Crash Kills members of SEAL Team 6 plus others

[PegLeg45]

RIP warriors........may they never be forgotten.

AP sources: Crash kills members of SEAL Team 6

Last Modified: Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011 - 9:31 am

WASHINGTON -- The Associated Press has learned that more than 20 Navy SEALs from the unit that killed Osama bin Laden were among those lost in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan.

The operators from SEAL Team Six were flown by a crew of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. That's according to one current and one former U.S. official. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because families are still being notified of the loss of their loved ones.

One source says the team was thought to include 22 SEALs, three Air Force air controllers, seven Afghan Army troops, a dog and his handler, and a civilian interpreter, plus the helicopter crew.

The sources thought this was the largest single loss of life ever for SEAL Team Six, known as the Naval Special Warfare Development Group.

Read more: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/08/06/3820793/ap-sources-crash-kills-members.html#ixzz1UGjU6SUd

[Rastus]

Payback from the Pakastani's?

Surface to Air....someone supplied it.

[Solus]

Payback from the Pakastani's?

Surface to Air....someone supplied it.

If that particular helicopter was targeted because of the particular troops on board, there has been more supplied than the weapon used to bring it down.

Someone must have supplied the "flight plan" for that missile launcher to have been in the right place at the right time.

 

[tombogan03884]

It was most likely due to maintenance shortages, and flying conditions.

[PegLeg45]

More here:

http://www.wthr.com/story/15221078/afghan-helicopter-crash-kills-31-american-soldiers


U.S. officials tell The Associated Press that they believe that none of the Navy SEALs who died in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan had participated in the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, although they were from the same unit that carried out the bin Laden mission.

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A senior administration official says the helicopter that crashed Saturday carrying 31 U.S. special operations forces and seven Afghan soldiers was apparently shot down by insurgents in Afghanistan.

It was the highest number of American casualties recorded in a single incident in the decade-long war. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the crash is still being investigated.

President Hamid Karzai sent his condolences to President Barack Obama, according to a statement issued by his office.

The Taliban claims to have brought the helicopter down with a rocket attack, but they have been known to make exaggerated claims in the past.

NATO says there "was enemy activity in the area."

[Sponsor]

[tombogan03884]

No conspiracy, no spies needed.

http://news.yahoo.com/nato-airstrike-kills-8-afghan-civilians-police-051203129.html

KABUL (Reuters) - A NATO helicopter crashed during a battle with the Taliban in Afghanistan, killing 31 U.S. soldiers and seven Afghans, the Afghan president said on Saturday, the deadliest single incident for foreign troops in 10 years of war.

More at link, including US confirmation it was shot down.

[fightingquaker13]

Remember folks that in Afghanistan the helicopters have to fly THROUGH, not over, valleys and passes. You can shoot laterally at them. An RPG will do the job on something as big and slow as a Chinook. No Paki support  needed. Take an approach route. Station a guy with a sat phone or a radio and a pair of binocs there. At a narrow point, station a team with RPGs and machine guns. Post A calls post B, they set up and fire. All very low tech and very effective. Remember, they've been doing this since 1979.
FQ13.

[tombogan03884]

FQ is right on this. The Muj used to down Russian Hinds by shooting down on them.

[Pathfinder]

FQ is right on this. The Muj used to down Russian Hinds by shooting down on them.

Uh, no, not even close. The Hinds were greatly feared as they were so heavily armored that they could not easily or even frequently be shot down with small arms. It was not until the Stingers arrived from the US that the Hind threat was neutralized.

And DEVGRU or Seal Team 6 or whatever they call themselves do not participate in "ordinary" battles unless one develops around them ala Mogadishu. These guys were in a chopper heading someplace, perhaps training, perhaps not. The battle that the Yahoo article references may have been incidental or a diversion.

For reference, do not believe anything in the MSM, especially first reports. Even long after the fact things like the Time magazine article on the killing of OBL that appeared last week (?) is now viewed as complete - let me repeat that, complete - conjecture, since no one from DEVGRU or Seal Team 6 or whatever was interviewed. It is all 2nd, 3rd, 4th hand information, i.e. conjecture.

[fullautovalmet76]

It was most likely due to maintenance shortages, and flying conditions.

And based upon past stories on airplane/helicopter crashes in the military, I think this is a very plausible explanation.

Which sounds better:
A. The helicopter carrying the elite Navy Seal Team 6 was shot down by enemy fire, killing all on board.
-OR-
B. The helicopter carrying the elite Navy Seal Team 6 crashed during an operation due to lack of maintenance and poor flying conditions, killing all on board.

As much as I would like to put on my aluminum foil hat here, believe me it's not too far away  (), I think Tom's explanation could be the right one....