Just in from the BBC. Details — including new information — below the fold:
Two of the four US special forces soldiers missing in eastern Afghanistan for almost a week have been found dead, US military sources have told the BBC.
One was found alive on Saturday, but the whereabouts and condition of a fourth team member remains unclear.
The governor of Konar province has spoken of reports that an American is being cared for in a remote village.
I am very confused now. One was rescued almost two days ago. CNN and FOX reported all morning that a second soldier was found alive but that his condition was unknown.
There was a total of four soldiers in the special ops Recon group. Two alive, two dead. But what’s this about the whereabouts of the fourth member that the BBC is reporting on?
There seems to be quite a bit of confusion:
“take out the trash day”, with the White House not wanting to confirm bad news on the 4th of July. Maybe the picture will clear up tomorrow.
These folks are always scheming.
They need to take the trash out of the White House. All of it. ASAP.
I missed the extra news today in that BBC article where a bombing had occured and women and children were killed. Damn. Damn wars. Damn it all.
“We’re sorry” just doesn’t f-ing cut it anymore.
And, as a rule, we don’t even say we’re sorry.
.

Afghan Local News – July 4, 2005
Col Gary Cheek is in charge of US forces in eastern Afghanistan
“We have a small number of higher-level leaders who are very committed, more about personal power than ideology. I doubt we will see them quit the cause.
“There will be a level of insurgency in the future, but it will become less and less of a threat to the sovereignty of Afghanistan. We need to put an effort into friendly forces, in training police, working with government, rebuilding infrastructure so the government gets the confidence of the people.”
“Allegiance” programme
Col Cheek has also been instrumental in initiating another tactic in his area over the past six months – trying to persuade insurgents to give up fighting.
It has become known as the “Allegiance” programme. All but the 50 to 100 most senior Taleban figures are eligible. In return for backing President Karzai’s government, they are allowed to return home and will not be arrested.
Although small groups of Taleban are turning themselves in – like former commander Malim Jan – there is no mass defection.
Some say the US coalition troops are getting bogged down
Kandahar Images
Earlier this month, a bomb exploded at a mosque in Kandahar during the funeral of an anti-Taleban Islamic scholar – 20 people were killed. It was the worst bombing attack in the past three years.
Afghan INFO and MAP
USA WELCOME: Make Yourself Known @BooMan Tribune and add some cheers!
From NYTimes, sort of a general mix of Afghan stories. This one says there was only one SEAL rescued, that reports of a second survivor elsewhere are faulty because of time lags in reporting.
Who knows?
But the man they found apparently is well enough to be debriefed on what happened.
What a horrible, stupid mess it all is. I still think trashing Afghanistan was the wrong thing to do, but once done, we should have had enough resources there to do proper cleanup. Instead, Dim Son pulled all that materiel and money (illegally, remember, didn’t get OK from Congress) out and dumped it on Iraq.
I hope those spec war people killed this week materialize as modern-day Marleys and haunt Bush until his dying day.