The Department of Defense announced the death of an airman killed in Afghanistan on September 5, 2013.
The airman, who was stationed at Bagram Air Base, was identified as Staff Sgt. Todd J. Lobraico, from Sherman, Connecticut. Staff Sgt. Lobraico was shot to death after enemy forces attacked his unit with small arms fire.
The Taliban is apparently claiming responsibility for the attack on September 5th, according to a unidentified source in Afghanistan with close ties to the terrorist organization – although we have been unable to independently verify that fact via the Taliban official overseas office in Doha, Qatar – which has not yet responded to our emails and phone calls regarding this matter.
The Pentagon press office has also refused additional comment in this matter instead referring us to a media contact with the New York State Division of Military and Naval Public Affairs Office (518-786-4581) which would only verify certain details like when and where Staff Sgt. Lobraico was killed and what unit he was assigned to at the time of his death.
In looking at this situation I am unsure at this point if the Defense Department doesn’t know exactly who killed Staff Sgt. Lobraico, doesn’t care or if its just politically embarrassing to admit the fact that the United States government is still engaged in secret political talks with the Taliban over the future of Afghanistan while it still viciously attacks U.S. troops in the meantime?
In July 2013 it was reported that the Obama Administration secretly released five Taliban prisoners from Gitmo as part of a deal to open peace talks in Afghanistan between President Hamid Karzai and the Taliban leadership (source: US extends olive branch to Taliban, releases 5 Gito prisoners http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jul/30/us-releases-5-gitmo-detainees-peace-talks-taliban/).
The U.S. and its allies are expected to withdraw all combat troops from Afghanistan next year.