• Quick note - the problem with Youtube videos not embedding on the forum appears to have been fixed, thanks to ZiprHead. If you do still see problems let me know.

Usan special forces killed Linda Norgrove?

E.J.Armstrong

Illuminator
E
Joined
Jan 4, 2002
Messages
3,806
It has just been reported on BBC national radio that Linda Norgrove may have been killed by a grenade from US special forces rather than by a suicide bomb vest, as previously reported by the Usan military. Nato is reportedly carrying out an investigation.

If this is true then there are a number of important questions that need answering about this botched operation.

One of the more important ones is why was she killed and why was the SAS was not used to carry out this operation?
 
She was killed by an explosion. Explosions take no sides.
If you want information about the location and activity of SAS units in Afghanistan, I suggest you contact the Ministry of Defence. Don't hold your breath.
 
It's a terribly sad story and my sympathies are with her family and friends, but also with her would-be rescuers, who must feel absolutely wretched right now.

There will certainly be questions to answer, but they'll be questions about procedure and what went wrong which will help evaluate whether things could be done differently, which will inform the view of whether a rescue attempt is a hostage's best chance of survival. I don't think the question of who to blame is worth more than the moment of time it takes to say "the kidnappers".
 
E.J.Armstrong said:
One of the more important ones is why was she killed and why was the SAS was not used to carry out this operation?
Click to expand...
Because US special forces were familiar with and had experience in the area, and the SAS did not.
 
Tragic incident, sounds like the call to make the attempt was the right call despite her being killed. Rock and a hard place.
 
E.J.Armstrong said:
It has just been reported on BBC national radio that Linda Norgrove may have been killed by a grenade from US special forces rather than by a suicide bomb vest, as previously reported by the Usan military. Nato is reportedly carrying out an investigation.

If this is true then there are a number of important questions that need answering about this botched operation.

One of the more important ones is why was she killed and why was the SAS was not used to carry out this operation?
Click to expand...

The people responsible for her death are her kidnappers, the people responsible for civilian deaths (that are not murder which has happened) in Afghan., Pakis.,Irag, and the territories bullied by Hammas, Hesblsht etc. are the terrorists operating in them. Whoever destroys the terrorists is doing good. Whoever blames the US/ UK/Israel is simply helping promote/strengthen the terrorists.
 
EJ said:
If this is true then there are a number of important questions that need answering about this botched operation.
Click to expand...

Hostage rescue is a very risky operation; all it takes for one to go from "smooth" to "botched" is the slip of a finger or one wrong move. Even the very best forces train exceedingly hard on it just to minimize those risks, not eliminate them. And her chances in a raid were a hell of a lot better than if she was taken to Pakistan.

EJ said:
One of the more important ones is why was she killed and why was the SAS was not used to carry out this operation?
Click to expand...

My guess is because of any number of reasons, such as they happened to be closest and could be there first, because the SAS WERE there and they aren't being mentioned, because they knew the area better, etc. It doesn't really matter which SOF did it, because their playbooks are pretty much the same. Well, except to bigots like you of course.

I think there are still some crossed wires, information-wise. The latest story I read say she may have died from a friendly grenade. I find it extremely unlikely that SOF was using fragmentation grenades around a hostage.
 
I was just listening to an interview on UK radio 5. The interiewee was the head of the S.A.S. He said that the tactics used by U.S and U.K. special forces, in instances like this, are indistinguishable.
Her death is sad, but in no way entirely avoidable, whoever carried out the rescue attempt. According to the news I have heard so far, the attempt was unsuccessfull, not botched.
 
The Central Scrutinizer said:
E.J.Armstrong said:
It has just been reported on BBC national radio that Linda Norgrove may have been killed by a grenade from US special forces rather than by a suicide bomb vest, as previously reported by the Usan military.
Click to expand...

As an American, I certainly hope this is true.
Click to expand...

You hope she was killed by a US grenade rather than directly by one of the kidnappers?
 
She likely would have been tortured or killed in some extravagent fashion by her kidnappers, as so many others have.

Thus, the extreme risk to her life created by the rescue attempt was justified. It was an unfortunate conclusion, but even if an American weapon was the ultimate cause of her death, this is hardly a stain on "America."

Drastic situations require drastic measures, even with low success percentages.
 
Some people seem to be overreacting to the OP. And others seem to be jumping to very premature conclusions.

I wouldn't be asking about why the SAS weren't used, but IF it is correct that she was killed by a grenade from the rescue team, doesn't the question of why they were using grenades in a rescue situation sound reasonable? An ex-SAS interviewed just now on the news seemed to think so.

Wait and see until more comes out I would say.
 
LTC8K6 said:
There are all sorts of grenades. A flash-bang can kill you, for example, although it's not intended to kill anyone.
Click to expand...
I hope it wasn't a case of accidentally throwing a frag instead of a flash-bang.
 
WildCat said:
I hope it wasn't a case of accidentally throwing a frag instead of a flash-bang.
Click to expand...

That would be quite the error.

This was a UK authorized attempt, and I hate to say it, but she and her family knew the risk she was taking.

They will need an autopsy to see what kind of fragments killed her to determine which side caused her death.
 
American soldiers vs. Talibananas, EJ sides with the Talibananas.

Is there an explanation for this that doesn't rhyme with "moral depravity"?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom