12 U.S. DELTA MEMBERS WOUNDED ON RAID OF OMAR

Drudge ^ | 11/3/01

[Diogenesis]

MAG: 12 U.S. DELTA MEMBERS WOUNDED ON RAID OF OMAR'S COMPLEX, THREE SERIOUSLY; PENTAGON RETHINKS 'SPECIAL FORCES OPERATIONS'

Seymour Hersh has filed yet another controversial report for coming editons of the NEW YORKER, publishing sources tell the DRUDGE REPORT.

In ESCAPE AND EVASION, Hersh claims: In the wake of a near-disaster during the assault on Mullah Omar's complex during the early morning of October 20th, the Pentagon has been rethinking future Special Forces operations inside Afghanistan.

Delta Force, which prides itself on stealth, had been counterattacked by the Taliban, and some of the Americans had had to fight their way to safety. Hersh has filed his report for the November 12, 2001 issue of the NEW YORKER, on sale Monday.

Twelve Delta members were wounded, three of them seriously.

The intensity and ferocity of the Taliban response "scared the crap out of everyone," a senior military officer tells Hersh.

The Delta team stormed Mullah Omar's complex, but found little of value, Hersh reports, and then, "as they came out of the house, the shit hit the fan," one senior officer says. "It was like an ambush. The Taliban were fighting with light arms and either [rocket-propelled grenades] or mortars." The team immediately began taking casualties and evacuated.

"The Delta team was forced to abandon one of its objectives: the insertion of an undercover team into the area and the stay-behind soldiers fled to a previously determined rendezvous point, using a contingency plan known as an E. & E., for escape and evasion," Hersh writes.

[Publius6961]

The intensity and ferocity of the Taliban response "scared the crap out of everyone," a senior military officer tells Hersh.

I don't believe this for a minute.
If anything "scares the crap" out of our Delta Forces, we are truly lost.

[longleaf]

What's interesting to me is that only a few days after this supposedly happened, we began to hear on the so-called "crackpot" Web sites such as Debka of a movement on our part to enlist a huge Russian expeditionary force to go into Afghanistan next spring. This makes a lot of sense when you realize that we have been bombing from high altitude for so long and expecting to win all wars that way that we have probably neglected "ground war" scenarios. I know it may be demoralizing to some, but I wouldn't necessarily discount everything Hersh reports.

[LaineyDee]

Hersch sounds like the Taliban.

[Aerial]

The Taliban gave the Russians hell and finally ran them out.

But some people will tell you they are not a force to be reckoned with.

If you do think they are a force to be reckoned with you will be accused of siding with the enemy.

Go figure...

[Cold Heat]

I not only discount it, I condemn the crap out of it!

[AF68]

"Complete and utter HORSESHIT!"

From Seymour Hershit.

[Romulus]

Hersh is a leftie, but I don't care. Point 1: I don't think he's making this stuff up. Point 2: The vagueness of the Pentagon's report on this encounter, and the speed with which it vanished from view, made me suspicious from the get-go that all had not gone according to plan.

I don't doubt the valor of the men going in on these hazardous missions, but neither do I expect 100% success. In examining the Pentagon's happy talk, Hersh is doing his job.

[petbop]

I believe Hersh was the author of the false story that George Bush (41) flew to Paris and negotiated
with Iran to keep the hostages in custody during the 1980 campaign.

He may be right in these current stories, but I don't trust him.

[Cold Heat]

Screw the Russians! They got nuthin on our forces. The Taliban might get lucky but their ass is grass!

[TigerTale]

Number one, nobody can confirm or deny this. Number two, Delta Force conducts very dangerous operations and only a fool would expect zero casualties.

And number three, "Delta Force does not exist."

[CindyDawg]

Ok, now I think I understand what you were talking about.

[Kenyon]

All reports from intelligence sources have to be read with a grain of salt. Hersh passes on what he hears from lower level types. Sometimes its wrong.

[Ax]

Seymour Hersh, in my experience, has been spot on with some of his reporting. He has excellent sources. He has published items which I had never expected to see without bright red TOP SECRET/CAVEATS stamped top and bottom of each page, and NOT in an open forum.

[AmericaUnited]

Hersh is a pathetic, pathological LIAR!

[garbanzo]

I don't believe this for a minute. If anything "scares the crap" out of our Delta Forces, we are truly lost.

Remember this fact of warfare. The first time you're shot at for real, it's scary. The second time it's not so bad. After 20+ years, it's just another day at the office.

For all the training the Delta Force has had, it has precious little real combat experience. The Taliban has been at this for 20+ years.

We're going to have to win this war the way wars are won. By the sustained use of massive force.

[ChinaThreat]

Tell us how you really feel Tiger!

[ChinaThreat]

Hersh does have good sources, I just finished reading his book "The Samson Option". Pretty high-level contacts, atleast back in the late 80s.

[cake_crumb]

"...assault on Mullah Omar's complex during the early morning of October 20th"

October 20th??? Wasn't October 20 the night of the raid which the Taliban insisted never took place? How did the Taliban "fight back" when they insist there WAS no raid the night of October 20? I suppose the video and the computers confiscated were faked.

IMHO, I think the number of Delta Force casualties refers to the helicopter crash in Pakistan, but this is war and there will be casualties.

[ChinaThreat]

Let me restate though that Hersh seems to have a bit of a liberal tinge in his reporting, I think he may be a bit anti-semite...i can't support this anti-semite aspect of this statement, just the angle of this Samson Option Book i read i thought...