Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Sgt. 1st Class Jason Fabrizi killed by enemy forces in Afghanistan, July 14, 2009
A familiar, but deadly nemesis has reappeared for the American combat soldier, helping make July the worst month for U.S. military fatalities in Afghanistan since the 2001 invasion. Thirty American soldiers have perished so far this month, partly from an offensive launched three weeks ago by U.S. Marines and British troops to kick the Taliban out of opium-rich Helmand Province. But the big concern is the rise of casualties from roadside bombs, which killed scores of Americans in Iraq.
Although militants in Afghanistan lack the same explosives of their Iraqi counterparts, they have managed to increase the power of their improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Taliban guerillas are using some mortar shells and military munitions, but mostly they are making bombs out of things like fertilizer and diesel fuel. They also are taking advantage of the largely sandy, unpaved terrain of their country that not only makes it easier to hide the IEDs, but also has proven difficult for American mine-resistant vehicles to travel over.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
A Deadly Month for U.S. Troops in Afghanistan (by Richard Oppel Jr., New York Times)
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