NATO

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Will Georgian sacrifices in Afghanistan result in NATO membership?

By Dan Lamothe on June 17, 2013 Afghanistan, Infantry, Musa Qala

June has been a rough year in Afghanistan for one of the Marine Corps’ closest allies, the Republic of Georgia. The small eastern European nation has lost at least 10 soldiers in recent attacks, including a June 6 truck bomb ambush that killed seven and wounded nine others in Helmand province’s Now Zad district. Another bomb in May in Musa Qala district killed three Georgian soldiers. It’s at times like these that Americans should remember just how closely the Georgians and U.S. Marines are intertwined on the battlefield. The Georgians began deploying a battalion at a time to northern Helmand…

Dunford outlines heavy casualties to Afghan forces

By Dan Lamothe on June 6, 2013 Afghanistan, General officers, Infantry

Recent news coverage of the war in Afghanistan has zeroed in on the fact that as U.S. force draw down there and shift to advising roles, Afghan forces have been engaged in heavy combat with the Taliban. U.S. commanders have acknowledged several times that Afghan forces have taken heavy losses as a result, but rarely have provided numbers that clarify how serious the situation is. There’s no doubt after Wednesday, however: they’re losing dozens of troops each week, including 104 in one week recently, said Gen. Joseph Dunford, the top U.S. commander, to reporters in Belgium on Wednesday. “The numbers…

Clowns to protest NATO summit in Chicago. No, really!

By Dan Lamothe on May 17, 2012 Afghanistan, Pop culture

Ladies and gentlemen, clowns will descend on Chicago this weekend. Let the nightmares begin! Top political figures and military officials from across the world will be in the city this weekend for the 2012 NATO Summit, and the war in Afghanistan figures to be the top topic. It’s the kind of event that draws protesters as commonly as a Justin Bieber concert draws screaming teenage girls. A group called Clown Bloq has cast itself into the mix in Chicago, announcing in a “communique” that it will protest NATO’s military actions, among other things. From their site: Clown Bloq is a…

Browsing: NATO