Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

U.S. Troops Missing while Taliban Claims to Hold One
Reuters ^ | July 1, 2005

Posted on 07/01/2005 12:16:21 PM PDT by West Coast Conservative

U.S. helicopters and hundreds of troops were searching on Friday for soldiers who went missing in Afghanistan just before a helicopter coming to their aid was shot down, while the Taliban claimed to be holding one American.

U.S. forces looking for members of the reconnaissance team since Tuesday's helicopter crash in mountainous Kunar province bordering Pakistan have no reason to believe any of them have been killed or captured, U.S. spokesmen said.

Col. Jim Yonts said he could neither confirm nor deny a claim by Taliban spokesman Abdul Latif Hakimi that insurgents killed seven U.S. "spies" before the Chinook helicopter was shot down. All 16 Special Forces soldiers aboard were killed.

On Friday Hakimi, whose information has often proved unreliable, said guerrillas in Kunar captured an American soldier on Wednesday who had been aboard the helicopter when it crashed.

"He was trying to escape up the mountain when our mujahideen (holy warriors) caught him," he said.

Asked what evidence the Taliban had that they were holding a U.S. soldier, he replied: "The Americans have announced themselves that some of their soldiers are missing.

"We don't need to tell lies. When we kill him, we will tell the Americans to go and get the body and that will be the proof."

While Hakimi's information has often been inaccurate in the past, he has appeared well informed about the downing of the helicopter, although the U.S. military has identified the Kunar insurgents as more feared al Qaeda fighters rather than Taliban.

Another U.S. spokesman, Lt. Col. Jerry O'Hara, said there was no evidence soldiers had been killed, captured, hurt or were hiding out. "The only thing we do know is they are missing."

(Excerpt) Read more at asia.news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; afghanrescue; khakeran; mia; military; oef; specialforces; taliban; waronterror
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-26 next last

1 posted on 07/01/2005 12:16:23 PM PDT by West Coast Conservative
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: West Coast Conservative

Lord, please protect these Warriors.......show them the way to safety.......


2 posted on 07/01/2005 12:25:27 PM PDT by marmar (Even though I may look different then you...my blood runs red, white and blue.....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: West Coast Conservative
When we kill him, we will tell the Americans to go and get the body

Anyone expect outrage from the Durbins, Kennedys, Pelosi, Boxer, DNC, ACLU, Amnesty International types, etc., etc., etc.?

3 posted on 07/01/2005 12:26:49 PM PDT by ncountylee (Dead terrorists smell like victory)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ncountylee

No, we'll get patronizing phony concern from the Left, and they'll find some way to blame GW. They're already calling it 'Bush's war', a la Vietnam. Same catch phrases, same motives, same lack of caring about human life. They are lower than cockroaches.


4 posted on 07/01/2005 12:29:49 PM PDT by hershey
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: ncountylee
Anyone expect outrage from the Durbins, Kennedys, Pelosi, Boxer, DNC, ACLU, Amnesty International types, etc., etc., etc.?

Probably after our forces kill two thirds of the captors, and send the rest to GITMO.
5 posted on 07/01/2005 12:30:49 PM PDT by Righty_McRight
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: ncountylee

Of course not....that would make them compassionate of non-communists! LOL


6 posted on 07/01/2005 12:31:26 PM PDT by ShutUpandSing
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: West Coast Conservative
never surrender , go down with a hot, empty weapon....
Shugart and Gordon
7 posted on 07/01/2005 12:31:34 PM PDT by injin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: West Coast Conservative; Ros42

God, help us find the brave troops who are missing...


8 posted on 07/01/2005 12:32:24 PM PDT by La Enchiladita (Remembering our Heroes today and every day.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: C-Note

Pray for those and offer the enemy NOQUARTER!!!!!

c


9 posted on 07/01/2005 12:34:52 PM PDT by C-Note
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: West Coast Conservative
Several problems with this that indicate the information about a capture is unreliable:

On Friday Hakimi, whose information has often proved unreliable, said guerrillas in Kunar captured an American soldier on Wednesday who had been aboard the helicopter when it crashed.

"He was trying to escape up the mountain when our mujahideen (holy warriors) caught him," he said.

The military has already said that all 16 (the original # of 17 was wrong) who were on the helicopter were killed and their bodies recovered. So no one who was on the helicopter is missing.

Asked what evidence the Taliban had that they were holding a U.S. soldier, he replied: "The Americans have announced themselves that some of their soldiers are missing.

Not very convincing. He's basically saying "we heard them say some were missing, so that's our proof we have one."

"We don't need to tell lies. When we kill him, we will tell the Americans to go and get the body and that will be the proof."

If they really had one alive they'd use him for propaganda purposes and leverage, not just kill him. So he's basically laying the groundwork for the Taliban having or finding a dead U.S. soldier (entirely possible) and claiming he had been captured alive and killed.

10 posted on 07/01/2005 12:37:20 PM PDT by saquin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: West Coast Conservative

I pray for their safety and the success of their mission!


11 posted on 07/01/2005 12:37:23 PM PDT by pissant
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: West Coast Conservative

Spec Ops who surrender in any conflict have very low expectations of surviving captivity if they are even taken captive. When fighting the medeival mohammedans, I can't imagine US Spec Ops surrendering.


12 posted on 07/01/2005 12:41:54 PM PDT by fso301
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: hershey

Forty years ago the Democrats: Lyndon Baines Johnson ('silver star winner'! but that's another story) started a war in southeast Asia--while ten years ago impeached super-governor Bill Clinton did nothing following one costly attack against us after another by the practitioners of the `religion of peace'. Then and now these treacherous vipers have the unmitigated temerity to blame Richard Nixon & conservatives for that war, and President Bush for the war in Iraq: the leftist pinheads at The Nation, on Democratic Underground, the MSM, for that matter, are still banging that drum.
But back then all we could do was swear at that gas-bag 'Uncle Wally' as he pontificated on our TVs; today we have the internet & the ability to organize and respond to their nonsense.
Waging war, as well as battling the 'loyal opposition', those "copperhead Democrats", isn't easy, but we did it before from 1861-`65.
I disagree with your closing estimation. They are not patriots, they are not Americans: they are lower than whale-waste.


13 posted on 07/01/2005 12:57:11 PM PDT by tumblindice
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: saquin
The military has already said that all 16 (the original # of 17 was wrong) who were on the helicopter were killed and their bodies recovered. So no one who was on the helicopter is missing.

The missing SEALs are not part of the QRF that went down in the MH47 helicopter crash -

The SEALs that are currently missing are who the QRF was coming in to extract after their recon position had been overrun -

14 posted on 07/01/2005 12:59:14 PM PDT by SevenMinusOne
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: saquin
Exactly! If they had one of our guys, they'd be doing everything possible to get him on video denouncing the war and Bush and then setting a deadline for the pullout or else.

I'll be hoping for the best for our missing troops in the meantime. They are some of the best and I have to hope that means they have a better than average chance of making it out alive.

15 posted on 07/01/2005 1:00:47 PM PDT by TNdandelion
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: West Coast Conservative

I pray fervently that they have gone to ground and that a legion of God's angels is guiding them to safety.


16 posted on 07/01/2005 1:02:40 PM PDT by pbear8 (Navigatrix, Tomas Torquemada Gentleman's Club - Ladies Auxiliary)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: tumblindice

Whales are supposed to be fairly intelligent mammals. What about possum-waste? I've seen those suckers going around in circles in the middle of the road at night. They are kinda ugly, too.


17 posted on 07/01/2005 1:04:17 PM PDT by TNdandelion
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: West Coast Conservative

10 Gitmo prisoners get the firing squad for each US soldier that is executed. The only reason that we are 'extending' the Geneva Accords to cover these terrorists is in the vain hope that our soldiers will not be treated harshly by the other side. If they execute our guys there's no reason to stick to that policy.


18 posted on 07/01/2005 1:13:01 PM PDT by Tallguy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DevSix
The missing SEALs are not part of the QRF that went down in the MH47 helicopter crash.

I know. But this Taliban dude is claiming they "captured" one of the guys from the helicopter crash (which was, if I remember correctly, about a mile away from the intended landing site). That's why I'm calling BS.

19 posted on 07/01/2005 1:13:34 PM PDT by saquin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: West Coast Conservative
If this turns out to be true, I'm convinced that that brother is praying for Anchor Hocking to establish a new manufacturing facility ... and cursing the sumb!tches in America that are trying to destroy us from within.

Dear God, please watch over, protect and comfort this man.

20 posted on 07/01/2005 2:14:51 PM PDT by knarf (A place where anyone can learn anything ... especially that which promotes clear thinking.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-26 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson