US special forces, loose cannons?

[Stat Brother]

Does this actually surprise anybody:-

BBC News - UK aid worker may have been killed by rescuers grenade

 

[Tricky Dicky]

I obviously don't know the rights or wrongs of it, but I don't think anyone can appreciate the sort of job they do in the sort of conditions they do it. I am in no place to judge.

 

[Nibble]

As mentioned by an ex British special forces bod on radio this afternoon, she shouldn't have been there in the first place. it puts soldiers at great risk having to carry out these sort of operations. Yes, i understand the argument for aid workers but it's just too great a risk I think.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

As mentioned by an ex British special forces bod on radio this afternoon, she shouldn't have been there in the first place. it puts soldiers at great risk having to carry out these sort of operations. Yes, i understand the argument for aid workers but it's just too great a risk I think.

It's a good point, and I can't make up my mind whether these people are interferring busybodies, putting themselves and others in danger unnecesarily, or a vital part of the help that these local people need, but are not getting eiither from their own government or the forces.

 

[franks brother]

I mean I'm not Rambo Ive never been in the SAS but Id hazard a guess its not a great idea to be throwing a grenade in the direction of the hostage as a general rule of thumb

 

[Westdene Seagull]

I think there's probably too many armchair generals who think it should be as clean and easy as the latest mission on Call of Duty.

Why do people think that just because they are "special forces" that they can do the impossible ?

I'm afraid any civilians going to Afganistan should approciate the risk that they could well die and they shouldn't expect US and UK forces to rescue them.

 

[Big G]

Does this actually surprise anybody:-

BBC News - UK aid worker may have been killed by rescuers grenade

Well I take it you are some authority on hostage rescue because if you're not I don't know on what basis you venture to ridicule those soldiers attempting to save her life by your sarcastic comment. I very much doubt those guys set out and carried out the mission with anything but the intention of bringing her out safely but in this sort of warfare those guys, who I may add were risking their lives aswell, were up against a very big ask to bring her out alive in the first place. I say fair play for trying to save her because she would not have come away alive in anything other than a rescue! Total respect to all those troops, from every nation out there doing a job the likes of us have no idea about unless you've been there!!!

 

[beorhthelm]

As mentioned by an ex British special forces bod on radio this afternoon, she shouldn't have been there in the first place. it puts soldiers at great risk having to carry out these sort of operations. Yes, i understand the argument for aid workers but it's just too great a risk I think.

this.

i dont think US special forces are anymore gung-ho than ours, no point making a big deal over exaclty how she died. we'll probably never know exactly all the details anyway.

 

[essbee]

isn't it true that the SAS (especially) much prefer to work with the Paras than the US special forces because of the lack of respect they have for US SF?

That's what I have read.

 

[Stat Brother]

Well I take it you are some authority on hostage rescue because if you're not I don't know on what basis you venture to ridicule those soldiers attempting to save her life by your sarcastic comment. I very much doubt those guys set out and carried out the mission with anything but the intention of bringing her out safely but in this sort of warfare those guys, who I may add were risking their lives aswell, were up against a very big ask to bring her out alive in the first place. I say fair play for trying to save her because she would not have come away alive in anything other than a rescue! Total respect to all those troops, from every nation out there doing a job the likes of us have no idea about unless you've been there!!!

I can't argue with any of this, I was going to return to this earlier as I felt I was being glib and not talking with any knowledge or understanding.
But upon my return I read a fair few people of similar opinion.

It's odd our perception of The SAS v US Special Forces, I know who I'd want to rescue me if I was twatty enough to go to Afganistan.

 

[auschr]

this is what happens when you have an army that targets high school failures that play too many video games

 

[algie]

I'm suprised our govenment allowed the US specail forces to go ahead in this op.I wouldn't trust them to do anything let alone a job like this.

 

[algie]

Well I take it you are some authority on hostage rescue because if you're not I don't know on what basis you venture to ridicule those soldiers attempting to save her life by your sarcastic comment. I very much doubt those guys set out and carried out the mission with anything but the intention of bringing her out safely but in this sort of warfare those guys, who I may add were risking their lives aswell, were up against a very big ask to bring her out alive in the first place. I say fair play for trying to save her because she would not have come away alive in anything other than a rescue! Total respect to all those troops, from every nation out there doing a job the likes of us have no idea about unless you've been there!!!

Lets not beat about the bush here.The US are known for f***ing up things.Noone was killed when some of our sas were captured in Iraq.They were freed without any of them getting killed.Thats because we took care of it.

 

[auschr]

i wouldn't worry about the us army for very long, being phased out for the much perferred hired arms like blackwater or whatever they are being called now. much less accountability that way. rape a few underage iraqi girls just pay a small fine and get on with it.

 

[GNF on Tour]

Why were US soldiers rescuing a British national when British troops are also in country?

 

[biggles]

i think we are all forgetting something here , surely the bastards to blame are the kidnappers and sadly the young lady who was kidnapped , i guess someone must have got some info that the girl would be executed and they had no real choice but to try and storm in or whatever , lets not forget who are the real bad guys

 

[Pot noodles for everyone]

i wouldn't worry about the us army for very long, being phased out for the much perferred hired arms like blackwater or whatever they are being called now. much less accountability that way. rape a few underage iraqi girls just pay a small fine and get on with it.

Care to back that up with some evidence? I'm not doubting that Blackwater are a pernicious force in Iraq but the US Congress has them very firmly in their sights and I think that no amount of re-branding can save that group once Congress has finished with them. They (Congress) have passed specific laws aimed at making those in charge of Blackwater responsible under criminal law.

To say that they can rape with relative impunity isn't quite true, is it?

 

[beorhthelm]

Why were US soldiers rescuing a British national when British troops are also in country?

operating in different area or otherwise depolyed i'd imagine. there arent very many of them.

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

I mean I'm not Rambo Ive never been in the SAS but Id hazard a guess its not a great idea to be throwing a grenade in the direction of the hostage as a general rule of thumb

How long do you think the Special Forces have between starting the operation and securing the hostage, I'd say they are working on 15-20 secs absolute maximum.

In that time, having already carried out a difficult operation to get into position; they are working on any intelligence they have gathered, reacting to booby traps, returning fire, opening doors and windows to secure a path, calculating who is friend and who is foe, locking down as they go so they don't get caught en-route and securing the hostage.

Funnily enough sometimes they get it wrong, i.e. one judgement out of the hundreds they make in the first minute or so.

You and I wouldn't have got anywhere near that gaff

 

[Laughing Gravy]

Well I take it you are some authority on hostage rescue because if you're not I don't know on what basis you venture to ridicule those soldiers attempting to save her life by your sarcastic comment. I very much doubt those guys set out and carried out the mission with anything but the intention of bringing her out safely but in this sort of warfare those guys, who I may add were risking their lives aswell, were up against a very big ask to bring her out alive in the first place. I say fair play for trying to save her because she would not have come away alive in anything other than a rescue! Total respect to all those troops, from every nation out there doing a job the likes of us have no idea about unless you've been there!!!

Good post