Helicopter Crash Kills 38

[Shem]

A helicopter crash in Afghanistan killed thirty-one U.S. soldiers and seven Afghan commandos as they were raiding a house, making it the deadliest single incident for American forces since the outset of the war. Most were from SEAL Team Six, the same unit that assassinated Osama bin Laden back in May. The Taliban are claiming responsibility for the attack.

A military helicopter was shot down in eastern Afghanistan, killing 31 U.S. special operation troops, most of them from the elite Navy SEALs unit that killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, along with seven Afghan commandos. It was the deadliest single incident for American forces in the decade-long war.

Article

Sorry about all the depressing news I've been posting lately.

 

[Krynn72]

38 soldiers in one day is the biggest single day loss we've had since the war began? Damn, war very different these days.

 

[Stigmata]

This is not in any way suspicious.

 

[Raziaar]

Are these literally members of the same team that took down Bin Laden? I don't know how large seal team six is.

****... these guys will definitely be remembered for their heroism for ages to come.

Sadly many of our boys don't get the same lasting tribute. They get remembered briefly by all, and only for the lifetime of those closest to them, instead of those who had some special recognition in the war, such as killing Bin Laden. All those troops are heroic though. I just wish we could bring them home.

 

[Remus]

This is not in any way suspicious.

With the risk of sounding like a conspiracy nut, I have to agree with this.

 

[Ennui]

I think each Seal team has about 120 SEALs + command. Theoretically this applies to ST6 as well.

I think it's probably a coincidence... but I will admit that earlier today when I saw that most of the dead soldiers were from Seal Team 6, my suppressed inner conspiracy theorist definitely started shouting at the top of his lungs that Osama bin Laden was never killed and it was all a government hoax and they are covering their tracks.... but that's completely ridiculous

It was a commando raid... which is what special ops guys like SEALs exist for in the first place, so in all probability it was simply a tragic accident/crash.

 

[Remus]

my suppressed inner conspiracy theorist definitely started shouting at the top of his lungs that Osama bin Laden was never killed and it was all a government hoax and they are covering their tracks.... but that's completely ridiculous.

What's even more ridiculous is that, if this part was actually true it would also mean that the whole "9/11 is an inside job" thing would also be true.

 

[Ennui]

The casualties included members of SEAL Team Six, the special operations unit that carried out the raid in Pakistan this spring that killed Osama bin Laden, but none of the elite unit's members on the raid against the Al Qaeda leader were on the helicopter that went down, according to a person briefed on the casualties.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fgw-afghan-chopper-20110806,0,7091814.story

 

[Remus]

Suppressed inner conspiracy theorist calming the **** down.

 

[Stigmata]

"According to a person briefed on the casualties," is still slightly worrying wording. Very nonspecific, anonymous, and detached. Though the conspiracy fodder depends on whether or not other articles show more specificity.

 

[Escaep]

Sick of this damn war...

 

[morgs]

When I saw the thread title I thought, "That's one big helicopter"

The SEAL 6 thing is kind of suspicious though.

 

[Shem]

Sorry, the news has been updated since I posted the thread. The death toll is composed of thirty U.S. troops, seven Afghan commandos, and an interpreter. Twenty-five were from SEAL Team Six, but, as Ennui pointed out, it appears they were not involved in the
Osama bin Laden operation in May.

"We don't believe that any of the special operators who were killed were involved in the bin Laden operation," a senior U.S. military official told Fox News.

 

[The Monkey]

Yeah, that's one big-ass helicopter.

 

[Stigmata]

I still don't have any reason to believe that Fox News, an unidentified U.S. military official, or the phrase "we don't believe that" indicates any amount of truth. You're the ****ing MILITARY. You either know or you don't.

I mean, really. If it's a security issue, you say "We can't release that info due to national security", the go-to excuse for hidden information. Worked fine. But for some reason we're being pushed very hard, without any actual evidence, to "believe" that none of those Seal members were a part of Osama's assassination.

 

[Raziaar]

I can't really breathe a sigh of relief. It's not as if those soldiers who weren't the ones who took down bin laden are somehow any less talented or special. They just weren't on the mission. Equally important lives that were lost.

Yeah, that's one big-ass helicopter.

Yes, it can hold like nearly half a hundred troops.

 

[Absinthe]

So... are we concerned that there's some kind of bin Laden coverup at work here, or just irritated that confirmation is so piss-poor?

 

[Shem]

So... are we concerned that there's some kind of bin Laden coverup at work here, or just irritated that confirmation is so piss-poor?

With Stigmata, it could be the latter. With the ones who are somewhat suspicious of the details, the former. The confirmation could've been a bit better, but they're probably still investigating the crash to make sure nothing false is reported.

By the way, it was a Chinook helicopter. They can hold 33-55 troops, supporting Raziaar's statement.

 

[Bad^Hat]

Do we really think this is something the military could effectively cover up if they wanted to? These people have families and friends. Their absence may be notable.

 

[Stigmata]

So... are we concerned that there's some kind of bin Laden coverup at work here, or just irritated that confirmation is so piss-poor?

The latter fueling the former.

 

[FrostedxB]

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/08/10/afghanistan.seals.chopper/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Coalition forces in Afghanistan have killed the Taliban insurgents responsible for the downing of a helicopter that left 38 U.S. and Afghan personnel dead, the commander of U.S. forces there and NATO announced Wednesday.

A precision airstrike killed Mullah Mohibullah -- a Taliban leader -- and the insurgent who fired what's believed to be the rocket-propelled grenade that brought down the helicopter, according to Gen. John Allen, the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Several of their Taliban associates were also killed, NATO's International Security Assistance Force said.

Well those responsible are gone, but someone else is just going to take their place. A little worried this will just further a retaliation/more attacks by the Taliban.