Ten Years. Thousands of Lives. Billions of Dollars. |
Next Friday, October 7, 2011, marks 10 years since the United States invaded Afghanistan in the name of the “War on Terror.” Sadly, this summer President Obama announced he’ll continue our military presence in the country until 2014, and Congress has agreed to follow his lead.
Where do we go from here?
We’ve put together a short video based on Isaiah 2:4, which reads:
"He will judge between the nations
and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore."
Watch the video. Pray for peace. And then share this message far and wide. You can start by emailing Congress. and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore."
Sojourners and its members have spoken out against the war since the very beginning -- speeches, protests, press conferences, letters -- and we’ll continue to do so until it is ended. Approaching this unbelievable anniversary, we come together to mourn, pray, and recommit ourselves to bring this war to an end.
We hope the video is useful to you for reflecting on where we find ourselves at this point in history and as a tool to start conversations with your church, your friends, and even your family.
For peace,
We hope the video is useful to you for reflecting on where we find ourselves at this point in history and as a tool to start conversations with your church, your friends, and even your family.
For peace,
Duane, Heather, Carrie, Elizabeth, James, and the team at Sojourners
CIA says officer first U.S. combat death
In the first acknowledged U.S. combat death in Afghanistan, the CIA on Wednesday said one of its officers was "killed in the line of duty."The statement from CIA Director George Tenet identifies the man as Johnny Michael "Mike" Spann, 32, who worked for the Directorate of Operations, the part of the agency responsible for covert operations.Tenet's statement said Spann was "where he wanted to be; on the front lines serving his country."The statement says Spann was at the fortress in Mazar-e Sharif where Taliban prisoners were being held and questioned. "Although these captives had given themselves up, their pledge to surrender -- like so many other pledges from the vicious group they represent -- proved worthless," it read.Tenet said Wednesday morning that Spann's body was recovered "just hours ago."Spann joined the CIA in June 1999. A former Marine, "Mike Spann was an American hero, a man who showed passion for his country and his agency through his selfless courage," Tenet said.Spann was the husband of Shannon Spann, and is survived by their infant son, two young daughters and two sisters. He is the son of Johnny and Gail Spann of Winfield, Alabama.First American soldier killed in battle in Afghanistan
Last Updated: Saturday, January 5, 2002 | 9:22 AM ET
A U.S. soldier killed Friday in Afghanistan was the first American military death directly caused by enemy fire in the three-month-long conflict.Sgt. First Class Nathan Ross Chapman, 31, a Green Beret, was on a mission in a remote area near the Pakistan border when he was killed.
"The mission he was on, part of a team, was to co-ordinate with local tribal elements in the vicinity of Gardez and Khowst in order to facilitate co-operation between our forces and the local tribal elements in that region," said Gen. Tommy Franks, the commander in charge of the military operation in Afghanistan.
Franks said no other U.S. soldiers were wounded in what he described as an exchange of small arms fire, however, there are reports a CIA officer was wounded during the same incident. Franks said it was still unclear whether enemy troops were killed or injured during the firefight.
While Franks said he was troubled by the death, he said that overall he was pleased so few U.S. troops have been killed or injured.
"I'm thankful every day we haven't lost more people than we have in this fight," he said.
Franks warned that the war in Afghanistan is far from over, saying there was much dangerous work still to be done.
Five other members of the U.S. military had previously been killed and several injured, but those casualties were blamed on accidents, or U.S. bombs that fell off target.
Mike Spann, a CIA operative also was killed during an uprising by Taliban prisoners in November.
Also on Friday, Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah said Mullah Mohammad Omar is surrounded near the city of Baghran in central Afghanistan.
Omar is the former spiritual leader of the Taliban.
Some reports had said Omar was captured, but there is no confirmation of that.
The Pentagon says it cannot confirm Omar's whereabouts, but it would oppose any deal that would allow him to escape.
In Kandahar, Abdullah told reporters that the situation concerning Omar will be made clear sometime in the next two days.
Coalition casualties in Afghanistan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Casualties of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan" redirects here. For civilian casualties, see Civilian casualties of the War in Afghanistan (2001–present).
Coalition deaths in Afghanistan by country USA: 1,717* UK: 382 Canada: 156* France: 75 Germany: 56 Italy: 44 Denmark: 42 Spain: 33* Australia: 29 Poland: 29 Netherlands: 25 Romania: 19 Georgia: 10 Norway: 10 Estonia: 8 Hungary: 7 Sweden: 5 New Zealand: 4 Czech Republic: 4 Latvia: 3 Finland: 2 Jordan: 2 Portugal: 2 South Korea: 2 Turkey: 2 Belgium: 1 Lithuania: 1 TOTAL: 2,670 |
In addition to these deaths in Afghanistan, another 29 U.S. and one Canadian soldier were killed in other countries while supporting operations in Afghanistan. The total also omits the 62 Spanish soldiers returning from Afghanistan who died in Turkey on May 26, 2003, when their plane crashed.
During the first five years of the war, the vast majority of coalition deaths were American, but between 2006 and 2010, a significant proportion were amongst other nations, particularly the United Kingdom and Canada which have been assigned responsibility for the flashpoint provinces of Helmand and Kandahar, respectively. This is because in 2006, ISAF expanded its jurisdiction to the southern regions of Afghanistan which were previously under the direct authority of the U.S. military. As Robert Gates pointed out on June 10, 2011, in his "last policy speech" as U.S. Secretary of Defense, "more than 850 troops from non-U.S. NATO members have made the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan. For many allied nations these were the first military casualties they have taken since the end of the Second World War."[4] Additionally, there have been 54 fatalities among troops from the non-NATO contributors to the coalition (Australia, Sweden, Finland, Georgia, South Korea, Jordan and New Zealand).
With 711 Operation Enduring Freedom and International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) deaths, 2010 was the deadliest year for foreign military troops since the U.S. invasion in 2001, continuing the trend that has occurred every year since 2003.[1]
In 2009, there were 7,228 improvised explosive device (IED) attacks in Afghanistan, a 120% increase over 2008, and a record for the war.[5][6] Of the 512 foreign soldiers killed in 2009, 448 were killed in action. 280 of those were killed by IEDs.[7] In 2010, IED attacks in Afghanistan wounded 3,366 U.S. soldiers, which is nearly 60% of the total IED-wounded since the start of the war.[8] Of the 711 foreign soldiers killed in 2010, 630 were killed in action. 368 of those were killed by IEDs, which is around 36% of the total IED-killed since the start of the war to date.[1] Insurgents planted 14,661 IEDs in 2010, a 62% increase over the previous year.[9]
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Details regarding the fatalities
United States
Of the United States deaths, more than 1,415 have died in hostile action. Included in these numbers are 12 CIA operatives that were killed in Afghanistan: seven in a suicide bomb attack on a military base, two in an ambush, one in a shooting attack at the U.S. embassy in Kabul, one in a prison uprising in November 2001, and one in an accident.[3] The independent website iCasualties has put the number of U.S. deaths at 1,648.[10] This number is by four higher than the Department of Defense's tally which is 1,644, when including the intelligence operatives.[11]As of September 29, 2011, 14,239 United States soldiers have been wounded in action in Afghanistan.[11]
Australian
Main article: Operation Slipper
The Australian forces in Afghanistan have suffered 29 fatalities. 199 soldiers have been wounded.[12][13]British
Main article: British Forces casualties in Afghanistan since 2001
As of September 19, 2011, the British forces have suffered 382 fatalities and 1,781 wounded in action, another 3,418 have suffered from disease or non-battle injuries. Of these, 338 soldiers were killed as a result of hostile action, while 44 are known to have died either as a result of illness, non-combat injuries or accidents, or have not yet officially been assigned a cause of death pending the outcome of an investigation.[14][15] The vast majority of fatalities have taken place since the redeployment of British forces to the Taliban stronghold of Helmand province in 2006, as only five men died between April 2002 and early March 2006.Canadian
Main article: Canadian Forces casualties in Afghanistan
Canada's role in Afghanistan, consisting of operations against the Taliban and other insurgents in southern Afghanistan (Kandahar Province), has resulted in the largest number of fatal casualties for any single Canadian military mission since the Korean War. A total of 156* members of the Canadian Forces have died in Afghanistan between February 2002 and June 24, 2011. Of these, 130 were due to enemy actions, including 97 due to IEDs or landmines, 22 due to RPG, small arms or mortar fire, and 12 due to suicide bomb attacks. Another six Canadian soldiers died due to friendly fire while conducting combat operations. An additional 27 Canadian soldiers have died in Afghanistan as a result of accidents or non-combat circumstances; 6 in vehicle accidents, 4 unspecified non-combat-related deaths, 3 suicide deaths, 2 in a helicopter crash, 2 from accidental falls, 2 from accidental gunshots and 1 death from an illness.[16][17] 615 soldiers have been wounded in action and 1,244 have received non-battle injuries since April 2002.[18]In addition to these troop deaths in Afghanistan, 1 Canadian soldier was found dead of non-combat-related causes at Camp Mirage, a forward logistics base in the United Arab Emirates near Dubai.
Danish
Denmark, a NATO member, has about 750 troops in Afghanistan, mostly stationed in Helmand province as part of NATO's International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF).Denmark is the country in ISAF that has had the largest number of casualties compared to the country's population. Out of all the countries, Denmark is also the nation which has the largest percentage of its soldiers who have died. Also, Denmark is also among the nations with most troops deployed relative to size.[19]
Denmark's first three deaths were the result of an accident during the disposal of a Soviet-era anti-aircraft missile in 2002. With a new mandate issued by the Danish parliament in 2006, Danish military operations have transformed from relatively safe non-combat operations in the centre of the country to combat operations alongside the British contingent in the violent southern Helmand province. 34 soldiers have been killed in various hostile engagements or as a result of friendly fire, and 7 have been killed in non-combat related incidents, bringing the number of Danish fatalities to 41.[20][21] More than 100 soldiers have been wounded in action.[22]
Dutch
A total of 25 Dutch servicemen were killed in Afghanistan.[23] The first two Dutch fatalities were soldiers killed in an accidental helicopter crash in 2006. Since then, one pilot died in a non-hostile F-16 crash, and one soldier committed suicide at Kamp Holland. In 2007, one soldier was accidentally killed when a Patria armoured vehicle overturned at a river crossing near Tarin Kowt in Uruzgan. After that 19 soldiers were killed in action between 2007 and 2010. Finally, the last soldier to die was from an illness a month before the contingent withdrew from the country in December 2010. 140 soldiers were wounded in action.[24]Estonian
Eight Estonian soldiers have died in Afghanistan: seven have been killed in action and one in an accident. 43 soldiers have been wounded in action.[25]French
Main article: French forces in Afghanistan
A total of 75 French soldiers have died thus far.[26] 57 soldiers have been killed in action, of the others: seven have died in vehicle accidents, one in a helicopter crash, two committed suicide, two have drowned, one was killed by a lightning strike, two died from a non-hostile gunshot wound, one died in an accidental explosion, one died in friendly fire, and one died of unknown causes.Main article: Uzbin valley ambush
The largest number of soldiers killed was when French troops were ambushed in the area of Sirobi, some 50 km (30 miles) east of Kabul, in August 2008. Ten French troops were killed and a further 21 wounded in the attack - the heaviest loss of troops France has suffered since deploying to Afghanistan in 2001.Georgian
Georgia has thus far suffered 10 deaths and 38 injuries.[27][28] The first Georgian fatality occurred on September 5, 2010, when 28 years old colonel Mukhran Shukvani was killed in an IED attack. Corporal Alexandre Gitolendia was also seriously wounded in the attack, bringing Georgian casualties to 1 KIA and 1 WIA.[29] Four more Georgian soldiers were killed by a landmine during combat operations on October 1, 2010, in Helmland.[30] On February 21, 2011 Georgia lost another soldier, George Avaliani, while two others were wounded.[31] On March 14, 2011, one of the two injured died in a hospital in Germany and on May 27, 2011 another soldier died. On June 21 a ninth Georgian soldier died of injuries sustained during an attack.[32][33][34] On August 31, 2011, junior sergeant Rezo Beridze got killed by sniper fire during a patrol mission, bringing the total fatal casaulties of the Republic of Georgia to 10. [35]German
Main article: German Armed Forces casualties in Afghanistan
A total of 53 German soldiers and 3 police officers were killed. 245 service personnel have been wounded in action.[36]Hungarian
Seven Hungarians died in Afghanistan. Two EOD members were killed by IEDs. Two were killed in a convoy attack by the Taliban. Two died in a vehicle accident during a convoy-escort task. One died because of heart attack.Italian
A total of 44 Italians have died in Afghanistan: 31 killed in action (one died a week after being wounded during a raid to rescue him after being captured), seven died in vehicle accidents, two of a heart attack, one due to an accidental weapon discharge, one of illness, one in an accidental airplane crash and one committed suicide.[37][38]Jordanian
A member of the Jordanian spy agency Dairat al-Mukhabarat al-Ammah, was killed in the Forward Operating Base Chapman attack. Also, a Jordanian soldier was killed and three were wounded while escorting a humanitarian convoy in Logar province on May 22, 2011.[39]New Zealand
Two New Zealand soldiers have been killed in Bamyan Province. The first soldier to be killed was Lieutenant Timothy O'Donnell who was killed after his convoy was ambushed on a notorious stretch of road in the province. The second soldier to be killed was Private Kirifi Mila when the Humvee he was in rolled down a 30-metre cliff. A member of the New Zealand SAS was killed in Kabul on 18 August 2011.[40] Another memeber of the New Zealand SAS was killed on 27 September 2011 in Wardak province.Norwegian
10 Norwegian soldiers have been killed in action in Afghanistan.[41]Polish
27 Polish soldiers (including a military civilian medic) have been killed in action, one died in a vehicle accident and one died due to a non-combat cause. At least 100 soldiers have been wounded in action.[42]Romanian
19 Romanian soldiers have been killed in action in Afghanistan.[43] More than 40 soldiers have been wounded in action.[44][45]Swedish
Five Swedish soldiers have been killed in action since 2005. Three in two separate IED incidents and two in a ambush by a ANP uniform wearing insurgent. Several local translators working with the Swedish PRT have been killed.Spanish
Of the Spanish deaths, 17 died in August 2005 when the Eurocopter Cougar helicopter they were travelling in crashed, 12 were killed in separate attacks by insurgents, two died from natural causes, and two died in vehicle accidents. Another 62 died in a Yak-42 plane crash in Turkey on their way back to Spain from Afghanistan.[46]South Korean
A South Korean officer was shot by a fellow officer for not following an order to speak quietly on the telephone.[47] Another South Korean soldier, Sergeant Yoon Jang-ho, was killed in a suicide bomb attack at Bagram Air Base.[48]Turkish
The Turkish Army suffered its first deaths on July 14, 2009, when two soldiers were killed in a road traffic accident in Faryab province, between Mazar-i Sharif and Kabul. One of the two killed was the commander of the Turkish contingent of ISAF troops in Afghanistan.[49]Coalition deaths in other countries as the result of the war Spain: 62 USA: 30 Canada: 1 TOTAL: 93 |
A Canadian soldier was found dead of non-combat-related causes at a forward logistics base in the United Arab Emirates near Dubai.
62 Spanish soldiers died in a Yak-42 plane crash in Turkey on their way back to Spain from Afghanistan.[46]
See also
- War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
- Afghan War order of battle
- British Forces casualties in Afghanistan since 2001
- Canadian Forces casualties in Afghanistan
- Criticism of the War on Terror
- German Armed Forces casualties in Afghanistan
- Civilian casualties of the War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
- List of aviation accidents and incidents in the War in Afghanistan
- International public opinion on the war in Afghanistan
- ISAF
- Operation Enduring Freedom
- Protests against the War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
- Taliban insurgency
- Tarnak Farm incident
Notes
- ^ a b c d e "Operation Enduring Freedom". iCasualties.org. 2010-05-28. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
- ^ U.S. Defense Department. "Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) U.S. Casualty Status."
- ^ a b "Enduring Freedom Casualties". CNN. Retrieved April 30, 2010.
- ^ Robert Gates (June 10, 2011). "Reflections on the status and future of the transatlantic alliance". Security & Defence Agenda. Retrieved 2011-06-13. "Consider that when I became Secretary of Defense in 2006 there were about 20,000 non-U.S. troops from NATO nations in Afghanistan. Today, that figure is approximately 40,000. More than 850 troops from non-U.S. NATO members have made the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan. For many allied nations these were the first military casualties they have taken since the end of the Second World War."
- ^ Day, Thomas L.; Landay, Jonathan S. (December 28, 2009). "U.S. intelligence: 'Time is running out' in Afghanistan". McClatchy Washington Bureau. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
- ^ Vanden, Tom (2009-03-16). "Poll: More view Afghan war as 'mistake'". USA Today. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
- ^ U.S. intelligence: 'Time is running out' in Afghanistan
- ^ Vanden, Tom (2011-01-10). "Afghan insurgents match surge with more IEDs". USA Today. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
- ^ Whitlock, Craig (January 26, 2011). "Number of U.S. casualties from roadside bombs in Afghanistan skyrocketed from 2009 to 2010". The Washington Post.
- ^ "Operation Enduring Freedom | Afghanistan". iCasualties. 2010-05-28. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
- ^ a b c http://www.defenselink.mil/news/casualty.pdf
- ^ "Australian Operation in Afghanistan - Department of Defence". Australian Government, Department of Defence. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
- ^ Five diggers wounded in Afghanistan
- ^ "Operations Factsheets | Operations in Afghanistan: British Fatalities". UK Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
- ^ [1]
- ^ "Flag-draped casket of Ouellet arrives in Canada". CTV.ca. 2008-03-14. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
- ^ Canadian soldier found dead on Afghan base[dead link]
- ^ "Canadian Forces' Casualty Statistics (Afghanistan)". Canada News Centre. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
- ^ "Dansk soldat dræbt i morges" (in (Danish)). Jyllands-Posten. 09.01.11. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
- ^ "Operation Iraqi Freedom | Iraq | Fatalities By Nationality". iCasualties. 2010-05-28. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
- ^ "Dansk soldat er dræbt i Afghanistan". DR. 2011-07-10.
- ^ John Pike. "First female Danish soldier killed in Afghanistan". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
- ^ "Another Dutch soldier dies in Afghanistan". Radio Netherlands Worldwide. 2010-05-22. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
- ^ "Dutch troops end Afghanistan deployment". BBC News. August 1, 2010.
- ^ "Afghanistan | Välisministeerium". Vm.ee. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
- ^ "Operation Iraqi Freedom | Iraq | Fatalities By Nationality". iCasualties. 2010-05-28. Retrieved 2011-07-14.
- ^ Tenth Georgia Soldier Killed in Afghanistan Retrieved: September 1, 2011
- ^ Seth Robson. "U.S. training a dual mission for Georgians". Stripes.com. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
- ^ "28-Year-Old Georgian Officer Dies in Afghanistan - News Agency InterpressNews". New.interpressnews.ge. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
- ^ Georgian soldiers killed in Afghanistan. Accessed 10/1/2010.
- ^ "Georgian Soldier Died in Afghanistan - News Agency InterpressNews". Interpressnews.ge. 2011-02-22. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
- ^ Georgian Soldier Killed in Afghanistan Retrieved: June 21, 2011
- ^ "Georgian Soldier Killed in Afghanistan". Civil.ge. 2001-07-01. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
- ^ "Georgian Soldier Succumbs Afghan Injuries". Civil.ge. 2001-07-01. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
- ^ http://mod.gov.ge/index.php?page=77&lang=1&type=1&Id=1127
- ^ "Grundlagen" (in (German)). bundeswehr.de. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
- ^ "Operation Iraqi Freedom | Iraq | Fatalities By Nationality". iCasualties. 2010-05-28. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
- ^ "Vittime totali salgono a 39 - Libero". libero-news.it. Retrieved 2011-07-04.
- ^ "Jordanian officer dies, 3 injured in Afghanistan bomb blast". Petra.gov.jo. 2011-05-22. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
- ^ "SAS soldier killed in suicide strike". New Zealand Herald. 20 August 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
- ^ "Operation Enduring Freedom Norway Fatalities". Icasualties.org. 2010-05-28. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
- ^ "No Operation". Presstv.ir. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
- ^ The Associated Press (2010-06-23). "2 Romanian soldiers killed in Afghanistan after explosive device hits their vehicle | The Associated Press - Breaking News, New Brunswick, Canada". canadaeast.com. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
- ^ "Two Romanian soldiers killed in Afghanistan :: EMG :: SEE news". Emg.rs. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
- ^ http://english.defense.ro/misiuni/memoriam.php
- ^ a b thinkSPAIN "Spanish soldier killed in Afghanistan accident "
- ^ "Afghanistan News January 30, 2003". Afghanistannewscenter.com. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
- ^ http://web.archive.org/web/20090629181329/http://icasualties.org/OEF/byNationality.aspx?hndQry=South+Korea
- ^ "Internet Edition". The Daily Star. 2009-07-16. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
- ^ "DoD Identifies Army Casualty". News Release. U.S. Department of Defense. September 27, 2003. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
- ^ Fox News. May 21, 2007. http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_wires/2007May21/0,4675,CIAFallenOfficers,00.html.
- ^ "Sailor from Amarillo missing in Indian Ocean". Associated Press. Lubbock Avalanche-Journal Online. 2001-11-29. Retrieved 2011-06-13.
External links
- Defense Department Casualty Page
- NATO ISAF Press Releases
- Operation Enduring Freedom: Fatalities
- Casualties in Afghanistan & Iraq
- CNN.com - Operation Enduring Freedom Casualties
- US War Watch - Afghanistan casualties tracked by US War Watch
- CBC News Indepth: Afghanistan, Canadian casualties
- British military fatalities in Afghanistan in OEF and ISAF (BBC News)
- Casualty Counter: Afghanistan Casualty Counter
- "War Against Terrorism" in Afghanistan
- Casualty Monitor - Tracking the war in Afghanistan
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