THE ILK Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 Aug 6, 2011 31 Americans, 7 Afghans killed in helicopter crash KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- A military helicopter was shot down in eastern Afghanistan, killing 31 U.S. special operation troops, most of them from the elite Navy SEALs unit that killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, along with seven Afghan commandos. It was the deadliest single incident for American forces in the decade-long war. The Taliban claimed they downed the helicopter with rocket fire while it was taking part in a raid on a house where insurgents were gathered in the province of Wardak late Friday. It said wreckage of the craft was strewn at the scene. A senior U.S. administration official in Washington said the craft was apparently shot down by insurgents. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the crash is still being investigated. http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_AFGHANISTAN?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-08-06-06-27-19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetlag Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 Coincidentally anyone who could confirm Bin Laden's death is now dead. I'm a conspiracy "theorist". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visajets Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 None of those killed in the crash is believed to have been part of the SEALs mission that killed bin Laden, but they were from the same unit as the bin Laden team. http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/08/helicopter_crash_in_afghanista.html Helicopter crash in Afghanistan kills 31 American troops, over 20 from Navy SEAL Team 6 Published: Saturday, August 06, 2011, 2:20 PM Updated: Saturday, August 06, 2011, 7:10 PM By The Associated Press The Associated Press A military helicopter was shot down in eastern Afghanistan, killing 31 U.S. special operation troops, most of them from the elite Navy SEALs unit that killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, along with seven Afghan commandos. It was the deadliest single incident for American forces in the decade-long war. The Taliban claimed they downed the helicopter with rocket fire while it was taking part in a raid on a house where insurgents were gathered in the province of Wardak late Friday. It said wreckage of the craft was strewn at the scene. A senior U.S. administration official in Washington said the craft was apparently shot down by insurgents. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the crash is still being investigated. NATO confirmed the overnight crash took place and that there "was enemy activity in the area." But it said it was still investigating the cause and conducting a recovery operation at the site. It did not release details or casualty figures. "We are in the process of accessing the facts," said U.S. Air Force Capt. Justin Brockhoff, a NATO spokesman. One current and one former U.S. official said that the dead included more than 20 Navy SEALs from SEAL Team Six, the unit that carried out the raid in Pakistan in May that killed bin Laden. They were being flown by a crew of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity because families are still being notified. None of those killed in the crash is believed to have been part of the SEALs mission that killed bin Laden, but they were from the same unit as the bin Laden team. President Barack Obama mourned the deaths of the American troops, saying in a statement that the crash serves as a reminder of the "extraordinary sacrifices" being made by the U.S. military and its families. He said he also mourned "the Afghans who died alongside our troops." PREVIOUS COVERAGE: • 31 U.S. special forces killed after helicopter shot down, officials say The death toll would surpass the worst single day loss of life for the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan since the war began in 2001 — the June 28, 2005 downing of a military helicopter in eastern Kunar province. In that incident, 16 Navy SEALs and Army special operations troops were killed when their craft was shot down while on a mission to rescue four SEALs under attack by the Taliban. Three of the SEALs being rescued were also killed and the fourth wounded. It was the highest one-day death toll for the Navy Special Warfare personnel since World War II. With its steep mountain ranges, providing shelter for militants armed with rocket-propelled grenade launchers, eastern Afghanistan is hazardous terrain for military aircraft. Large, slow-moving air transport carriers like the CH-47 Chinook are particularly vulnerable, often forced to ease their way through sheer valleys where insurgents can achieve more level lines of fire from mountainsides. Afghan President Hamid Karzai today gave the first public word of the new crash, saying in a statement that "a NATO helicopter crashed last night in Wardak province" and that 31 American special operations troops were killed. He expressed his condolences to President Barack Obama. The helicopter was a twin-rotor Chinook, said an official at NATO headquarters in Brussels. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he was receiving his information from an Afghan officer in Kabul. The crash took place in the Sayd Abad district of Wardak province, said a provincial government spokesman, Shahidullah Shahid. The volatile region borders the province of Kabul where the Afghan capital is located and is known for its strong Taliban presence. Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said in a statement that Taliban fighters downed the helicopter during a "heavy raid" in Sayd Abad. He said NATO attacked a house in Sayd Abad where insurgent fighters were gathering Friday night. During the battle, the fighters shot down the helicopter, killing 31 Americans and seven Afghans, he said, adding that eight insurgents were killed in the fight. There have been at least 17 coalition and Afghan aircraft crashes in Afghanistan this year. Most of the crashes were attributed to pilot errors, weather conditions or mechanical failures. However, the coalition has confirmed that at least one CH-47F Chinook helicopter was hit by a rocket propelled grenade on July 25. Two coalition crew members were injured in that attack. Meanwhile, in the southern Helmand province, an Afghan government official said today that NATO troops attacked a house and inadvertently killed eight members of a family, including women and children. NATO said that Taliban fighters fired rocket propelled grenades and small arms fire at coalition troops during a patrol Friday in the Nad Ali district. "Coalition forces responded with small arms fire and as the incident continued, an air strike was employed against the insurgent position," said Brockhoff. He added that NATO sent a delegation to meet with local leaders and investigate the incident. Nad Ali district police chief Shadi Khan said civilians died in the bombardment but that it was unknown how many insurgents were killed. Helmand, a Taliban stronghold, is the deadliest province in Afghanistan for international troops. NATO has come under harsh criticism in the past for accidentally killing civilians during operations against suspected insurgents. However, civilian death tallies by the United Nations show the insurgency is responsible for most war casualties involving noncombatants. In south Afghanistan, NATO said two coalition service member were killed, one on Friday and another today. The international alliance did not release further details. With the casualties from the helicopter crash, the deaths bring to 365 the number of coalition troops Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetlag Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 "None of those killed in the crash is believed to have been part of the SEALs mission that killed bin Laden" Huh? Is this really that hard to confirm? Something is fishy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugg Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 If anyone can expalin why we are in Afghanistan, I'm all ears. To introduce Jeffersonian deomcracy to a land of opium-dealing warlords and 7th century Islamic nutballs? May the families of these heroes have some comfort and solace. And may our government finally get the hell out of the insane Middle East. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villain_the_foe Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 wait, the seals who killed the already dead bin laden were just possibly killed themselves? Someone explain this. I havent heard about this. I seen info about some seal team 6 floating around the net but I never picked it up so I dont know what its about. This is my first time hearing about this helicopter being shot down. what does this have to do with bin laden and that mission? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#27TheDominator Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 what does this have to do with bin laden and that mission? From what we can tell so far, absolutely nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villain_the_foe Posted August 8, 2011 Share Posted August 8, 2011 From what we can tell so far, absolutely nothing. I guess we'll find out soon enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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