this is the first time they have organized simultaneous assaults on such separate areas.
Funny how the closer we get to the withdrawal, the forces we’re fighting become bolder. Who saw that coming?
But we’ve been making nice with the Taliban, how can this be happening?
Echoes of Tet. The media is going to eat this shit up.
Call me an ignorant civilian, but why do I see guys not wearing their helmets during a firefight?
re #3
The Marine without a helmet is probably a Marine Security Guard which means he ran to the perimeter straight from grabbing a vest and a combat load in the armory if he wasn’t already geared up. The soldier, who knows? Sometimes helmets a pain in the ass and sometimes people are just too cool for school. I couldn’t tell you.
Somebody please tell me that the Administration is paying attention to this.
Yeah, that’s what I thought. The silence is deafening.
/sarc off
Thanks, NSOM
I think they are too busy with this.
#4
I doubt whether these were Marine Security Guards, given that this was taken at the ISAF compound, which is basically across the street from the U.S. Embassy. (Or at least was in 2003, the last time I was there). Being that it’s ISAF, that also explains the strange medley of uniforms and weapons.
Those boys were definitely laying down some heat, though.
Marines ? I thought the U.S. embassy in Kabul only hired Wachin-Off-Hut’s elite armourguard rent-a-cops just like Logan Airport Boston’s Israeli ICTS International’s Huntleigh rent-a-cops of 9/11/01 infamy.
Only worst,the U.S.Embassy guards in Kabul run or ran slave prostitution rings and love to sip vodka from each others aholes.Or has Hillary ‘Cocaine Rendition Plane’Clinton and Joe ‘I’m an Albino Semite’ Lieberman cleaned all that up by now ? With allies like us,who needs enemies ? Hope none of this interferes with the CIA’s opium trafficking business.
Whistleblowers vs. the 101st Tequila Brigade
By Nathan Hodge September 11, 2009 |
Gordon’s lawsuit
alleges he was shut out of an investigation into the solicitation of
prostitutes at the behest of Armor Group’s London-based parent
company, despite recurring evidence that ArmorGroup employees
continued to solicit prostitutes and perhaps even run their own
prostitution services. A trainee boasted to Gordon “that he could
purchase a girl for $20,000 and turn a profit after a month.”
Lieberman Gave State IG Whistleblower Documents on ArmorGroup in 2007
John Gorman, the former ArmorGroup Kabul project manager turned
whistleblower whose allegations against the company I wrote about
yesterday, met with aides to Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) in 2007
See Also:
Party Ends for Kabul Embassy’s Booze-Soaked Guard Force Mercs Gone
Wild at U.S. Embassy Kabul (Updated, With Photos … U.S. Plans $200
Million Expansion for Kabul Embassy Lethal Cocktail: Vodka, Guns and
Additional thought on why no helmets: unless you have an assault helmet, which has a higher back, it can be hard to operate from the prone position. If you are down, turn your head up to see and shoot, the movement can push the helmet down over your eyes or otherwise make life interesting for you. There are times when troops just do without to avoid those problems. The problem with assault helmets is that having that higher back, they give less protection to the head/neck during all other operations.
Good thing those sandbags were there. Anyone notice a couple of incoming rounds kicking up a little dust on the bags? That’ll make your sphincter pucker.
I will say one thing, whenever a gunship comes overhead, it is a pretty sight. Doesn’t matter the make or model, as long as it is laying down a stream of hell against ‘thine mortal enemy’ then it is a beautiful sight.
It doesn’t seem, according to embassy staff that this was a very competent attack. The Structure they assaulted from was 800m away. According to the ambassador and the BBC and a couple DoD Pamphlets predicting this, the rockets careened far off target and wounded a van of children.
More than likely, the helmet was left back in the hootch because of complacency. Logically, being around the embassy should make one a target – but with the high walls and usually calm day to day life, folks forget.