Mourners carry the coffin of a suicide bombing victim in Kandahar. Photograph: Allauddin Khan/AP (Photo taken from The Guardian)From Military Watch:
A U.S. soldier was killed this morning by an IED in western Afghanistan and two American GI's were killed in a suicide bombing in Baghlan Province in northern Afghanistan, according to official statements and press reports.
They are among the tragically rising American death toll in Afghanistan. The Taliban and other insurgents, particularly those of Jalaluddin Haqqani, are also taking higher casualties. In one analysis, insurgent battle losses this year will be about six percent ahead of 2007 -- but the insurgents have achieved a sustained rate of attacks 46 percent above last year.
The latest U.S. deaths, not yet confirmed by the Defense Department, bring to 15 the number of American soldiers and Marines killed this month in Afghanistan. Each death is tragic, of course. But the number is lower by about half than last month, according to the independent research organization, icasualties.org.
Combat deaths among the 63,000 U.S. and allied troops in Afghanistan reached a high in August of 46, declining to 37 in September and to 18 (including the 15 Americans) so far this month. For this calendar year, however, the 254 coalition deaths have already surpassed last year's total of 232.
The often-maligned Afghan police also have been taking heavy casualties. They have absorbed much of the Taliban's assaults this fall on major towns like Lashkar Gah. 669 Afghan police were killed on duty in September.
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My Comment: This sentence is what sticks out for me .... "669 Afghan police were killed on duty in September".
This casualty rate cannot be sustained.