Throughout, he said, Justice lawyers have refused to take his phone calls. The hardest LZ Id ever been into, Lee said. Its crazy how many times I can think of where me or the guys I was with had to do that.. The helicopter crashed into a creek bed and a flash flood shortly afterward washed away some parts of the wreckage. They are also pretty tough; the only comparable loss to this one was a Chinook shot down in 2005. It launched in the belly of the aircraft which made a hard landing and only two soldiers were injured in that attack but this time all on board were killed. But why? "Their deaths are a reminder of the extraordinary sacrifices made by the men and women of our military and their families, including all who have served in Afghanistan," Obama said in a statement. The helicopter was in great operational shape. It requires the highest level of skills from the pilots because they are some of the most dangerous operations.. The story itself is tragic, but tons of war propaganda. Finally Sells Japan Tomahawk Missiles. On board were 22 Navy SEALs, rushing to support troops in firefight. But over time, they became more disturbing, including one that suggested the Taliban had been tipped off by someone inside the Afghan government as revenge for bin Ladens killing. SEAL TEAM SIX - EXTORTION 17 COVER UP theunitedwest 15.8K subscribers Subscribe 683 53K views Streamed 7 years ago WOW, watch author Don Brown blow the lid off of the official government report. ", "The hearts and minds of our enemy are more valuable to our government than my son's blood," she said. In combat, its mission is to transport large teams of elite assault troops, including Army Rangers and Navy SEALs, to and from the battlefield. Darack, a writer and photographer, is the author of four previous books, including Victory Point: Operations Red Wings and Whalersthe Marine Corps' Battle for Freedom in Afghanistan, Join half a million readers enjoying Newsweek's free newsletters. The families of these deceased heroes have been stonewalled by the Obama Department of Defense and the Obama National Security Agency in disrespect over their sons unexplained tragic deaths. The subject of the tweet, per The Beast, is Alan Howell Parrot, a falconer-turned-CIA whistleblower who was once the star of a documentary called Feathered Cocaine.. Were pleading with the judge to do something, and hes just sitting on it., In one of his motions, Mr. Klayman stated: As this Court must be aware, this is not an ordinary Freedom of Information Act case, it involves obtaining records concerning the deaths of Navy SEAL Team 6 and other special operations forces on a mission with the call sign Extortion 17. Nearby, there were two enemy fighters with rocket-propelled grenade launchers. You never want to use the same landing zone twice, Darack said. The Associated Press is reporting that a rocket attack took down the Chinook (probably a MH-47) , quoting an unnamed source in Washington D.C., but this has yet to be confirmed officially. On a moonless night, an Army helicopter carrying 17 members of the elite Navy SEAL Team 6, the unit that killed Osama Bin Laden, is shot down in Afghanistan. Each shouldered a rocket propelled grenade launcher, aimed at the dim silhouette of the approaching helicopter then fired. However, a shoot down does not necessarily mean insurgents have changed their tactics or hardware. Three months after bin Ladens death, members of the SEAL Team 6 force -- though apparently not the same ones who carried out the bin Laden raid -- were on board the CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter, along with its Army National Guard aircrew, several support personnel and seven Afghan commandos. Back in May, the families of the SEALs went public with concerns that the Obama administration was at least partially responsible for the deaths [] An official report was released in October 2011 but family members say it did little to fill in the details and left more questions than answers. He grew up in Tyler, went to Texas A&M, joined the Corps of Cadets and stared in shock at the news thattwo planes slammed into the World Trade Center and another into the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. They start the movie showing George W Bush saying that after 9/11 we will hunt down those responsible. More than 20 Navy Seals died in the helicopter crash that killed 31 in Afghanistan yesterday. PRX is a 501(c)(3) organization recognized by the IRS: #263347402. "We simply didn't know those guys with those RPGs were there," he said. Coincidence or not, any Chinook shoot-down is a coup for the Taliban. The former vice president has become the Democratic front-runner with primary victories across the country. And you know, never before in the history of our county (had) a sitting president released that type of information to the public, especially when he was talking about special forces. The tempo of the missions did not decrease. During the event organized by a group called Freedom Watch, family members and former military personnel claimed President Obama turned the SEALs group into a Taliban target after the administration revealed they had conducted the bin Laden raid. They were sitting there, waiting. "We have an ideology problem with this war, and we need to address it. It was a hard landing, but it would have been worse if they had landed tail first. Petty Officer 1st Class Aaron Vaughn was one of the SEAL Team 6 operators who died in the crash. The military's public contradictions raise more questions than answers. The immediate reaction force (IRF) was assembled hastily for insertion into Tangi Valley to help Army Rangers capture fleeing Taliban. A US helicopter crashed in Afghanistan yesterday killing 31 special operation troops, most of them from the elite Navy Seals unit that killed Osama bin Laden. In fact, Chinooks are better protected from newer, more sophisticated threats than from older, more crude ones. They believe SEAL Team 6 had a target on its back and that persons inside the Afghan National Security Forces may have tipped off the Taliban that night in Tangi Valley. "A NATO helicopter crashed last night in Wardak province," Karzai said in the statement. The team was responding to an Army Ranger unit that was engaged in a protracted firefight with Taliban fighters and needed reinforcements. The force included seven Afghan soldiers and an Afghan interpreter. In the rear of the aircraft, the Chinook's passengers stood and prepared to storm out into moonless night once the wheels touched the ground. Oops, this content can't be loadedbecause you're having connectivity problems, Stay always informed and up to date with our breaking news alerts, - The Washington Times - Wednesday, August 5, 2015. They were part of his command. As they started their descent, Lee heard a loud popping noise. And Justice unilaterally set a new deadline for the release and then ignored it, Mr. Klayman said. The Taliban, of course, has taken credit, saying it shot down the helo during a special forces raid on a home. With Sean Hannity, Raj Kala, Justin Torrence, Vee Bhakta. Information about the incident is still trickling in, but these are a few of the most important questions in the immediate aftermath. U.S. Central Commands official investigation concluded that a rocket-launched grenade from a Taliban fighter standing near the landing zone clipped a rotary wing, sending the Ch-47 Chinook into a violent downward spin. The pilots ranked among the most proficient in this type of flying and the Department of Defense. Fallen Angel.. KABUL, Afghanistan -- A helicopter crash in Afghanistan's eastern Wardak province has killed 30 U.S. special operation troops and seven Afghan soldiers, the country's president said on. A Defense Department special operations official told a House subcommittee last year that there is no indication the mission was compromised by the Afghans. If this [operation] was survivable, that was the right crew to have. Ultimately, bin Laden was found and killed within nine minutes, and SEAL Team Six was credited with carrying out a nearly flawless mission. The attack on August 6 was the most devastating day in SEAL Team Six history, as well as the single largest loss of life for U.S. forces since the war in Afghanistan began in October. FACT CHECK: We strive for accuracy and fairness. The operation to kill the world's most wanted terrorist was the result of years of planning and training. This was preventable only if they just had not taken off that night, Lee said. By The Newsroom 6th Aug 2011, 6:30pm And the shooters had no reason to know that Extortion 17 or any other helicopter would be flying through their quiet extremity of the valley. RETWEET!, The president went on to follow that last command, although the Oscar the Midnight Rider account has since been suspended by Twitter. U.S. Around 2:40 a.m., an Apache pilot flying in support came on the radio and shouted: Fallen Angel. Were very concerned that the administration had disclosed that the Navy SEALs had carried out a successful attack on bin Ladens compound resulting in his death. As is routine on such missions, two Apache attack helicopters provided extra cover and security for Extortion 17, while circling above was an AC-130 aircraft, a gunship that also provides surveillance. At 2:38 a.m. on August 6, 2011, a U.S. Army Chinook helicopter, call sign Extortion 17, entered the western opening of Afghanistan's restive Tangi Valley, flying alone. The sheer amount of experience with our pilots, flight engineers and back-seaters and mechanics offered a wealth of knowledge, he said. I mean, at any time if we would have found these squirters, or they would have found weapons, we were the way I was understanding it, we were going to be clear to engage due to the fact that they had weapons, but we had to [positively identify] them first., He added: So we hadnt started looking at the LZ yet, just due to there was so much more of a threat to the east with the squirters. The terrorist leader was not only a major player within al-Qaeda but also a figurehead that attracted supporters and recruits from around the world. And needless to say, it was the real Bin Laden who was killed, not an incredible facsimile. In addition to the 30 Americans, the official said there were seven Afghan army soldiers and an interpreter on the helicopter. An Afghan official, speaking anonymously a few days after the attack, speculated that the Taliban had laid a trap, that they had purposely put out false information about a meeting involving the Taliban commander. International reactions to bin Ladens death ranged from favorable to mixed. In all 38 troops died after the helicopter was shot down by what a review determined to be a Taliban RPG over Wardak Province, Afghanistan, on Aug. 6, 2011. He knew the pilots and crew members aboard Extortion 17. Special Forces are expected to keep the pressure on the Taliban, working closely with Afghan forces to maintain control as U.S and Coalition troops depart. The World is a public radio program that crosses borders and time zones to bring home the stories that matter. And we really feel that this put our guys in an unnecessary risk, Hamburger said. Since filing a lawsuit, Mr. Klayman says, he has been stonewalled by the Justice Department, the Defense Department, the CIA and the National Security Agency. In that incident, 16 Navy SEALs and Army special operations troops were killed when their craft was shot down while on a mission to rescue four SEALs under attack by the Taliban. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content. I didnt want to die., He remembered the words of his old flight instructor: Never stop flying the aircraft.. In all, 17 members of the SEAL Team 6 counterterrorist force were on board the CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter, along with its Army National Guard aircrew, several support personnel and seven Afghan commandos. The Rangers were not in need of rescue. the seal team 6 crash is just tying up loose ends for their crimes. As they made their approach, there was a line of thunderstorms nearby. A CH-47D Chinook helicopter (the same model as Extortion 17) speeds through the Sierra Nevada Mountains at the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center, near Bridgeport, California, during mountain warfare training exercises. He has written about soldiers returning home from war and the mental health crisis facing young people. On such missions, the Chinook pilots nearly always fly at night, wearing night vision goggles, or NVGs. Doug Hamburger, whose son Patrick was killed, called the incident an ambush that could have been prevented. August 6, 2011 / 6:08 PM / CBS Boston KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- A military helicopter was shot down in eastern Afghanistan, killing 31 U.S. special operation troops, most of them from the. He spoke out against banning girls education. Military officials told her operating outside of these rules "damages our efforts to win the hearts and minds of our enemies. President Obama offered his thoughts and prayers to those killed in the crash. The military's public c Read allOn a moonless night, an Army helicopter carrying 17 members of the elite Navy SEAL Team 6, the unit that killed Osama Bin Laden, is shot down in Afghanistan. The military's public contradictions raise more questions than answers.On a moonless night, an Army helicopter carrying 17 members of the elite Navy SEAL Team 6, the unit that killed Osama Bin Laden, is shot down in Afghanistan. But the CH-47D has neither a flight nor voice recorder, only an engine performance data. Lee, now a captain, was placed in command of a Chinook helicopter unit at Forward Operating Base Shank. The front rotor shattered, and the back pylon sheared off. "Their deaths are a reminder of the extraordinary sacrifices made by the men and women of our military and their families, including all who have served in Afghanistan,'' President Obama said Saturday. U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon in February signed an order requiring the Obama administration to release documents on a continual basis through the spring and summer. Fallen Angel: Call Sign - Extortion 17: Directed by Karl Horstmann, Stephen Spivey. For many families of 9/11 victims, bin Ladens death symbolized justice and retribution. The families hope to raise awareness of the incident, which they say the government has largely forgotten since the official report was released in October 2011. An initial investigation indicates the helicopter was shot down by insurgents in the volatile Tangi valley of Wardak province, several hours south of Kabul. Rowan Scarborough can be reached at rscarborough@washingtontimes.com. The Graveyard of Empires: Directed by David Boreanaz. Extortion 17, however, would never reach that landing zone. It marked the greatest single incident loss of American life in the war in Afghanistan, the deadliest moment in the history of SEAL Team Six and the entirety of the Navy SEALs, and the deadliest single incident in the history of U.S. Special Operations Command. The navigator on the AC-130 gunship said there was simply too much gun and engine noise to think that the Chinook could make an undetected entrance. The tragedy took some of the glow off SEAL Team 6s grand achievement just three months earlier: A team penetrated Pakistan airspace, infiltrated a compound in Abbottabad and killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. But why? "President Karzai expressed his deep condolences because of this incident and expressed his sympathy to Barack Obama.". It means being informed. Today, some family members are not just disappointed in the investigation and the FOIA process, but also in how the House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee on national security conducted a brief hearing in Feb. 2014. They have to slow down to land or allow troops to rappel to the ground. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Theyre going after [enemy fighters] in very hostile environments, who know the terrain very well, who know the battlescape very well, Darack said. Follow him on Twitter at @StephenSilver. Nothing tests the capabilities of a young helicopter pilot like flying in the extreme conditions of Afghanistan. It just wasnt.. A spokesman for the Taliban, Zabiullah Mujahid, confirmed that insurgents had been gathering at the compound, adding that eight of them had been killed in the fighting. they won't view it as wrong, just a "necessary" sacrifice for your country. And they sent our guys right into the middle.. The families accept the fact that a single shot brought down the helicopter. "No amount of training, skill, or technology will ever defeat chance on the battlefield. The workhorse in Army aviation, the tandem rotor, heavy-lift Chinook helicopter is used for carrying troops, equipment, supplies and even the mail. Flying low, the pilots have to maneuver a machine weighing up to 50,000 pounds over mountains, under cover of darkness, in swirling wind and dust, wearing night vision goggles. Lee and his friend Bryan Nichols flew their Chinook into battle several timesthe first night, dropping off troops at a landing zone (LZ) almost 10,000 feet above sea level. While the vast majority of attempts to down helicopters failed, the lucky shot that took down Extortion 17 had a precedent. But the Team Six connection makes it a major symbolic victory for them. So, to do an infil on the X or Y, you know, having that element of surprise in the beginning of an operation is good, but by the time weve been there for three hours, and the partys up, bringing in another aircraft like that, you know, may not be the most tactically sound decision.. It was an auspicious day for the two enemy fighters. The investigation of events surrounding the crash of a C H-47D Chinook , call sign Extortion 17, took military command officials just two months to complete. During the last several years it is evident that our government has spent a lot of time and resources covering up the truth on many things from both our allies and the American public, Mr. For now, let's assume the Chinook was shot down, and by a rocket. The Justice Department said at least 50 documents in the Pentagon have been identified as relevant, but only one has been turned over. Mr. Klayman said the NSA has agreed to provide some information. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. She also said the team was hindered by rules of engagement that prohibited their firing on potential targets unless they could see a weapon. "He said, 'Mom, there's chatter. I would say that was the first time that we really had eyes on the LZ.. Charlie Strange, whose Navy cryptologist son, Michael, was on Extortion 17, told The Times last year that it was too much of a coincidence for Taliban to be standing so near the landing zone. The second probe, led by Army Brigadier General Jeffrey Colt, explained in excruciating detail what all those familiar with military operations and helicopter aviation in Afghanistan already knew: chance and chance alone, took down Extortion 17. Forces to the threat of spying. Special forces are very selective on who they partner with, but any collaboration with Afghans opens up U.S. However, it would be a very lucky shot to hit a moving Chinook with an RPG and they typically fly high to avoid such dangers as well as small arms fire. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. . Copyright 2023 The Washington Times, LLC. Mills, a 13-year veteran of the military . Market data provided by Factset. 4:10 p.m. - A backup helicopter scoops up remaining team members and leaves the area. Things like Benghazi and the NSA. Per factcheck.org, while Obama and his advisers were deliberating over which mission to authorize for attacking Bin Ladens compound, Biden advised the president to wait for further confirmation that bin Laden was actually in the compound in Pakistan before acting. Biden was not, as implied, altogether opposed to killing Bin Laden. The assassination of Osama bin Laden was a significant victory for the U.S. government and the American people at large. The US Navy's elite SEAL Team 6 reportedly recovered two bodies and a flight recorder from the site where a US Air Force E-11A aircraft crashed in Afghanistan on Monday. The helicopter was shot down by insurgents. At this difficult hour, all Americans are united in support of our men and women in uniform who serve so that we can live in freedom and security.". A junior, he was ready to fight, but the war would be over, he figured, before he even got out of college. The conspiracy theories didnt bother Lee at first. Nigerians await election results in competitive race. This time, they might simply have run out of luck and encountered an RPG-armed enemy who was in the right place at the right time. Were asking people to do incredible things. After Vice President Joe Biden revealed that SEAL Team 6 carried out the operation that killed Osama bin Laden in May 2011, Strange said the members of his son's team gave startling indications to their families they were about to meet their demise. But we are still sending people to another country to fight, and we need to understand why were doing that, he said. But it's often foreign to those who observe combat from afar. One of the engines flew off, and the other caught fire. On a moonless night, an Army Chinook helicopter swept low over the Tangi Valley, a strip of forbidding terrain in eastern Afghanistan teeming with Taliban and located just 35 miles south of the capital, Kabul. The U.S. military claimed that the Chinook was blown to pieces by a shoulder-fired missile, in which everyone on board was burned beyond recognition. It's certainly possible. In addition to killing the man who was considered the mastermind behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks, U.S. forces snagged valuable items from the compound during the raid. That same day he obtained a medical waiver he needed to pursue an Army commission -- to serve an eight-year hitch before going to law school. "In releasing their identity, they put a target on their backs," said Doug Hamburger, whose son, Army Staff Sgt. Ohio Republican Secretary of State 'actively' considering Senate run against Sherrod Brown, DeSantis family spends the afternoon at Houston Rodeo ahead of governor's speech, Marianne Williamson launches campaign against Biden, vows to fight 'forces of hatred, injustice and fear', Haley blasts both Democrats and fellow Republicans, including Trump, over exploding national debt. Lee earned his wings at Fort Rucker, Ala., then deployed to Pakistan, where he did humanitarian missions, learning to fly into and out of mountainous terrain. Just last week the Afghans arrested an Army officer for aiding Taliban suicide bombers through checkpoints, and doing so under employ by Pakistan. Some of the most highly trained and skilled war fighters in history, the Rangers moved overland to a location where intelligence indicated Lefty Grove and his small cadre of fighters would be holding a meeting. He probably doesnt. The more likely explanation seems to be that the president, like a lot of us, tweets without thinking, especially if the subject matter is something that praises him or denigrates his political opponents. Insurgents in Iraq have used Russian-made SA-7s, shoulder-fired missiles tipped with infrared homing devices, against U.S. and British aircraft. JSOC and aviation commanders, prepared for virtually any outcome, quickly formulated a plan: they would send a team on one helicopter to bolster the Ranger-led force. 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