Washington, January 30: A United States military investigation panel calls for disciplinary action against three US Army officers, who have faulted in Afghanistan.
Reports say that although senior officers had intelligence on an impending Taliban attack on an American outpost in eastern Afghanistan, the three officers, including a battalion commander, are alleged to have been “negligent” in poorly managing the outpost.
The Washington Post and other media have reported soldiers at Wanat were short of water and sandbags to fortify their positions on a rocky mountainside. Commanders had also withdrawn a drone aircraft tracking militants in the area for tasks elsewhere.
The battle in the rugged terrain at Wanat, near the Pakistani border, in July 2008, remains one of the deadliest for the Americans in the eight-year-old Afghan war.
Nine soldiers were killed and 27 others were wounded when around 200 militants penetrated American lines and nearly overwhelmed the remote Wanat outpost.
The battle prompted allegations that the commanding officers made careless decisions and raised wider questions about Washington’s strategy in the Afghan war.
The investigation into the deadly battle could lead to punishment, US defense officials told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The result of the probe has been handed over to Army Secretary John McHugh, who in turn has ordered the head of the largest Army command, General Charles Campbell, to “review the recommendations and take actions that he deems appropriate with regard to army personnel identified in the report.”
——-Agencies