Afghan: Two missing US troops 'are dead'

BBC News ^ | 07/04/05

[TigerLikesRooster]

Last Updated: Monday, 4 July, 2005, 18:36 GMT 19:36 UK

 

Two missing US troops 'are dead'

 

The US launched a major hunt for the missing men

Two of the three US special forces soldiers missing in eastern Afghanistan for almost a week have been found dead, US government sources tell the BBC.

The whereabouts of the other team member remains unclear, while a fourth soldier was found alive on Saturday.

The governor of Konar province has spoken of reports that an American is being cared for in a remote village.

The US launched a major hunt for the men after a Chinook helicopter sent to find them was shot down last week.

The 16 US soldiers on board the helicopter were killed.

Village mystery

In the Afghan capital, Kabul, US officials confirmed the deaths of the two missing soldiers, members of an elite Navy Seals unit.

Speaking anonymously, one official described their deaths as a "terrible tragedy".

The US military released a statement on Monday confirming that one soldier had been found alive on Saturday.

The man, who had been missing since 28 June, was taken to Bagram Airfield for treatment and is said to be in a stable condition.

But the US remains cautious about reports that villagers in a remote village have been caring for a wounded American.

Mr Wafa said Afghan troops received reports about the man on Sunday night, but had not yet reached the village.

The BBC's Andrew North, in Kabul, says it remains unclear whether this is old information relating to the American already rescued, or evidence of a fourth team member still being alive.

Inquiry demand

Meanwhile, the US military has said it regrets that civilians were killed in an air strike by US forces in eastern Afghanistan.

Women and children were among 17 killed in the raid on Chechal village, Konar province governor Assadullah Wafa said.

Mr Wafa has called the bombing a "mistake" and called for an investigation into how it happened.

In a statement, the US said it regretted the loss of innocent life but maintained that it struck a valid target, and that enemy "terrorists" were among those killed.

[kezekiel]

Especially Greta. She's devolved into doing just the celebrity hi-profile case of the month. "On location in Aruba"? Puh-LEEZE.

[Squantos]

She better be careful in all that sun after her overhaul....or does avon make a putty knife ?

[Criminal Number 18F]

Still nothing on Fox...

Fox also reported that the brother of that gal that was recovered from the pedo in Coeur d'Alene was found alive... they need to tighten up their sourcing.

The only official material from DOD yet is related to the man who was found alive and hospitalized. If these other men are indeed dead, it will take the DOD another 1-2 days to post it. Unlike the media, they try to get it right.

d.o.l

Criminal Number 18F

[Just A Nobody]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1435955/posts
Check post 5. It lists their names and hometowns.

[sam_paine]

re: FNC..." set the tivo for Britt Humes afternoon show, and that's it..."

DITTO HERE. Actually, after that, I finally killed the TV two months ago and just listen to Brit on XM now.

[lainie]

Do you know -- are these all (two deceased, one missing) SEAL Team 10 members as well?

[fatima]

Tears,Prayers.

[america-rules]

"FNC seems to be losing it.......I don't watch anymore...get my nooooze here. If it's not BS about a celeb etc they seem to pass it by."

Same here. I've watched about 20 minutes of Fox News all weekend and it was all Aruba all day long except for a little on the Idaho Kid found a Denny's !

I turned it on to get an update on the Idaho kids and had to listen to 18 minutes on Aruba then 2 mins on the Idaho kids.

[Woliff]

Now that three of the four have been accounted for, the claim, by the Taliban in the beginning, that one soldier had been captured is becoming more ominous.

[lugsoul]

I heard an NBC report this morning that those who retrieved the bodies had to use technical climbing gear on a sheer face to retrieve them. If true, it is doubtful they were in the location that was bombed.

[fso301]

I heard an NBC report this morning that those who retrieved the bodies had to use technical climbing gear on a sheer face to retrieve them. If true, it is doubtful they were in the location that was bombed.

Thanks, I'm glad to hear that.

[Criminal Number 18F]

There were sixteen on the chopper, 8 SEALS (5 from ST 10 in Little Creek and 3 from an SDV team at Pearl Harbour) and 8 aircrew. 7 from 3rd Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, and one from HQ, 160th. None survived.

If the Franklinite was Tre Ponder, I regret to say he is gone. Please accept my condolences. The official US DOD list of the helicopter casualties is here:

http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2005/nr20050702-3865.html

Rest in peace soldiers and sailors brave. Your nation mourns.

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[BOBTHENAILER]

Rest in peace soldiers and sailors brave. Your nation mourns.

Prayers for all the families, friends and the fallen. Also for the unnacounted for missing hero.

I would not want to be on the receiving end of the payback which will soon come.

[hiredhand]

Hmmm...bad news. I wonder WHAT went wrong. SEALs usually have VERY good reachback support.

[ventana]

Fox news = "We're confused, you decide." V's wife.

[InvisibleChurch]

this seems like such an odd story ... i would think that there have been many other situations like this that we haven't heard about, but why this one? ... make me wonder if some one is saying some thing to some body who shouldn't know about it

[Squantos]

Murphy clearly showed up at a bad time .......some days yer the bug , some days yer the windshield per se. Happens to even our best sometimes.

Prayers up....

[dimk]

Look at the series of events. Team probably gets detected ( they might not have realized they were compromised) then attacked, calls for support right away. Now 1hour passes, thats eternity. Mujaheeded had time to setup for choppers (maybe before team was even hit), probably had an experienced person plan positions of the terrorists with guided missiles. Choppers come in, probably barrage of missiles is fired from different elevations etc. One goes down, at this point team if they are still alive is really in trouble, chopper crew has to be rescued too (nobody knows they are dead). It goes downhill from there (drone craft is shut down too, intelligence feed is cut). One got away somehow, hopefully he will be fine.

What went wrong probably is they got detected and did not know it happened. Being detected is bad enough, not knowing is lethal.

[hiredhand]

Yes. Prayers up!