ianstone
10-12-2010, 02:52 AM
Why did Linda have to die? Family of British aid worker killed by U.S. special forces in Afghan raid demand to know the truth
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1319683/Linda-Norgrove-Family-British-aid-worker-killed-U-S-special-forces-Afghan-raid-demand-know-truth.html#ixzz127lZB4b8
Comments (113) (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1319683/Linda-Norgrove-Family-British-aid-worker-killed-U-S-special-forces-Afghan-raid-demand-know-truth.html#comments)
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/10/12/article-1319683-0B921659000005DC-861_306x378.jpg
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/10/12/article-1319683-01BBC834000004B0-215_306x378.jpg
Ashen-faced: David Cameron (left) learnt Miss Norgrove had been killed by so-called friendly fire from the American commander General David Petraeus
Mr Cameron was clearly shaken and disclosed he will replay the circumstances leading up to the green light for the operation ‘100 times’ in his head.
But there was also growing criticism of the tactics of the U.S. special forces sent in to try to rescue Miss Norgrove from the remote, mountainous Korengal Valley, one of the most dangerous and lawless places in Afghanistan.
Military sources raised particular concern about the training the team had for hostage situations.
Asked if he had considered using British special forces to try to rescue Miss Norgrove, Mr Cameron said: ‘Of course I asked a huge number of questions.’
But he insisted it would have been ‘quite unorthodox’ for him to overrule commanders on the ground and insist on British special forces undertaking the rescue in an area known by U.S. forces.
Enlarge http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/10/11/article-1319683-0B92FFE1000005DC-132_634x413.jpg (http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/10/11/article-1319683-0B92FFE1000005DC-132_634x413_popup.jpg)
An intensive military operation, one that had been planned and co-ordinated from Kabul – but had involved discussions in London and Washington between Britain’s most senior intelligence officials, David Cameron, William Hague and their American counterparts – was about to come to a violent head.
Action was taken after reports that Miss Norgrove was soon to be moved to another, secret location.
The first intelligence suggesting Miss Norgrove’s whereabouts – a few buildings surrounded by a perimeter wall – had come from U.S. pilotless drones. She had reputedly been moved after being seized on her way to open a new water project.
SO WHY DIDN'T THEY SEND IN THE SAS?
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/10/12/article-1319683-0B8B9151000005DC-751_296x349.jpg Ministers were last night facing questions over why the SAS were not called in to rescue Linda Norgrove. Instead of crack British soldiers carrying out the mission, it was handed to the U.S. military, which has been accused of ‘gung-ho’ tactics.
So what went wrong? According to British sources, the U.S. made clear it was ‘their’ operation, insisting that they knew the terrain better than the British.
Yet members of the SAS, who were on standby for the operation, were understood to have had deep reservations about the rescue plan, fearing that the use of helicopters would simply have alerted the insurgents.
The report that Miss Norgrove had been ‘killed by an insurgent’ who had detonated his suicide vest as the Seals closed in, was officially announced within hours of the operation taken place. The same information was relayed to Miss Norgrove’s parents – John, 60, a retired civil engineer, and her 62-year-old mother, Lorna.
But in the early hours of yesterday morning, David Petraeus, the U.S. chief of coalition forces in Afghanistan, made a personal call to Downing Street, leaving a message for Mr Cameron to phone him immediately. He had grim news. In military jargon, it was clearly a friendly fire killing.
While shocked, Mr Cameron does not believe the Americans lied. ‘It was wrong information in the fog of war,’ said a source.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1319683/Linda-Norgrove-Family-British-aid-worker-killed-U-S-special-forces-Afghan-raid-demand-know-truth.html#ixzz127lZB4b8
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1319683/Linda-Norgrove-Family-British-aid-worker-killed-U-S-special-forces-Afghan-raid-demand-know-truth.html#ixzz127lZB4b8
Comments (113) (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1319683/Linda-Norgrove-Family-British-aid-worker-killed-U-S-special-forces-Afghan-raid-demand-know-truth.html#comments)
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/10/12/article-1319683-0B921659000005DC-861_306x378.jpg
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/10/12/article-1319683-01BBC834000004B0-215_306x378.jpg
Ashen-faced: David Cameron (left) learnt Miss Norgrove had been killed by so-called friendly fire from the American commander General David Petraeus
Mr Cameron was clearly shaken and disclosed he will replay the circumstances leading up to the green light for the operation ‘100 times’ in his head.
But there was also growing criticism of the tactics of the U.S. special forces sent in to try to rescue Miss Norgrove from the remote, mountainous Korengal Valley, one of the most dangerous and lawless places in Afghanistan.
Military sources raised particular concern about the training the team had for hostage situations.
Asked if he had considered using British special forces to try to rescue Miss Norgrove, Mr Cameron said: ‘Of course I asked a huge number of questions.’
But he insisted it would have been ‘quite unorthodox’ for him to overrule commanders on the ground and insist on British special forces undertaking the rescue in an area known by U.S. forces.
Enlarge http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/10/11/article-1319683-0B92FFE1000005DC-132_634x413.jpg (http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/10/11/article-1319683-0B92FFE1000005DC-132_634x413_popup.jpg)
An intensive military operation, one that had been planned and co-ordinated from Kabul – but had involved discussions in London and Washington between Britain’s most senior intelligence officials, David Cameron, William Hague and their American counterparts – was about to come to a violent head.
Action was taken after reports that Miss Norgrove was soon to be moved to another, secret location.
The first intelligence suggesting Miss Norgrove’s whereabouts – a few buildings surrounded by a perimeter wall – had come from U.S. pilotless drones. She had reputedly been moved after being seized on her way to open a new water project.
SO WHY DIDN'T THEY SEND IN THE SAS?
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/10/12/article-1319683-0B8B9151000005DC-751_296x349.jpg Ministers were last night facing questions over why the SAS were not called in to rescue Linda Norgrove. Instead of crack British soldiers carrying out the mission, it was handed to the U.S. military, which has been accused of ‘gung-ho’ tactics.
So what went wrong? According to British sources, the U.S. made clear it was ‘their’ operation, insisting that they knew the terrain better than the British.
Yet members of the SAS, who were on standby for the operation, were understood to have had deep reservations about the rescue plan, fearing that the use of helicopters would simply have alerted the insurgents.
The report that Miss Norgrove had been ‘killed by an insurgent’ who had detonated his suicide vest as the Seals closed in, was officially announced within hours of the operation taken place. The same information was relayed to Miss Norgrove’s parents – John, 60, a retired civil engineer, and her 62-year-old mother, Lorna.
But in the early hours of yesterday morning, David Petraeus, the U.S. chief of coalition forces in Afghanistan, made a personal call to Downing Street, leaving a message for Mr Cameron to phone him immediately. He had grim news. In military jargon, it was clearly a friendly fire killing.
While shocked, Mr Cameron does not believe the Americans lied. ‘It was wrong information in the fog of war,’ said a source.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1319683/Linda-Norgrove-Family-British-aid-worker-killed-U-S-special-forces-Afghan-raid-demand-know-truth.html#ixzz127lZB4b8