Two More U.S. Troops Killed by Rogue Afghan Soldier

By Jon E. Dougherty at 27 Aug 2012

(Newsroom America) -- Two U.S. troops were gunned down by a rogue Afghan soldier in the country's east on Monday, according to NATO, marking the latest in an increase in so-called "green-on-blue" attacks that have left scores of American troops dead this year.

The shooting deaths in the Laghman province brought to 12 the number of U.S. forces killed by such attacks this month, The New York Times reported.

The insider attacks have led U.S. and NATO commanders to order stepped-up security measures, including requiring troops to carry loaded weapons at all times while on base.

The shootings also come about a week after U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Army Gen. Martin Dempsey visited Kabul to discuss the attacks with Afghan officials and urge them to increase scrutiny of their own troops.

In a statement, the International Security Assistance Force, or ISAF, said allied troops returned fire and killed the Afghan National Army soldier.

So far this year, there have been 33 insider attacks which have left 42 U.S. and coalition forces dead, the Times said.

That is a dramatic increase from 2011, when 35 coalition troops - 24 of them American - were killed in such attacks.

Afghan government officials said they would begin reexamining the files of some 350,000 police and soldiers, but at the same they blamed "foreign spies" for instigating the attacks. Military analysts say the attacks are generally Taliban-led and directed, designed to foment mistrust among Afghan forces and their U.S. allies.

Following Dempsey's visit, "the Afghan government agreed ... to improve the vetting of army and police recruits by requiring stronger guarantors, a more stringent test questionnaire and biometric data on all would-be and existing personnel," the Times reported.

Also, more undercover intelligence officers would be recruited to watch soldiers and police for suspicious activities.

Meanwhile, in the volatile Helmand province on Sunday, Taliban insurgents killed 10 Afghan soldiers and wounded four others in an attack on a checkpoint.

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