…at least that’s Monday’s “green-on-blue” score per this latest press announcement from the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.
The two soldiers killed in Laghman province were Americans.
This is driving folks in ISAF, as well as at the Pentagon, crazy. There is growing concern that such attacks are becoming contagious. Thirty-three “insider” attacks this year have killed 42 U.S. and allied troops, compared to 35 all of last year.
The U.S. military’s senior civilian leadership cannot continue to say they will press on despite such attacks. They will be forced, if they continue, to build protective walls sealing off U.S. and allied troops from their purported Afghan allies even higher than they are now.
This is not good for the training mission. Such killings are a tactic of a cagey and insidious foe, and — if the off switch cannot be found and flipped — Operation Enduring Freedom will become increasingly more difficult to accomplish.
UPDATE: Reports from Afghanistan are saying that the Afghan soldier inadvertently killed the two U.S. troops when he stumbled while running to a firefight. His weapon discharged, killing the two Americans.
After his weapon fired, he fled the scene and was reportedly killed by allied aircraft responding to the firefight.
Ripley, call your office.