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May 4th, 2013 
Peter Nolan
But even without Taliban exaggeration the latest fatalities come at the end of
one of the bloodiest weeks this year in Afghanistan.
Three American aircraft crashed in the past seven days, meaning that 19
Americans have lost their lives in one week.
Three were killed when a refuelling plane crashed in the mountains of
Kyrgyzstan; seven died when their Boeing 747 cargo plane burst into flames
shortly after take off from Bagram airbase; and four further US servicemen
were killed in southern Afghanistan last Saturday.
In
addition the deaths of three Britons has shocked the armed forces,
given that the men were travelling in a 25-ton armoured vehicle which was
previously deemed to be one of the safest modes of transport. The attack
marks the first time the Taliban managed to kill anyone inside the Army’s
best-protected vehicle. David Cameron, the prime minister, pledged to review
the use of Mastiff armoured vehicles after the trio were killed.
With the deaths, 47 members of the coalition have been killed so far this year
in Afghanistan, including 32 Americans.
But the continued violence is far from the only worry for the Western forces.
Corruption is one of the most significant problems facing the country, and
last week saw Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, admit that the CIA were
delivering cash to his office.
The president said yesterday that the money – reportedly packed in suitcases,
backpacks and plastic shopping bags – was used for health care and
scholarships, and that full receipts are issued to the Americans.
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