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14 US troops killed in Afghanistan

10/27/2009 | Posted by Anonymous | Edit Post

As the Obama administration mulls on what policy to pursue for American troops in Afghanistan, 10 Americans including three Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents were killed in a bloody helicopter crash on Monday, October 26, 2009.

The US military aircraft was on its way from a firefight with suspected Taliban drug peddlers in Western Afghanistan. In addition to the 10 casualties, 4 other American troops died when two helicopters collided in a separate incident in Southern Afghanistan.

“The crash came less than a week after a U.N. report found that the drug trade is enabling the Taliban to make more money now than when they ruled Afghanistan before the U.S. invasion in 2001. The DEA sent more agents to Afghanistan this year to take part in military operations against insurgents who use drug smuggling to raise funds for their war against NATO and its Afghan allies.”----http://apnews.myway.com (10/16/09, Reid, R.H; Vogt, H.)

The deaths of US servicemen brought a discouraging blow to the morale of troops serving in the battlefield. The Obama administration had been debating whether to send additional US forces to Afghanistan, but doubts had been high following a national election that was deemed to have been riddled with fraud.
Casualties from the DEA were the first since they started serving in 2005 in a troubled country known for its massive opium trade.

U.S. military officials believed the crashes were not the result of enemy engagement, but Taliban forces insisted they shot down a U.S. helicopter in the western province of Badghis. (Photo Credit: wil) =0=

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Labels: Afghanistan, aircraft, casualties, Drug Enforcement Agency, drug war, drugs, helicopter crash, opium, Taliban, Totie Mesia

Extravagant aircraft purchases face opposition

8/11/2009 | Posted by Anonymous | Edit Post

With increasing public frustration over the extravagance of the current administration, a group of US senators including the Pentagon have opposed the purchase of jets for US government use---a luxurious fleet for traveling officials underwritten taxpayers’ money. The big spending speaks of the entitlement Capitol Hill has been used to.

The appropriation proposal of $550 million by house lawmakers to buy eight Gulfstream and Boeing planes for official use is being opposed the House Appropriations Committee, Pentagaon, and by Sens. Claire McCaskill (D., Mo.). John McCain (R., Ariz.,) Jack Reed (D., R.I.), Richard Burr (R., N.C.), Christopher Bond (R., Mo.) and John Thune (R., S.D.). The amount being asked for the pricey aircrafts is double the amount of $220 million originally asked by the Obama administration to upgrade the aircrafts.

“The tension over the jets is erupting just as lawmakers embark on the high season for government travel. Traditionally, August is the busiest travel period of the year, since Congress usually recesses for a month. Since 1995, House lawmakers have disclosed a total of $6.2 million in travel expenses for all the months of August, according to a Wall Street Journal computer-assisted analysis of 60,000 travel records.” ----Wall Street Journal (08/10/09, Mullins, B; Farnam, TW )

This buying spree comes when US government spending, unemployment, healthcare debacle, and recession woes continue to plague the American people. A number of critics are saying, the leadership action at this time makes people madly disappointed and incredulous over where this country is heading. Some lawmakers however weakly defend this outrageous aircraft spending as “necessary”---- to those who travel in order to bring American goodwill throughout the world. (Photo Credit: www.artshole.co.uk) =0=

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Labels: aircraft, airplane, budget, buying spree, extravagance, purchase, Totie Mesia

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14 US troops killed in Afghanistan

Extravagant aircraft purchases face opposition

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