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A NUMBER OF the American soldiers killed when their Chinook helicopter crashed in Afghanistan were from the elite unit whose members killed Osama bin Laden.
Several reports said the helicopter, which crashed yesterday killing 38 people, was shot down by Taliban insurgents firing rocket-propelled grenades. Thirty Americans died in the attack.
The New York Times reports that US officials have confirmed that 22 elite Navy Seals were among the dead, including members of the storied Seal Team 6. Seal Team 6 were the unit who mounted the final assault on the al-Qaeda leader’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan in May, leaving bin Laden dead. However, it’s believed that the soldiers killed yesterday were not involved in the bin Laden raid.
Seal Team 6 has previously been reported to be “so secretive that the White House and the Defense Department do not directly acknowledge its existence”.
The helicopter crash is the single biggest loss of life among coalition troops in Afghanistan to date. Afghan commandos, US Air Force personnel, a dog handler, the aircraft’s crew and an interpreter were also killed, according to the BBC. Local residents have said they saw the Chinook catch fire after being hit by a rocket.
Further fighting has been reported today in the area where the helicopter was shot down. An Afghan official told the AP that there were reports of Taliban casualties after NATO launched an operation to recover the wreckage of the Chinook.
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Sorry David there was a comment before mine. He was the idiot
Can’t believe Chinook was exposed to an easy target that caused the death unnecessarily …..Pentagon will have to explain their stupidity action!
Good God!
These helicopters are exposed every time they have to land, either to pick wounded soldiers up or drop soldiers into battle… They will always be an easy target. That isn’t the first one to be shot down either.
shame they weren,t given the ten million reward ,they wouldn,t have been on the helicopter
10 years on and things are only getting worse. They need to pull out sooner rather than later
10 yrs of warfare and for what exactly?
Bin laden is dead, so the primary reason for invading Afghanistan has been achieved, remember "smoke ‘em out" and all that?
African children are dying once more of starvation because of, more than anything else, a vacuum of political stability. Yet it seems all important to enforce " democracy" in a country that is appears rigidly opposed to outside interference.
I love the US, great country, pity it’s governed by idiots.
The next news probably will be that entire squad which killed bin Laden is dead, so, no witnesses to confirm that this operation actually taken place and not fake.
you cant honestly believe bin laden is still alive?
You can’t obviously believe in WMD?
Apparently everyone bar a UN mandate did.
I’m not saying he is alive, but the whole story of Bin Laden coupled with the ditching of his body in the middle of an ocean so as not to "offend Islam" doesn’t wash.
They hung Sadam didn’t they? Was he a Christian?
Pity the US has been
Under the control of psychopaths . Not wishing to name name’s but it’s pretty obvious that the last three administrations had a high propensity of characters that would easily fit the bill. Glib and superficial charm, coupled with arrogance, lack of remorse and an astounding lack of remorse and, or guilt regarding their own citizens, or, citizens of other countries that they were purportedly "protecting ". There is something rotten in the state of "America " and it’s not Americans. It’s psychopaths!
Idiot
Who? Why? The reporter,the soilders,the person who shot down the Chanook??
I’m not trying make any outrageous claims here, but humour me for a minute-
Team 6 are the most clandestine operators in the business save maybe the SOG/SAD right? Ideally, had the copter not gotten into trouble during the Bin Laden raid they would have been in and out without anybody even knowing they were there, and it’s very likely it wouldn’t even have been reported as a US job. I know for a fact the US Government went into damage control when it was leaked that it was in fact Team 6 who carried out the job, because 6 isn’t even a unit whose existence is directly acknowledged.
Is it possible this has been an attempt at giving them back their secrecy, whilst also (however effectively) trying to prevent retaliation? The government are saying it was “insurgents” who shot down the Chinook, not Taliban. Had they blamed Taliban directly it would be easy enough for that network to figure out which member was responsible, and should it it turn out to be fake it would be very easily discoverable. Team 6 are a group of professionals who carry out well planned, precision attacks on high value individuals, what were they doing as a QRF being dropped into a daytime skirmish with angry farmers? It’s not their MO, Green Berets and Rangers are more than capable of providing this kind of support, to send Team 6 into this sort of situation is a bit like sending a police SWAT team to a schoolyard fight.
Like I said, it’s just speculation, but it seems like a very convenient way for the SEALs to slip back into obscurity and continue their work.
I’m sure a lot of people will think I’m an idiot now but if you look at the lengths the US will go to in order to keep shit like this a secret it’s actually not that far fetched.
I find it hard to believe it was an RPG. They are not guided and it would have to be a lucky shot. Maybe there’s the possibilities that a bomb was planted on board which would be a greater embarrassment. Just a thought.
have your say