Ho hum. 4 more U.S. troops dead. Killed by an Afghan policeman.

Of course I don't mean that it's of no import. I just mean that we're so inured to this that unless it's a much bigger number than 4 we don't pay much attention. It doesn't rouse us from our long war torpor, even though this is happening on pretty much a daily basis. Posts like this one attract little attention here and this will attract even less attention in the wider world. And of course, I'm not saying that American lives are worth more than other lives. I'm trying to point out a trend here; one that I think is terribly dangerous. In any case, here's the sad story.

Military: Afghan inside attack kills 4 US troops
By Heidi Vogtmirwais Khan on September 16, 2012


KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — At least one Afghan police officer turned his gun on NATO troops at a remote checkpoint in southern Afghanistan before dawn Sunday, killing four American service members before escaping, according to Afghan and international officials.

It was the third by Afghan forces or insurgents disguised in military uniforms against international forces in as many days, killing eight troops in all.

Recent months have seen a string of such insider attacks by Afghan forces against their international counterparts. The killings have imperiled the military partnership between Kabul and NATO, a working relationship that is key to the handover of security responsibilities to Afghan forces as international troops draw down.

The most recent attacks also come amid an international uproar about an Internet video that mocks the Prophet Muhammad and many have feared would further erode Afghan-U.S. relations. The video has sparked protests throughout the Muslim world and Afghan government blocked the YouTube site that hosts the video and its parent company, Google Inc., over the weekend in a move to prevent violent protests.

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http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012-09-16/military-afghan-inside-attack-kills-4-nato-troops