A Defeat And Retreat For U.S. Soldiers In Afghanistan's "Death Valley"

Shock Troops Of US Military Pull Out Of ‘Death Valley’ -- Arab News/Reuters

OUTPOST NOLEN, Afghanistan: The soldiers call it "the witching hour," the time when the fierce Afghan heat has mellowed enough for Taleban to sneak into a nearby graveyard and unleash a torrent of rocket grenades, mortar and rifle fire.

Combat Outpost Nolen, a small mud-walled school in the middle of grape and pomegranate fields providing perfect insurgent cover, has experienced some of the fiercest fighting in Arghandab district, a key Taleban insurgency route on the way to Kandahar city.

Just three weeks after arriving, an American platoon belonging to the 101st Airborne Division — shock troops of the US military — is withdrawing from the valley, their numbers cut in half by horrific war injuries.

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My Comment: Another sobering report on how difficult the Afghan war is becoming for U.S. soldiers in key Taliban strongholds.