Best account of the training and career of a Seal I've ever read. Marcus Luttrell's heroics in Afghanistan are truly remarkable and make this book a must read.
Posted on 04/16/2008 12:55:06 PM PDT by Dog
A senior Taliban commander who became a hero to Islamic militants for his role in shooting down a U.S. helicopter in 2005, killing all 16 special forces troops aboard, has been killed by Pakistani security forces, officials and Taliban militants tell CBS News.
Mullah Ismail, a notorious Taliban commander from the Afghan province of Kunar, was killed in a shootout with Pakistani police as he traveled with a kidnapped trader, a local police officer said Wednesday. He was apparently on his way into the lawless Northwest Frontier Province along the Afghan border.
Officer Mukarma Khan said Ismail, also known as Mullah Ahmad Shah, had kidnapped the trader from a camp for Afghan refugees in Pakistan and was trying to transport him back to the border when he failed to stop at the checkpoint. He apparently opened fire on the police and was killed in the following exchange of gunfire.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed the death of the key commander and said he was a prominent Taliban figure in the area.
Abdul Jalal Jalal, chief of police in Afghanistan's Kunar province, where Ismail was based, told CBS News that he was also aware about the militant's death in Pakistan. He described him as the "most wanted terrorist in Kunar province."
A Taliban sub-commander in Kunar province, who spoke on condition of anonymity, would not confirm the killing. But he told CBS News Ismail's death "would be a full-scale blow." He praised Ismail for the shooting down of the Chinook in 2005.
Ismail was also said to be a key facilitator of al Qaeda militants in the region - many of whom come from outside southeast Asia and do not speak the local languages. According to Taliban sources, Osama bin Laden personally honored Ismail's authority in the area after the Chinook attack in a letter sent through an intermediary.
Police chief Jalal said Ismail and the militants under his command were behind many attacks on NATO, U.S. and Afghan forces in the northeastern part of Afghanistan.
Ismail became a hero for al Qaeda and the Taliban after his group hit a U.S. Navy MH-47 Chinook helicopter in late June 2005, apparently with a shoulder-fired rocket. The helicopter was one of four aircraft ferrying special forces into the area on a reconnaissance mission.
It was considered a lucky shot from an inaccurate weapon; but it left eight Navy SEALs and eight Army air crew from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment dead. Read report from June 30, 2005.
It was the deadliest single attack on U.S. troops in Afghanistan since the invasion to topple the Taliban in 2001.
The Chinook was shot down as it ferried troops into the region to search for four Navy SEALs who had gone missing in the area in late June. Three of the men were found dead, but one, who was wounded, managed to escape - read report from July 3, 2005 - to a local home, where he was hidden from the Taliban and eventually rescued by U.S. forces.
On Wednesday, Afghan shepherd Gulab Khan, who says he's the one who saved the life of the only surviving SEAL, told CBS News that Mullah Ismail attacked his village the day after the helicopter was shot down, searching for any survivors.
Khan said he protected the SEAL, but his actions brought death threats from Ismail and his militants, which prompted the shepherd to relocate his entire family to the provincial capital. He described Ismail as the most powerful militant in Kunar province.
Bump!
It's an awesome read by a well-spoken American hero who deserves recognition. It's one of the saddest stories, though, when you consider the other great men who didn't survive.
Anyone know if Marcus Luttrell (The SEAL who survived in ‘05) is a freeper? If not, he should be....
Don’t mind the ping at all.
I love great news like this...:-)
“Yeah, read “Lone Survivor” by Marcus Luttrell. He was the only SEAL that survived.”
Great book. EVERYONE should read it.
“his group hit a U.S. Navy MH-47 Chinook”
I read from Rokke on TheRightReasons.net that the Navy has no MH-47 Chinooks and never had any.
Not at all; good news is always welcome here
> The ultimate smackdown. (Hope you don’t mind the ping.)
I love it whenever the Good Guys put the skids under the ungodly.
Yes. President Bush has performed admirably in taking it to these monsters.
And Jimmah never had a chance to give him a healing hug.
You should read the account from the book “Lone Survivor”.
One of the most uplifting parts of the book describe how the children came into his room (the wounded SF guy) and just idolized him.
One day they came in, and they were bruised and beat up, when the SF guy asked what happened, he was told the Taliban had roughed up the kids, but...they didn’t give an inch.
These people, the whole village down to the kids, gave the frikking Taliban a great big huge middle finger, and did it of their own accord for OUR guy!
There is hope...
I hope the good mullah is getting a red hot poker shoved up his anus by satan at this very moment.
Surprising that SeeBS acknowleged that.
Glad the scum has been introduced to his permanent dirt nap.
Much good news today....thanks.
Outstanding.
That is great news! Thanks for the ping!
Best account of the training and career of a Seal I've ever read. Marcus Luttrell's heroics in Afghanistan are truly remarkable and make this book a must read.
From the headline, I thought another chinook was shot down.
Thanks for the ping
Given the KNOWN propensity of the Pakis to LIE and COVER for their “child” the Taliban — I’ll believe this bastard is dead AFTER the U.S. has performed DNA check on at least a few of his vital organs -— Brain, Heart or Liver....
The “word” of the Pakis is not good enough..
The story doesn’t give any information on how the identity and death were CONFIRMED....other than “quoting” -— “Officials” and “Taliban spokemen” are simply not enough to convince me.....
They would all have a vested interest in drawing attention away from this HVT — providing him the cover of “death”....
I threw it together I should have worded it better.
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.