The Taliban appear to have been responsible for the killing of 38 — mainly Navy Seals — this weekend in taking down a CH-47 Chinook. Our stalwart ally Afghan President Hamid Karzai — who previously expressed a lingering desire to fight with the Taliban — expressed regrets for the deaths.
Once again, I am at a loss to explain why we still losing such wonderful soldiers in Afghanistan to prop up a corrupt and increasing hostile regime. We are fighting Karzai’s civil war while his family and associates continue to steal billions.
Some of the seals came from the famed Seal Team 6. Also killed were seven Afghans and an interpreter.
I continue to struggle with the departure from reason and responsibility in continuing these three wars – particularly as our economy continues to meltdown. The loss of billions, however, is nothing in compared to the loss of these American heroes. While some politicians simply do not see a withdrawal as politically practical, the cost of that political calculation is measured in lives. My opposition to these continuing wars does nothing to reduce my admiration for these men and women in combat. Their loss is unspeakable and unfathomable. Our condolences to these families who gave their sons to this nation.
Source: Time
im amazed no one is asking the hard questions. or has noticed that seal team 6 was aboard the chinook. it is time to wake up to the government and their lies. bin laden has been dead since 2003 and our government well knew it. hence the burial at sea!!! its mind boggling that seal team 6 is anywhere near anything to do with rushing with help army rangers after what they all went thru just a few weeks ago. per our government. and as long as people continue to believe their lies. they will keep on telling them. they are no longer bothering to attempt to hide the fact their plans call for enslaving the world. currently they are in the middle of breaking the middle class so that there is only 2 classes left. the uber rich and the enslaved poor. im tried of paying for the lies, im tired of our children, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, uncles, nephews, children losing their lives because 13 families got it in the heads a couple hundred years back that they should own and rule the world. my mothers words were so prophet she always told us the poor want to be middle class, the middle class want to be rich and the rich want to be gods. do your research and find out whats really going on.. find out why lincoln and kennedy and john kennedy jr were really killed.
Professsor Turley, thank you for providing a very thoughtful and kind blog concerning the Chinook that was shot down while carrying SEALs, AF, and Army spec ops. I agree with you, I support our warriors, but I think it is unconscionable to continue these war efforts in the middle east. Wrongful, actually .
Furthermore, to place so many elite warriors on a slow moving, rumbling, noisy Chinook is just unbelievable. Especially egregious because sixteen SEALs were lost just a few years ago while heading up the valley in Afghanistan in the same type equipment. These warriors are used for stealth mode. Heartbreaking.
In the main the Taliban will never be defeated as the level of training, religious brain washing and pure hatred for the West that is being instilled in young Muslims has been unprecendented.
Obviously there was always going to be a revenge mission after the death of Osama Bin Laden. Sadly some very able military personnel have lost their lives, some were cut down in their prime.
Many a times we have asked why is the West over there fighting, alright we can reason with fighting tyranny and the right for all humans to be safe and be able to live without persecution.
Somewhere along the line you have to wonder are our Western army and military personnel adequately trained and equipped to fight in mountain terrain. Also the unfamiliarity of the surroundings can make them easy targets, sitting ducks for highly motivated native Taliban guerillas.
It does seem like a ridiculous waste of life. Kudos to all those brave enough to go into combat, and condolences to the families of those lost.
Pete, fascinating link.
This is mildly OT as well. This is what I imagine happened to the shooters after they got the Chinook full of Navy Seals. Note that since the rounds from the A-10 Gatling gun travel at about three times the speed of sound, you see the rounds impact and then the unmistakable roar of the GAU 8/A Avenger seven barrel 30mm cannon is heard. The thing shoots 3,900 rounds a minute. Some troops call it the “Voice of God.” If you are the target, it might as well be.
The beam of light is the laser designator on the target. In this video, the target is a Taliban sniper that has been shooting at the group of soldiers who took this video. They called the Air Force for close support. This is the result.
way ot but an interesting read
http://my.firedoglake.com/rjhillhouse/2011/08/08/bin-laden-turned-in-by-informant-courier-was-cover-story/
Raff, as I said, there is a lot we will never know about this mission. I have a feeling that was not the only helicopter in the operation, but the only one that was hit. I have an idea the shooter did not fare too well after that. They would have called in some heavy air strikes, probably by F-16 and A-10 attack aircraft. The fast movers can get to a target quicker than heavy bombers.
OS,
I understand that it was an rpg also. Do you remember the seal helicopter that was shot down earlier I. The war and only one Seal survived? In that one te controllers brought the relief helo to the exact same location where the first one was shot down. I wonder if that happened again? Sad story no matter what.
raff, there are a lot of wild cards in any combat situation. We will never know the full story because at least part of the mission was no doubt classified. They do not send in the most elite people we have for no good reason. From what I have been able to find out, the shoot-down was with an RPG. That means they were very low, probably on approach to a landing. An RPG is a ballistic weapon, unlike a Stinger, which is a guided heat-seeking missile. An unguided warhead cannot be thrown off course by heat flares or radar jamming.
OS,
If the intelligence is not good enough to understand the enemy’s strengths, maybe the decision was a hasty one, notwithstanding the need on the ground.
Raff, not necessarily. That would just put more aircraft and air crews at risk. You do not know how many surface to air missiles the opposition might have. They have been using Chinooks to insert and extract troops since day one of both middle east conflicts. This is just the first one shot down with that many casualties. Besides, it has not been announced if this was the only helicopter carrying troops on that mission. For all we know, there might have been several more Chinooks full of troops and equipment.
OS,
I realize the Chinook is a troop carrier, but the biggest individual losses that we have had in Afghanistan have been associated with helicopter downings. I would think several smaller Black Hawks would be safer in case of an attack.
Raff, the Chinook is a troop carrier. It is like a flying bus. Not unusual for that many troops and their equipment on board. One of my son’s best friends flew one for a while. He joked it was the only aircraft he had ever flown that could conceivably have a mid air collision with itself (referring to the twin rotors which overlap). We buried him a couple of years ago after he pulled the wings off the fixed wing airplane he was flying while in a high G turn.
Bring them home….it is time. It is past time.
“While some politicians simply do not see a withdrawal as politically practical, the cost of that political calculation is measured in lives. My opposition to these continuing wars does nothing to reduce my admiration for these men and women in combat. Their loss is unspeakable and unfathomable. Our condolences to these families who gave their sons to this nation.”
Well said
Great choice OS! The news was horrible when I first saw it. I was hoping that I had heard it wrong. I don’t know why they would try an insert with over 30 Seals in one copter,but I understand they were responding to someone else in trouble. I can only pray for the families and hope that time heals their wounds.
Prof. Turley,
I agree that I wish all of our troops were out of harms way in Afghanistan.
This announcement took my breath away, and I am not sure if I dare to breathe again anytime soon. The Garden of Stone is all too familiar to our home.
May they have Godspeed on their journey to forever…
Mull of Kintyre was piped for my son at the National Cemetery four years ago. It was piped again for my grandson earlier this year. May we come to a time when the piper will only play joyful jigs and reels.
The musicians are the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards:
I’m over here at the moment, and this event doesn’t make things easier. Several events over the past few months have highlighted the fact that this particular military action/”war” isn’t easy to fight.
More folks have died in the last 6 months than in this one crash, but it takes a singularly terrible event to make the news. It’d be nice if these were the last deaths before we decide to leave, but it’s not going to happen.
Folks die regularly here, and you harden your heart against it. The day after it happened, we had to joke about it in a roundabout manner. If we hadn’t, we probably would have cried.
Losing our friends never hurt worse than when they’re used to further someone’s political agenda either.
I also understand that Blackwater/Xe was aboard the chopper…think I head this on APM….go figure…
How do you ask a person to be the last one killed for a mistake?
Sadly it is all too easy for too many politicians who worry more about their job than about anything else and merrily send kids to die without a thought.