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Afghan Insurgents Detonate Explosives Outside Site of Leon Panetta’s Visit

Dec. 13, 2012 9:54am Jonathon M. Seidl

Insurgents Attack Convey Outside Site of Leon Panettas Visit

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, right, talks to reporters while on board his plane headed to Kuwait, Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. Credit: AP

For the second time in recent memory, Afghan insurgents have launched an attack while Defense Secretary Leon Panetta was in country for a visit.

The Washington Post has more:

Shortly after U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta visited troops at Kandahar Air Field in southern Afghanistan on Thursday afternoon, insurgents detonated explosives in a vehicle outside the base, military officials said.

The incident marked the second time this year that insurgents mounted an attack on a coalition base while Panetta was visiting Afghanistan.

In May, a suspected insurgent rammed a stolen vehicle into the airfield at Camp Bastion in Helmand Province shortly after Panetta landed, in an apparent attempt to attack the secretary and senior officials accompanying him.

Military officials said the bombing Thursday occurred at approximately 5 p.m. Panetta had returned to Kabul by then and his delegation was never in imminent risk during the short visit to the heavily guarded, sprawling base. Military official did not immediately provide information on casualties.

A spokesman for Kandahar’s governor said the attack targeted a NATO convoy just outside the base. At least three NATO troops were wounded and two Afghan civilians were killed, spokesman Jawid Faisal said.

This is a breaking story. Updates will be added.

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Comments (19)

M13
Posted on December 13, 2012 at 10:53am
Where these explosives made in America?

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- rickc34
  Posted on December 13, 2012 at 7:09pm
  They just blew of a few firecrackers welcoming their good buddy Leon. These guys are Obama’s peeps.
  
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thibx
Posted on December 13, 2012 at 10:49am
be nice don’t upset them. just stand there and let them kill your **** like the the military suppose to. read the book.

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DougHuffman
Posted on December 13, 2012 at 10:49am
His K’waah’n'zaa pjamaa gift.

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OBUMAURMAMA
Posted on December 13, 2012 at 10:38am
Why are we there? It’s now a Democrat war that’s why. Where do you see the protests or protesters like code pink or mothers against war (or whatever they call themselves these days) or better yet; Cindy Sheehan and you Hollyweird anti-war mouths? Only if a Republican is in office. During Nam it was against Nixon who was brokering peace out of a J.F.K. and escalated by L.B.J. war. Bush was terrible and had no business in Iraq but the trucks kept rolling into Syria who now says they have Sarin gas. Hussein would have used them against our now enemies who are “freedom fighters” against freedom and human rights.

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freedomisasfreedomdoes
Posted on December 13, 2012 at 10:32am
Guess he did not get a copy of the new military handbook.

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momrules
Posted on December 13, 2012 at 10:29am
Have any of you seen this? Apparently this soldier didn’t get the message that he wasn’t to upset the poor Muslims in the hell hole called Afganistan.

I love this man.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0MzFD3Gfeo

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Cavallo
Posted on December 13, 2012 at 10:27am
Afghan insurgents? Don’t you mean the future governmental rulers after 2014? Wanna bet if there isn’t a coup d’état, the Taliban will simply be voted back in? One way or the other we are wasting time, resources, and lives. Although, maybe that is the point?

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GhostOfJefferson
Posted on December 13, 2012 at 10:15am
I’m still entirely uncertain:

1. Why we’re there still.
2. How one can be in a war when Congress has not declared war as is mandated by the Constitution
3. What goals we’re supposed to achieve by sitting there in squatting bases in the middle of nowhere

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- TIME_2_END_THE_PAUL_CAMPAIGN_IN_12
  Posted on December 13, 2012 at 10:40am
  The Congressional authorizations for the conflict in Afghanistan constituted a type of declaration of war known as a “contingent” or “conditional” declaration.” The Founding fathers would have been very familiar with it as it is probably as ancient as warfare itself GHOST.
  
  Clearly, while Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution grants Congress the power to declare war, the exact format for a declaration of war was not specified. That was very wise on the part of the Founders GHOST because there are several other types of declaration of war. Most do not even include the phrase “declaration of war,” or “declare war.” It seems the Founders meant to let Congress decide how best to exercise this power.
  
  A contingent declaration of war does not explicitly declare war since it is contingent upon events that had yet to transpire. Both Jefferson and Madison took the U.S. to war under similar Congressional authorizations during the First and Second Barbary Wars.
  
  The other two questions you’ll have to ask your “other” guy for POTUS… Obamy.
  
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- GhostOfJefferson
  Posted on December 13, 2012 at 11:06am
  As usual, you’re not too bright.
  
  Congress is to declare war. Because you folks have invented your own new rules to play by, doesn’t mean that the Constitution does not apply. Congress is not tasked with saying “whatever” when a POTUS gets a **** up his arse. And if your reasoning were sound, we’d have had centuries of military adventurism under our belts.
  
  No, you’re simply playing the progressive tune of perpetual warfare. But I expect as much out of a GOP progressive such as yourself.
  
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- TIME_2_END_THE_PAUL_CAMPAIGN_IN_12
  Posted on December 13, 2012 at 11:36am
  Lol… okay “Mr World’s Most Interesting Man”… let’s be clear YOU and your isolationist boy Paul demanded an end to the supposed “illegal” wars. YOU like he, believed the war was illegal because the Congressional authorization for them did not actually say “declaration of war.” YOUR argument like his was and IS historically and factually inaccurate. It belies a profound ignorance of Military culture and history from one who wanted be Commander in Chief. and those like you who parroted him. After all, the Military courts of every branch of service as well as the U.S. Supreme Court held the war to be perfectly legal. And so it was Mr Interesting GHOST.
  
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- objectivetruth
  Posted on December 13, 2012 at 1:26pm
  1 We are honoring our commitment.Why we made this commitment should be examined.Our only goal should have been terrorists Bin Laden
  2 Congress/President can send in troops to an area for I believe 60 days without calling for an official act of war.
  3 I believe we are still there just to give the afgans terrorists a target.Chiefly our own soldiers.There really isn’t a purpose any more.Wait a minute yes there is they have oil coal and precious metals.Something that would benefit them and us.
  As to time to end paul campaign
  Both you and jefferson are right.Troops can be sent for no more than I believe 60 days without war being declared.After that war must be declared by congress or the troops should be returned home.This I believe was instituted in the early days of Vietnam.The sixty day rule that is.Otherwise jefferson is totally right.
  Sorry but comparing this to our revolution isn’t valid.Almost ninety percent of people were on the same page.We had already been fighting the war or at least skirmishes before the War was declared.
  Almost all were on the same page.In this situation almost no one is.The only real comparsion is the fact that we were at war.The wars were totally different and truly not comparable in any real sense of the word.
  
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momrules
Posted on December 13, 2012 at 10:15am
Maybe Panetta wasn’t being properly subservient to the cultural norms of the Afganis. Maybe his lip curled when he saw a child molested or a woman beaten. Maybe he didn’t bow and scrape enough so that the Afgan soldiers wouldn’t murder our soldiers.

I think this has to be Panetta’s fault. Hell. It’s always the soldier’s fault when they are killed in that cess pit called a country so I am going to blame him for the Taliban trying to kill him.

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mrunner
Posted on December 13, 2012 at 10:05am
Wonder if the whole idea of making sure the military is not armed when he is visiting has emboldened the terrorists?

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Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on December 13, 2012 at 10:01am
For Gods sake get our troops out of there and back home, we are not wanted so leave now while we still have some people left. Obama’s term has seen more death of our troops than under Bush, and his failure to pull them out has left how many families in pain from the death and injuries of their loved ones that our President cares nothing about.

Remember, Obama left 30 to die in Benghazi that would have save for the two SEAL’s who ignored orders to save them, and Panetta disallowed a Medal of Honor for a marine who smothered a gernade to save lives, thus showing the absolute contempt the communists of the administration have for our soldiers.

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- whatthecrazy
  Posted on December 13, 2012 at 10:18am
  Snow We are in a place that sends chills right up the spine.our poor service members are being used for evil now and are put in harms way on purpose now.I’m scared of what is ahead and mostly for my children and grandchildren.
  
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SpankDaMonkey
Posted on December 13, 2012 at 9:59am
.
We need to send Obama & Biden over there……………..

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- mrunner
  Posted on December 13, 2012 at 10:29am
  Where is the “Like” button?
  
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