CNN: Body of missing SEAL recovered

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/07/10/afghan.seal/index.html

The body of a U.S. Navy SEAL has been found and recovered in Afghanistan, a senior defense official said Sunday.

This would account for the fourth member of a reconnaissance team that disappeared two weeks ago in Afghanistan. Only one of the four survived.

The body of the SEAL was found near the other two bodies and all three had died in a shootout with insurgents, according to an initial assessment from the field, the senior official said.

This senior official said that "no way" had the SEAL ever been in captivity, contrary to Taliban claims that he had been abducted.

Newsweek: Military: Frustration for the Fabled SEALs

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8525634/site/newsweek/

It was the worst setback in the 43-year history of the Navy SEAL program. At least 10 of the elite commandos died when a reconnaissance team came under fire in the mountains of Afghanistan's Kunar province, and a SEAL rescue helicopter crashed trying to save them. For many proud SEALs (an acronym for Sea, Air and Land Team), the Afghan debacle was just a bitter new chapter in a very frustrating war on terror. Since 9/11—but especially since the Iraq war—many SEALs have come to feel like second-class citizens in the exclusive world of Special Forces.

Why? "The main reason has been severe restrictions on the types of missions they are allowed to undertake," says a U.S. defense analyst under Pentagon contract who works closely with Special Forces (he declined to be identified because his work is classified). While the Army's Delta Force and Green Berets get the best "direct action" and unconventional warfare missions—going after the bad guys—SEALs say they are often relegated to doing VIP escorts in Iraq or rescue missions, the defense analyst says. The Afghan recon mission was a rare "bright spot," he says, despite its tragic end. The Army also dominates the senior command, with Gen. Bryan Brown and Lt. Gen. William Boykin running Special Ops worldwide.

The result is that hundreds of veteran SEALs have not re-enlisted, while others have resigned their commissions, says the defense analyst, citing official Pentagon numbers. That has deprived the overall SEAL population of about 2,500 of experienced commandos, he says. Asked to respond, SEALs spokesman Cmdr. Jeff Bender said: "We can't go into the nature of our missions. But it's categorically untrue that morale is low." He also said that "retention is better than it has been."

[niyad]

1. he was "near the other two bodies" and it took them TWO weeks to find him?

can we say weird?

[northzax]

22. not in mountainous, enemy occupied terrain

it's not like looking for people in an empty parking lot, and the recon was probably from the air, using uav's, or other, higher altitude craft. Even with in person searches, it can be terribly hard to find someone in that sort of terrain.

[justinsb]

2. So it's a bit of he said she said

or something like that. Who do you believe? The Pentagon or the Taliban - no good horse in that race I'm afraid.

[Ian David]

3. If he'd been abducted, do we know what they fed him?

Because if they fed him well, then we'll know he wasn't tortured.

[hippiechick]

4. They might be able to tell from autopsy ...

... depending on what may/may not be left in his digestive system ...


:shrug:

[Ian David]

6. The media needs to start asking these questions.

When ever someone has been abducted or held hostage, we need to ask about the menu, "so we'll know if they're being tortured or mis-treated."

When the insurgents start sending us videos of the hostages eating steak and caviar, maybe people would get the message.

Terrorists need to hire P.R. people with a sick, twisted sense of humor.

In their situation, that's what I would do. Send pictures of hostages eating great food as "proof" they're being well-treated.

[Kittycat]

12. He could have eaten Rice Pilaf, and 3 oz of fish - with 4 glasses of water

and juice n/t

[Lost-in-FL]

14. Maybe he was fed to death

:crazy:

[FlemingsGhost]

5. And if he was tortured?

What then?

[Ian David]

7. Then my sympathies to him and his family.

Tortured or not, I feel bad for him and the family he has left behind.

But hey... what about 'em gays gettin' married?

[marew]

13. Excellent point!

Let's get everyone stirred up over minor BS so they won't get fired up over the important stuff. I am so sick of the religious "wrongs" myopic view of the world. I can't handle them wanting the 10 commandments posted everywhere, the official adoption of 'creationism", and on and on... The rethugs give them just enough recognition that they are too busy with their craziness to look at the real stuff that is going on. They are just too stupid to figure out they are being conned big time!

[davepc]

17. He's fucking DEAD

What the hell.

[daleo]

8. Afghanistan is landlocked

So, that might cut down on the involvement of Navy SEALs a bit.

[oneold1-4u]

10. Learn before you think

Seal is Sea and land and only a few are trained in water type secret recon!

[daleo]

20. Yes, but the term Navy still seems relevant

I am familiar with the meaning of the term. It seems reasonable to assume though that when the theater is a landlocked one, units associated with the navy are not likely to be quite as prominent as those associated with the army. It is in the nature of bureaucracies to protect their domain.

[oneold1-4u]

9. Very mysterious

They find and identify 2 and 2 weeks later another body is right there!?????
It would be nice to know that someone would be allowed to verify and tell the truth just once! It may not always be pleasant but truth is easier than stupid lies and error, like not acknowledging a death at all or caused by friendly fire.

[DonMeyer]

11. Who can trust the Pentagon?

Remember the lies about that Ranger and the friendly fire episode?

[Lost-in-FL]

15. You have a point

[Danieljay]

16. this is just plain sad

out best trained forces being wasted in an unsuccessful war on terror. We are losing good men and women for nothing. Shame on this administration for sacrificing the lives of our soldiers.

[lebkuchen]

19. Agreed, yet no sadder than the deaths of our Infantry/Armored Divisions

though the amount of money that is spent on training someone who makes it into the SEALS, it's the equivalent of killing off a swath of fighter pilots.

And if this is true, following in line with reenlistment rates for the army overall (down 12% in the last fiscal year), the US is building itself a huge dogpile:

The result is that hundreds of veteran SEALs have not re-enlisted, while others have resigned their commissions, says the defense analyst, citing official Pentagon numbers. That has deprived the overall SEAL population of about 2,500 of experienced commandos, he says. Asked to respond, SEALs spokesman Cmdr. Jeff Bender said: "We can't go into the nature of our missions. But it's categorically untrue that morale is low." He also said that "retention is better than it has been."

[northzax]

24. why reinlist...

when you can make $1,000/day doing the same thing for Blackwater? really? if you feel your talents are squandered, why stay?

I don't know if 'hundreds' isa real number, compared to other periods of the same amount of time. That could be 101, or 999...

[lebkuchen]

25. The troops know it, too

Recall the contractors who said they were given a hard time by some enlisted troops when they were arrested and put in the same confines as the Muslim prisoners...the keepers of the keys had mentioned the huge difference in income both groups were making as they shoved the contractors into the slammer. The gigantic financial discrepancies have got to hurt morale.

Rummy apparently doesn't believe in morale. He has done absolutely nothing to promote it.

[lebkuchen]

18. "the worst single loss for U.S. special ops forces since World War II"

The London bombings have "been called the largest attack on London since WWII."

And all this time I'd been comparing Bush/Blair's Folly to Vietnam.

[Toots]

23. Hmm I wonder if anyone knows about the A-team at My Loc

A Special Forces camp was over run at My Loc in 1968 and all but three were killed. I guess they don't count....

[rocktivity]

21. This story has Jessica Lynch's fingerprints all over it

The body of the SEAL was found near the other two bodies and all three had died in a shootout with insurgents, according to an initial assessment from the field, the senior official said.

This senior official said that "no way" had the SEAL ever been in captivity, contrary to Taliban claims that he had been abducted.

Maybe the reason why the third body turned up "near" the other two nearly two weeks later is because it was placed there.

:headbang:
rocknation