Taliban: 1 U.S. sailor dead, other captured

Washington Times ^ | 25 JUL 10 | By Rahim Faiez

[kbennkc]

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- The Taliban have offered to exchange the body of a U.S. Navy sailor they said was killed in an ambush two days ago in exchange for insurgent prisoners, an Afghan official said Sunday.

U.S. and NATO officials confirmed that two American Navy personnel went missing Friday in the eastern province of Logar after an armored sport utility vehicle was seen driving into a Taliban-held area.

In a telephone interview Sunday with the Associated Press, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the pair drove into an area under insurgent control, prompting a brief gunfight in which one American was killed and the other was captured. He said both were taken to a "safe area" and "are in the hands of the Taliban."

[kbennkc]

If the stories are true about the mineral deposits they found, I bet the Chinese would sign up for 160 free acres.

I hope the stories are true and it leads to development and prosperity for the Afghans. I fear the stories are a cynical hoax to convince some there is something in that hell hole worth fight for, played by the same rats who claimed President Bush was waging war for oil.

[Drew68]

Now with the Navy there maybe we are still trying to find a new route to India.

Any word on the identity of the sailors? Or their rank and rates?

From the details of what happened, I'm guessing they weren't corpsmen or special warfare. They were probably Individual Augmentee (IA). There's a lot of this these days. IA sailors are ones that for whichever bit of bad luck came their way, they were selected to go to Iraq or, most commonly these days, Afghanistan. Prior to deployment, they're sent off to Ft. Bliss or some other INCONUS training installation and given a very abbreviated lesson in soldiering. Then it's off to Afghanistan were they provide behind the lines administrative support that frees up the Army and Marines for combat duties.

As far as I know, no IA sailors have been KIA yet. Navy combat deaths have tended to be limited to corpsman and special warfare but I could be wrong. This might be a first.

[Thunder 6]

The IA’s usually train at Ft. Lewis, WA depending on what their mission “in-theater” is going to be.

regards,

[Thunder 6]

The Chinese, if we aren’t careful...
regards,

[Drew68]

The IA’s usually train at Ft. Lewis, WA depending on what their mission “in-theater” is going to be.

We had one in our command train at Ft. Bliss and another at Ft. Bragg. Looks like there are many installations that provide IA training according to the Navy IA website.

[Thunder 6]

We have a Navy Det here at Lewis who works with us when we have Navy units coming through (mostly Gitmo and Medical teams for Centcom)...we give them hell for that snazzy blue camo uni they wear ;)

You’re right though, others do go through Bliss and Benning I think.
regards,

[Drew68]

we give them hell for that snazzy blue camo uni they wear

Don't laugh! The new NWU allows us to hide in the ocean! LOL!

Of course, I'll never complain about any uniform that I can wear straight from the dryer.

[wtc911]

The mission is set by the CIC. He has not articulated a coherent, achievable mission statement. In the absence of a clear goal one abhors the expenditure of human resources. In this case one supports the troops by calling for an end to their commitment in furtherance of an undefined mission.

_________________________

IOW...bring them home now.

[Drew68]

Huh? Are you seriously proposing that we kill babies and old ladies on such a Hitlerian scale?

It should be remembered that the Soviets killed a million Afghans. Look where that got 'em.

[airborne]

RFID chips planted on any A-Q prisoners released.

Track them back to their hide outs and exterminate with extreme prejudice.

[Thunder 6]

I’m torn...as an ‘old-timer’ I think we look like duffle bags (sea bags to you), but it sure is nice not starching uni’s, and polishing boots!

regards,