Posted on 10/07/2013 3:32:36 PM PDT by kristinn
The team of less than two dozen Navy SEALs from Seal Team 6 huddled in one fast boat and headed toward the Somali shoreline under the cover of darkness in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Three more small boats with additional SEALs flanked the assault team’s craft, to provide back-up and assist with the planned extraction of an al Shabaab warlord named Ikrima.
According to multiple U.S. military sources, the lead boat landed, and the assault team hit the beach near the Southern Somali town of Barawe, headed for the fortified seaside compound of their target. U.S. intelligence had determined that Ikrima, one of two terror suspects targeted by the military in simultaneous raids thousands of miles apart this weekend, planned the terror group’s operations outside of Somalia.
The SEALs entered the compound and took the positions they had selected based on the intelligence collected in advance of the raid.
Then a lone al Shabaab fighter walked out into plain view, smoked a cigarette, and went back inside, one source familiar with the details of the raid said. The fighter played it cool, and gave no indication that he had spotted the SEALs. But he came back out shooting, firing rounds from an AK-47 assault rifle.
Soon the American commandos were under siege from the warlord’s well-armed fighters. Gunfire swept toward their positions and grenades began to rain down, multiple military sources said.
Several of the SEALs could see Ikrima through the windows of the compound, but couldn’t get to him. The SEALs continued to take fire while trying to find a way to get closer to their target.
And then the children came into the pictures on their scopes.
(Excerpt) Read more at investigations.nbcnews.com ...
Yes why are we even hearing about this?
I don’t even care about the islamderthals any more. “Value” just means an excuse to involve us in another mess that doesn’t concern us.
That’s the first thing I thought ...followed by O probably alerted them they were coming
None dare call it treason
Considering that the President is probably at least an associate member...
Well, seeing as Kyle was assassinated by a Muslim, let me say that I agree entirely.
0bama wants the long guns gone almost as much as those what know how to use them.
I just don’t see the point of it anymore.
Our only interests in the mideast should be restricted to defending our allies (Israel and to a lesser extent Jordan) from direct military attack.
“”The anti smoke zealots have even forced terrorist forts to go no smoking.””
That’s what I thought but my first thought was this came from a movie...stepping outside for a cigarette, spotting an enemy, stepping back inside. I bet he didn’t step outside without his weapon tho’. He only went back inside to summon the others....Of course, a gun shot would have done that.
Sounds like a first class fuster cluck: nobody hit at all? Sorry; every real firefight I ever saw, somebody got hit. Sounds more like the SEALs didn’t achieve surprise and got chased off by noise.
Three kids of combatants-Killers, Killers, and Fodder. Killers are the rare 10 percent or so who aim and deliberately fire during a wild firefight. Fillers are noisemakers- shoot like hell, but mostly don’t hit anything. They are the greatest proportion in fighting units. Usually more danger to everyone.
Fodder are going to die or get somebody else killed no matter what you do for them. They’re the ones who stand on the skyline, sneak smokes at night, sleep on ambushes.
Sounds like the SEALs were the wrong bunch for this job.
Won’t be long now before they are reporting the names and home addresses of the operators.
I agree, one lone fighter spotted a Seal, cloaked in darkness, camoflage...yeah right. He was warned.
And why are we telling folks on the news it was Seal Team 6 again? I sure hope this team doesn’t get wiped out last time...
I read a story here on FR yesterday which said incorrectly apparently, that we had captured the guy and also that we had notified the Somali government before the raid.
I have come to the point where I don’t believe any story which appears in the first month of some operation.
Also a very clear example of the effectiveness of an armed populace. Like Blackhawk Down we see the finest modern warriors, possessing the most modern weapons of war stymied by kat chewing muzzies who happen to possess automatic weapons and a willingness to use them. A good riposte to any who claim the 2nd Amendment couldn’t protect you if the govt actually came for you.
oh I agree we dont need to be in Somalia.
Tomahawk missiles don’t grab targets and remove them back to the US...
bfd. ST6 was lucky it wasn’t another Salinas. The risks involved aren’t worth it.
I don't believe that's the case... Radical Muslims aren't real big on 'cause and effect'... especially long term - like smoking and 'death 68 years later rather than 64 years later'... Islam touches on death cult... something odd here.
I read a report earlier that the government of Somalia was warned in advance of the raid.
Can someone tell me why we even know about this. ST6 is supposed to operate in another world. I’ve met a few of them in my day, as well as some CAG guys. Just your average looking guys, quiet and humble.
Now with this moron in the WH, they’re on the front page. Wondering what McRaven thinks of all this.
I can accept that the target surrounded himself with useless men of the last two categories. (In Somalia, of all places, where armed fighting is as common as saying "Hello" to a neighbor?)
But why was it that the SEALs hit not even one of those dozens of armed guards who were shooting at them? If they saw the target in the window, what was the reason to not send a few bullets that way, on a very good chance that the glass is not bulletproof? It sounds like the SEALs haven't fired even a single round. Perhaps it was a wise strategy if they could retreat undetected. But it's worth saying clearly.
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