Sources: US raid frees American and Dane held hostage in Somalia

[VCheng]

You were saying. !!

Not me, but I was proving the previous contention of holding a fighting force to previous history is WRONG. Perhaps you missed the point?

 

[JonAsad]

Not me, but I was proving the previous contention of holding a fighting force to previous history is WRONG. Perhaps you missed the point?

A one disputed unconfirmed example of 1971- and history of proved human right violation- evidence in shameful videos- shameless pictures-
and you comparing the two to make a point?-

 

[Windjammer]

Not me, but I was proving the previous contention of holding a fighting force to previous history is WRONG. Perhaps you missed the point?

Even if it were true.....do two wrongs adhere to a right...or is it convenient escape of any port in a storm. !!

 

[VCheng]

A one disputed unconfirmed example of 1971- and history of proved human right violation- evidence in shameful videos- shameless pictures-
and you comparing the two to make a point?-

No Sir: it is confirmed in the complete official Hamood-ur-Rahman Commission report of the Pakistan government itself. And ALL of the perpetrators went unpunished, unlike in the US system of justice, which is not perfect, but works much better than most others.

Even if it were true.....do two wrongs adhere to a right...or is it convenient escape of any port in a storm. !!

There is no "even if" in what I have said. It is an officially accepted fact (please see above).

====================

My point is that demonizing any fighting force due to other, unrelated incidents in history, is WRONG, no matter what uniform they are wearing.

All men in uniform deserve better than that.

This thread is about a daring and successful rescue by US SEALs. Can we please keep it to that only? Thanks.

 

[Chogy]

It was supposedly some of the same SEALs that killed bin Laden; SEAL team 6. One can despise them, hate them, fear them, but you have to respect them. They are extremely good at what they do.

 

[cheekybird]

It was supposedly some of the same SEALs that killed bin Laden; SEAL team 6. One can despise them, hate them, fear them, but you have to respect them. They are extremely good at what they do.

This joke is never going to get old,makes me laugh every time "Seals killed bin laden"!!!

 

[VCheng]

This joke is never going to get old,makes me laugh every time "Seals killed bin laden"!!!

Actually, it was not the SEALs who killed OBL; it was just a stickman!

 

[cheekybird]

Actually, it was not the SEALs who killed OBL; it was just a stickman!

Be it an illusion...as long as it made the american people happy

 

[Windjammer]

Actually, it was not the SEALs who killed OBL; it was just a stickman!

And a new drink in the local bar is called....Two shots with splash of water and TWIST.

 

[boris]

It was supposedly some of the same SEALs that killed bin Laden; SEAL team 6. One can despise them, hate them, fear them, but you have to respect them. They are extremely good at what they do.

Absolutely sir they deserve that but of all US special ops units the Quiet Professionals are my favorite they fought amazingly well in Vietnam.

---------- Post added at 10:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:07 PM ----------

This joke is never going to get old,makes me laugh every time "Seals killed bin laden"!!!

I am sorry its SEALs and not seals,Navy SEALs don't like being written of as seal,seals etc.

 

[VCheng]

Be it an illusion...as long as it made the american people happy

Oh absolutely, there was great rejoicing at OBL's death:

And a new drink in the local bar is called....Two shots with splash of water and TWIST.

Good one!

 

[Oldman1]

US military raid in Somalia frees American, Dane - Yahoo! News

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — U.S. Navy SEALs parachuted into Somalia under cover of darkness early Wednesday and crept up to an outdoor camp where an American woman and Danish man were being held hostage. Soon, nine kidnappers were dead and both hostages were freed.

President Barack Obama authorized the mission by SEAL Team 6 two days earlier, deploying the same unit that killed Osama bin Laden last year. Minutes after the president gave his State of the Union address to Congress he was on the phone with the American's father to tell him his daughter was safe.

The Danish Refugee Council confirmed the two aid workers, American Jessica Buchanan and Poul Hagen Thisted, a Dane, were "on their way to be reunited with their families."

Buchanan, 32, and Thisted, 60, were working with a de-mining unit of the Danish Refugee Council when gunmen kidnapped the two in October.

The raiders came in quickly, catching the guards as they were sleeping after having chewed the narcotic leaf qat for much of the evening, a pirate who gave his name as Bile Hussein told The Associated Press by phone. Hussein said he was not present at the site but had spoken with other pirates who were, and that they told him nine pirates had been killed in the raid and three were "taken away."

The hostage rescue was carried out by the same SEAL unit behind the operation in Pakistan last May that killed bin Laden, two U.S. officials said on condition of anonymity to discuss the operation. It was not clear if any members participated in both operations. The unit is the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, also known as SEAL Team 6.

One official said that the team parachuted into the area before moving on foot to the target. The raid happened near the Somali town of Adado.

 

[Chogy]

Until more details come out, I'm going to guess it happened something like this:

The SEALs parachuted in at night with advanced night vision. The Somalis had none. What happens when you have a firefight at night, and one side has good night vision and the other doesn't, isn't pretty. One side firing blindly into the night, and the other easily able to see.

With the kidnappers dead, they were able to take the prisoners to a remote location, and call in a helicopter for extraction. As far as special operations go, this one will probably go down in the books as one of the easier missions they've ever had.

 

[boris]

Until more details come out, I'm going to guess it happened something like this:

The SEALs parachuted in at night with advanced night vision. The Somalis had none. What happens when you have a firefight at night, and one side has good night vision and the other doesn't, isn't pretty. One side firing blindly into the night, and the other easily able to see.

With the kidnappers dead, they were able to take the prisoners to a remote location, and call in a helicopter for extraction. As far as special operations go, this one will probably go down in the books as one of the easier missions they've ever had.

Sir I just learnt a very interesting fact today that Adm. William McRaven the current SOCOM chief was as a lieutanent in SEAL Team six in the 80's and Cdr. Dick Marcinko fired him and sent him back to SEAL Team 4 due to the differences between the two.

 

[Chogy]

Sir I just learnt a very interesting fact today that Adm. William McRaven the current SOCOM chief was as a lieutanent in SEAL Team six in the 80's and Cdr. Dick Marcinko fired him and sent him back to SEAL Team 4 due to the differences between the two.

It wouldn't surprise me. By all accounts, Marcenko was an abrasive character. When you have a bunch of gung-ho type "A" personalities in close contact like that, you're going to get some head-butting going on. Without more info though...

I wouldn't condemn McRaven if this is true. It doesn't mean McRaven was a bad officer then, they just didn't get along!