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"US officials stopped plans to kill Bin Laden"

Orphia Nay

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Orphia Nay
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I found this article on Digg.

"Bin Laden was known to be holed up at Tora Bora on a ridge with an elevation of 14,000 feet. The Delta Force team's initial plan was to come at him from the direction he'd least expect, climbing over the mountains at his back, but that plan wasn't approved by the higher-ups. Their second idea, to drop hundreds of landmines along the mountain passes to Pakistan to impede bin Laden's retreat and then bring in helicopters, was also turned down."

Digg comments here.

Original, longer 60 Minutes article here.

"The man you are about to meet was the officer in command, leading a team from the U.S. Army's mysterious Delta Force - a unit so secret, it's often said Delta doesn't exist. But you are about to see Delta's operators in action.

[...]

In 2001, just 10 weeks after 9/11, he was a 37-year-old Army major leading a team of America's most elite commandos. Even now, 60 Minutes can't tell you his name or show you his face. 60 Minutes hired a theatrical make up artist to take this former Delta officer through a series of transformations to disguise him. He calls himself "Dalton Fury," and is the author of "Kill Bin Laden," a new book out this week."

http://www.daltonfury.com/


Something about this sounds like a conspiracy theory to me, but if I'm wrong, feel free to move this thread to a more appropriate place, Mods.
 
The actual article is less conspiracist, but I'd still take it with a grain of salt.

First, there's no way to check up on this person's account. Understandably, because his identity would need to be kept secret if he was an actual Delta soldier, but that makes it hard to verify any of the info.

Second, in the original article, I don't see any indication that there was any sort of decision made by the U.S. with the goal of keeping Osama alive. I can see several tactical reasons why the first two plans might be disapproved: Over the mountains means troops arrive at the fight tired and possibly suffering injuries already due to altitude and temperature. Dropping mines on the roads to Pakistan brings on a huge risk of civillian casualties, somethign we definately didn't want.

The rest of the problems seem to have come from the locals that were "helping" U.S. troops, which is, again, not suprising. Similar attitudes have come up in Iraq with local sthere that are supposed to be the new Iraqi police and/or military. (Aside: During the time I was there, we had two of our translators found to be working with those who were attacking us, and several of the civillians we brought in to bases for things like garbage pick-up and other services were found to be giving data on the layout of the base to groups trying to fire mortars into it. Additionally, it was not uncommon to find the local security forces giving information on security force deployments, or passing on weapons and ammunition to terrorists).

I'd say the 60 minutes version of the story sounds plausible. The conspiracy part would be that some want to take this as an indication that the U.S. wanted Obama alive.
 
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Both plans have issues. Fighting at 14,000 feet is a great way to lose large number of troops no matter how good they are. Particularly if you are useing generalist delta force rather than specialised mountian devisions.Indian and Pakistani experence suggests that if you inisist on fighting at that altitude large scale support operations are a must so an elite forces strike is somewhat questionable under those conditions.

Droping mines runs into issues with uncertianty of the route and seriously bad PR.
 
Hellbound said:
The actual article is less conspiracist, but I'd still take it with a grain of salt.

First, there's no way to check up on this person's account. Understandably, because his identity would need to be kept secret if he was an actual Delta soldier, but that makes it hard to verify any of the info.

Second, in the original article, I don't see any indication that there was any sort of decision made by the U.S. with the goal of keeping Osama alive. I can see several tactical reasons why the first two plans might be disapproved: Over the mountains means troops arrive at the fight tired and possibly suffering injuries already due to altitude and temperature. Dropping mines on the roads to Pakistan brings on a huge risk of civillian casualties, somethign we definately didn't want.

The rest of the problems seem to have come from the locals that were "helping" U.S. troops, which is, again, not suprising. Similar attitudes have come up in Iraq with local sthere that are supposed to be the new Iraqi police and/or military. (Aside: During the time I was there, we had two of our translators found to be working with those who were attacking us, and several of the civillians we brought in to bases for things like garbage pick-up and other services were found to be giving data on the layout of the base to groups trying to fire mortars into it. Additionally, it was not uncommon to find the local security forces giving information on security force deployments, or passing on weapons and ammunition to terrorists).

I'd say the 60 minutes version of the story sounds plausible. The conspiracy part would be that some want to take this as an indication that the U.S. wanted Obama alive.
Click to expand...

Wanting to keep a Presidential candidate alive is now a conspiracy?:D
 
Give the guy a break. He is just excited by the release of Fallout 3 getting close. (So am I. I might even order the deluxe version with the Pipboy bobble head doll).
 
I fully intend to split my time on election night between talking with my wife,watching the election returns, and playing Fallout 3 on my Computer.
 
Would a major be leading a team in the field? And - "Dalton Fury"? Hmmm. I think he could pick a better pseudonym ...
 
Comsat Angel said:
Would a major be leading a team in the field? And - "Dalton Fury"? Hmmm. I think he could pick a better pseudonym ...
Click to expand...

In the Special Forces, that wouldn't be unusual. A typical SF team (10 people, IIRC) is led by a Captain (one rank below Major), so that's not that far out there. In fact, all SF team members will be higher ranking (at least a sergeant on the enlisted side). So I don't think it's unrealistic to see a Major leading what would amount to four teams (and the command team).

Of course, that's in standard SF, I don't know if it's different for Delta, but I'd assume they'd have a similar structure.
 
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