Forum Views () 
Forum Replies ()  
 
 
Read more with google mobile :
US roadside bomb casualties rise in Afghanistan  
 
 
 
 
 
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
More Yahoo! Services
Account Options
New User? Sign Up
Sign In
Help
Yahoo! Search
web search
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Weekend Edition
 
 
 
Africa
Europe
Latin America
Middle East
North America
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
US roadside bomb casualties rise in Afghanistan
 
 
  
 
 By DEB RIECHMANN,Associated Press -
 Thursday, January 27
 
 
Send
 
IM Story
 
Print
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
KABUL, Afghanistan – Roadside bombs killed 268 American troops in Afghanistan last year, a 60 percent increase over the previous year even as the Pentagon employs new measures to counter the Taliban's makeshift weapon of choice.
 
The number of U.S. troops wounded by what the military terms improvised explosive devices also soared, according to U.S. defense figures obtained Wednesday.
 
There were 3,366 U.S. service members injured in IED blasts _ up 178 percent from the 1,211 hurt by the militants' crudely made bombs in 2009, the figures showed.
 
Defense officials attributed the rise in casualties to the surge in U.S. forces in Afghanistan last year. Fighting has increased, especially in southern and eastern Afghanistan, as coalition forces work to weaken the Taliban in their strongholds and keep them from returning in force this spring.
 
The Pentagon's Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization, based outside Washington, D.C., said not all the year-end statistics were gloomy.
 
During heavy fighting in June and July, 35 percent of the bomb blasts killed or wounded U.S. troops. That percentage fell to 26 percent in December despite ongoing violence and a high volume of IED attacks.
 
Since the U.S.-led invasion in October 2001, 619 U.S. troops have been killed and another 5,764 have been wounded in roadside bomb attacks in Afghanistan, according to the Pentagon figures.
 
Overall, at least 1,370 U.S. troops have been killed in Afghanistan since the war began. Last year was by far the deadliest for all foreign troops, including Americans, with 702 killed, eclipsing the 2009 record of 504.
 
Army Lt. Gen. Michael L. Oates, director of the organization, has said that additional explosive sensors, bomb analysts and specially trained dogs have helped battle the roadside bombs. He says that despite a rising number of incidents linked to the buildup in U.S. forces in Afghanistan, he believes the Pentagon is making progress in the fight against IEDs.
 
During a trip to Afghanistan in July, U.S. Undersecretary of Defense Ashton Carter said Washington was spending $3 billion on equipment to combat the threat of roadside bombs. Last year, for instance, the Pentagon provided $495 million to buy 34 tethered surveillance blimps that give troops a bird's eye view of certain areas and sent in more unmanned surveillance aircraft so route-clearance patrols would have the benefit of full-motion video.
 
The Pentagon also delivered more than 5,000 hand-held bomb detectors, improved training and sent additional equipment to Afghanistan to counter the threat.
 
While the surge in IED attacks in Afghanistan alarms officials, the volume is still roughly a third of those reported at the height of the Iraq war. The bombs are also remarkably less sophisticated, officials say, typically relying on fertilizer and diesel fuel.
 
Still, the bombs made by militants in Afghanistan present different challenges. Unlike in Iraq, where electronics could be used to scan for remote-controlled bombs and jam their frequencies, Afghan bombs lack the circuitry that make them easy to detect and thwart.
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
Recommend
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Send
 
IM Story
 
Print
 
 
 
 
 
 
Related Articles
 
 
Interpol issues arrest alert for Tunisia's ex-ruler AFP -  38 minutes ago
 
Mandela in hospital for 'routine' tests AFP - Thursday, January 27
 
5 dead, 16 trapped in Colombia coal mine blast AFP -  9 minutes ago
 
Egypt protests escalate as US urges concessions AFP -  15 minutes ago
 
Haiti ruling party pulls candidate from run-off AFP -  40 minutes ago
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
News Search
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Top Stories
 
 
 
 
Medvedev uses Davos meet as defiant show against terror
BP chief defends new exploration deal
Dow Jones index hits 12,000 points
Boeing fourth-quarter profits slump on lower sales
T. rex still king, says dino study
 
 
 
 More Top Stories »
 
 
 
ADVERTISEMENT
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
Most Popular
 
 
 
 
Most Viewed
 
 
 
 
T. rex still king, says dino study
 
BBC World Service axes five language services
 
Kids who misbehave face trouble as adults: study
 
British economy suffers shock slump
 
France signs contested Russia warship deal
 
 
 More Most Viewed »
 
 
 
 
 
 
 More Most Recommended »
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
Elsewhere on Yahoo!
 
 
 
 
Financial news on Yahoo! Finance
 
 
Stars and latest movies
 
 
Best travel destinations
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
More on Yahoo! News
 
 
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Weekend Edition
Subscribe to our news feeds
Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS
» More news feeds | What are news feeds?
 
Also on Yahoo!
 
Answers
Groups
Mail
Messenger
Mobile
Travel
Finance
Movies
Sports
Games
» All Yahoo! Services
 
Site Highlights
 
Singapore
Full Coverage
Most Popular
Entertainment
Photos
Yahoo! News Network 
 
 
 
 Copyright © 2011 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Service |
Privacy Policy |
Community |
Intellectual Property Rights Policy |
Help
 
 
    
  
   
 
 
    
   
 
Other News on Thursday, 27 January 2011 Unprecedented anti-government protests rock Egypt  
NATO, Russia vow unity on terrorism, disagree on shield  
Russia fires officials over airport bombing  
Egypt protests escalate as US urges concessions  
Sony handheld to take on Nintendo DS, smartphones  
Secret files 'reveal British plan to weaken Hamas'  
Heritage makes giant gas find in Iraqi Kurdistan  
Number of Internet users worldwide reaches 2 bln: UN  
Studio used by Al Jazeera ransacked in West Bank  
Medvedev uses Davos meet as defiant show against terror  
Google widens access to Israel's Holocaust archives  
Ahmadinejad slams rivals in Iran power struggle  
Dow Jones index hits 12,000 points  
Bomb found near police station in Belfast
|  
Headless Conficker worm lives in computers  
Iraqi journalists face sacks of gold, fists of fire  
Nuclear weapons risk spreading due to impasse: Ban
|  
Boeing fourth-quarter profits slump on lower sales  
New Lebanon PM prepares to form govt, streets quiet  
Paintballs leave stain on Gaza ship raid tactics
|  
Mobile app industry to surge in 2011: Gartner  
Mystery WWII photos launch German war crimes probe
|  
US roadside bomb casualties rise in Afghanistan  
S. Korea to airlift home rescued ship captain  
US-TECH Summary  
Vietnam ex-communist dissident jailed for 8 years  
Sony handheld to take on Nintendo DS, smartphones  
Indonesia arrests 'smuggler' over immigrant deaths  
French actress Sagnier sees herself as 'free agent'  
Consumer tech invades Davos, wider corporate world
|  
Microsoft sells 2 million phones in quarter
|  
Intel wins EU approval for McAfee deal
|  
VantagePoint sees big clean tech deals in 2011
|  
Facebook says no major changes in Egypt traffic
|  
Apple removes banned Nazi anthem from German iTunes
|  
Russia says Stuxnet could have caused new Chernobyl
|  
Another lawsuit for the group behind Golden Globes
|  
UK university awards first Beatles studies degree
|  
Will Smith, Jay-Z team to remake Annie
|  
Country music legend Charlie Louvin dies
|  
Sundance documentaries offer broad view of the world
|  
Oscar extends warm welcome to newcomer nominees
|  
US-TECH Summary  
Intel wins EU approval for McAfee deal  
Russia says Stuxnet could have caused new Chernobyl  
Kodak loss mounts on digital sales, shares fall  
Facebook says no major changes in Egypt traffic  
Obama pushes expanding high-speed wireless service  
Google buys SayNow, fflick  
New media blocked in Egypt as protesters find new tool  
Tablet boom boosts PC market in Q4: Canalys  
Consumer tech invades Davos, wider corporate world  
U.S. shifts tone, bluntly urges Mubarak to reform now  
'Slavic militant' sought over Moscow bombing  
Verizon struggles with BlackBerry data traffic  
Egypt unrest enters third day, ElBaradei to return
|  
US Fed stands firm on stimulus deal  
Factbox  
Loyalists of ousted Tunisia leader expected to go
|  
NY Times details rocky relationship with WikiLeaks  
Cruz, Bardem baby boy 'doing great': spokeswoman  
Colombia coal mine blast kills 20, regulator says
|  
Marooned Miami bay piano strikes odd note  
The Decemberists Earn First #1 Album On Billboard With "The King Is Dead"  
Facebook lets advertisers 'sponsor' user updates  
Paintballs leave stain on Gaza ship raid tactics  
Bad eating can give you depression: study  
Karzai opens Afghan parliament, taunts West
|  
Michael Jacksons doctor pleads not guilty to manslaughter charge  
Egypt trade minister cancels Davos trip  
Australia imposes new tax to fund flood recovery
|  
BP chief defends new exploration deal  
Haiti ruling party pulls candidate from election
|  
No 'major changes' in traffic from Egypt: Facebook  
Muslim birth rate falls, population to grow more slowly
|  
Tiananmen duo denounce Hong Kong entry ban  
Google buys SayNow, fflick  
Australia imposes new tax to fund flood recovery  
Netflix profit up, adds more subscribers  
Australians face flood recovery tax  
Microsoft sells 2 million phone software units  
U.S. says Tunisia's government must do more on democracy  
China's Li reaches historic Slam final  
Russia calls for NATO probe into Iran cyber strike  
"Flood" tax an extra headache for Australia retailers  
Apple removes banned Nazi anthem from German iTunes  
Sony unveils NGP handheld; takes on DS, smartphones  
'The Hobbit' delayed as Jackson undergoes surgery  
New outcry over charges in China hit-and-run  
Mumbai's washermen fear rise of the machines  
FCC grants LightSquared airwaves waiver  
Sony unveils NGP handheld to take on DS, smartphones
|  
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary  
Special Report: Can Samsung change with the tech times?
|  
Japan star Kagawa out of Asian Cup final  
Oscar race a multimillion-dollar gamble for studios  
Nintendo Q3 profit down 46 percent, keeps outlook
|  
Chinese fugitive briefly a web sensation  
Jimmy Buffett out of Sydney hospital after tumble  
Microsoft set to report lower profit on stale PC growth
|  
Will Ferrell to appear on "The Office"  
Macau tycoon coerced in family brawl, lawyer says  
Tablets to make up 10-15 percent of PC market: Lenovo
|  
MTV stands by racy teen drama "Skins"  
Never any hope of New Zealand mine rescue: coroner  
Buffett gets all clear after Australia stage dive  
Verizon struggles with BlackBerry data traffic
|  
Motorola smartphones disappoint, iPhone already weighs
|  
Motley Crue's Neil jailed 15 days for drunk driving  
"Teen Mom" hits season-high ratings  
Netflix profit jumps as it adds customers; shares up
|  
Nissan turns new Leaf with all-electric car  
Seoul shares up 0.2 pct; foreign buying helps  
Medvedev stands firm on terror at Davos meet  
Taiwan stocks end up; chip firms rise on positive outlook  
China White Rabbit sweets hop into Lunar New Year  
Japan export growth signals recovery  
The CWs Vampire Diaries urges fans to Catch VD  
Knife-wielding New Yorker holds parents hostage, then surrenders  
Challenges remain for booming India  
Dow briefly crosses 12,000 mark on strong home sales  
CDC: 26 million Americans now suffering from diabetes  
Hynix earnings sink on weak chip prices  
Government commission says regulators failed in 2008 stock market crash  
Penelope Cruz has son with Javier Bardem
|  
Fuel price rise hits Korean Air profit  
Reports: U.S. proposed resettling Palestinians to South America  
Director Jackson's surgery to delay Hobbit filming
|  
TN man kidnaps son-in-law, trades him for Xbox 360  
Seoul shares up 0.2 pct; foreign buying helps  
MTV stands by racy teen drama Skins
|  
Abbott to cut 2 percent of workforce; reports 13 percent sales jump  
1.7 million Toyota vehicles recalled over fuel leak issues  
Kristen Stewart courted for Snow White
|  
Jimmy Buffett out of Sydney hospital after tumble
|  
UN agency counts 2 billion Internet users  
Olsen twins' kid sister a Sundance sensation
|  
Oscar race a multimillion-dollar gamble for studios
|  
Will Ferrell to appear on The Office
|  
Sony unveils NGP handheld to take on DS, smartphones  
'Second minor' at Berlusconi parties: report  
Mubarak under pressure as protests escalate in Egypt  
RIM says no access to corporate email in India  
Rosneft, Exxon ink Black Sea exploration deal  
At least '1,000 arrested' in Egypt protests  
Canon sees 2011 profit up 21 percent on sales jump  
Rare Sumatran tiger gives birth to three cubs  
Thousands march in Yemen to demand change of government
|  
China rabbit cartoon blocked after skewering govt  
Bomb at Iraq funeral kills 35, clashes erupt
|  
Nintendo Q3 profit down 46 percent, keeps outlook  
Hariri bloc will not join new Lebanon government
|  
Tablets to make up 10-15 percent of PC market: Lenovo  
Ukraine ex-PM faces new charges over vehicles purchase
|  
Special Report: Can Samsung change with the tech times?  
Mandela hospitalization raises concern over health
|  
New scandal documents pile pressure on Berlusconi
|  
Nokia warns of weak start to 2011 as profit slips  
Russian Islamist wanted for Moscow blast: report
|  
American kills Pakistani in 'self defence': police  
Tennis: Djokovic upsets Federer for new order final  
Global Weather-Celsius  
Special report: Can Samsung change with the tech times?  
India's Supreme Court orders government to probe black money  
Clijsters, Li set up historic Aus Open final  
US-TECH Summary  
Indonesia says food security must be G20 priority  
Sony's NGP handheld to take on DS and smartphones  
Airlines cancel flights to Bali as Indonesia volcano erupts  
New letters show human side of J.D. Salinger  
Kenyan's mission: solar lamps to empower the poor  
Facebook denies to launch branded phones with HTC
|  
Suzhou hotel launches most expensive New Year's Eve dinner in China  
Prestigious line-up for 20th Enescu music festival  
There's something about 'Kristie'  
When will your tax refund arrive? There's an app for that
|  
Kristen Stewart courted for "Snow White"  
COMMENTARY: Thai PM could end up with egg on his face  
Director Jackson's surgery to delay "Hobbit" filming  
Taiwan's Jay Chou spices up 'The Green Hornet'  
AT&T shares fall on disappointing results
|  
Special report: Can Samsung change with the tech times?
|  
RIM says no access to corporate email in India
|  
Nokia warns of weak start to 2011 as profit slips
|  
Pakistan's forex reserves jump to record $17.3 bln  
S.Korea fin min: inflation is top policy priority  
Japan's credit rating downgraded  
Sony unveils new 'NGP' portable PlayStation  
Canon net profit nearly doubles  
China's first Disney Store to open in 2012  
Nintendo nine-month net profit plunges 74.3%  
Carrie Fisher is fat but not like Jabba the Hutt
|  
Chinese tycoon hands out cash in Taiwan  
Nokia warns of weak start to 2011 as profit slips  
Special report: Can Samsung change with the tech times?  
Lenovo and NEC may work on smartphone development  
Lenovo, NEC in Japanese joint venture to sell PCs  
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro  
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found  
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever  
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production  
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time  
AMD to Start Production of piledriver  
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs  
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia  
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air  
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch  
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent  
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up  
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform  
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis  
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets  
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights