Michigan National Guard soldiers hurt in IED blasts

Juliana Keeping — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 00:53:54 GMT

Guard says attacks were worst since 2006, when eight members of one unit were killed fighting in Afghanistan. www.facebook.com/vikingswar

Storified by Juliana Keeping · Thu, Jun 07 2012 17:53:54

Ten Michigan guardsmen were injured on Sunday, May 20, after improved explosive device attacks and small arms fire hit members of the 1-126th Cavalry, the Viking Battalion's sister unit. Capt. Aaron Jenkins, state public affairs officer for the Michigan National Guard, said: "They were on a recon patrol, they encountered an IED, and, the vehicle rolled over, a soldier was trapped in the turret. They more soldiers came to assist, and provide any kind of CPR or medical aid they needed They received small arms fire and another IED went off. Ten soldiers in total injured, three were serious enough they had to be evacuated to Germany."

Spec. Eric Lund, 29, from west Michigan, was trapped in a turret during the attacks. His arms were destroyed among many other injuries to his face, back, leg and pelvis, his aunt, Melissa Boggs, said. Media outlets across the state picked up the story.

Wzzm13

10 Michigan Guard Members Wounded In Afghanistan

Officials say a black male entered the store wearingget more >> The Michigan National Guard says a roadside bombing in Afghanistan ...

10 guardsmen hurt by IEDs; 1 loses arms

Eric Lund, 20. After initial emergency treatment, he was taken to a hospital in Germany. Lund is a member of the 1-126th Cavalry National...

Wzzm13

Afghan blast wounds 10 Michigan National Guard troops

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Ron Dzwonkowski: 7000 miles from home, Michigan National Guard troops take hit

These members of the 1-126th Cavalry proudly show the Michigan state flag atop a mountain southeast of Kandahar City, Afghanistan. Ten me...

Across Facebook, calls went out for prayers for the injured soldiers:

FROM A FRIEND OF MINE: Please pray for this soldier and his family...he is a good friend of my oldest son....Ludington soldier injured in Afghanistan LDN Staff - Monday, May 21, 2012 National Guardsman Eric Lund, a 2001 Ludington High School graduate, has been critically injured in Afghanistan, losing both his arms and taking shrapnel to the face. He is being flown to Germany for treatment, according to Louis Wolven of the American Legion in Ludington, who has been receiving information about the incident from Lund’s mother, friends and other veterans. Lund was apparently one of 10 injured, but Lund’s injuries were the most severe, Wolven said. Details are still coming forward. While there was some hope early on of saving his left arm, but it did have to be amputated, family said. Lund is a member of the American Legion and has been serving in C Troop 126th Calvary of Dowagiac
— Jill Champion · Wed, May 23 2012 05:32:11

Seized Bin Laden documents go online

Juliana Keeping — Fri, 04 May 2012 01:32:02 GMT

What do they say? Here's a quick look at coverage from different news outlets of documents seized in the 2011 raid in Abbottabbad, Pakistan, that led to Osama bin Laden's killing. The anniversary of his death was Wednesday.

Storified by Juliana Keeping · Thu, May 03 2012 18:32:02

The Los Angeles Times reports a slim and tightly-controlled release of documents showed the al-Qaida leader fret about his own legacy and wanted to kill the president. It also noted what was missing from release made public today by the Combating Terrorism Center, a think tank within U.S. Military Academy at West Point: how bin Laden evaded detection just one mile from Pakistan's version of West Point, and who protected him.

Bin Laden worried about legacy and sought to kill Obama

And as well, he schemed to kill the man who would, in the end, give the order to shoot him dead: Barack Obama. That's the portrait of...

Boston

The AP's 'at a glance'-style article provides a few highlights of the documents released Thursday. His camp was mindful of media matters, and the letters released included feedback from an al-Qaida adviser on news outlets like Fox, CNN and ABC. http://tinyurl.com/7jnz56o.

Documents reveal what bin Laden's spokesman thought about Fox News (and the other U.S. news networks): http://apne.ws/J07loo -CC
— The Associated Press · Thu, May 03 2012 15:21:33

Fox? "...falls in to the abyss" and "lacks neutrality. ABC is "all right" and CNN appears to be "closely collaborating with the U.S. government, the adviser said. In conclusion, "there is no single channel we can rely on for our messages."

Below, the NYT provides a pdf of the documents released today by the military.

Letters From the Bin Laden Compound - Document - NYTimes.com

10 hours ago ... On May 3, 2012, the Combating Terrorism Center at the United States Military Academy released a selection of documents...

Globalpost

And from Al Jazeera English: "The documents, totaling 175 pages in the original Arabic, were part of over 6,000 documents seized in last year's raid on bin Laden's compound in Pakistan."

Seized Bin Laden documents posted online http://aje.me/JWdCGe
— Al Jazeera English · Thu, May 03 2012 08:43:51

Al Jazeera also reports that the al-Qaida leader wanted to reduce attacks that led to the deaths of Muslims and instead aim efforts at the US. The article concludes "White House counter-terrorism chief John Brennan said this week that bin Laden's own words confirm that America is safer with him gone."

Juliana Keeping · Storify

Michigan National Guard soldiers hurt in IED blasts

Across Facebook, calls went out for prayers for the injured soldiers:

Seized Bin Laden documents go online