This will affect stock markets on Monday because Obama maybe be forced to withdraw from Afghanistan. BBC report says: Thirty US troops, said to be mostly special forces, have been killed, reportedly when a Taliban rocket downed their helicopter in east Afghanistan. Seven Afghan commandos and a civilian interpreter were also on the Chinook, officials say. US sources say the special forces were from the Navy Seal unit which killed Osama Bin Laden, but are "unlikely" to be the same personnel. This is the largest single US loss of life in the Afghan conflict. The numbers of those killed have now been confirmed by the Nato-led mission in Afghanistan. The Chinook went down in the early hours of Saturday in Wardak province, said a statement from President Hamid Karzai's office. It was returning from an operation against the Taliban in which eight insurgents are believed to have been killed. A senior official of President Barack Obama's administration said the helicopter was apparently shot down, Associated Press news agency reports. An official with the Nato-led coalition in Afghanistan told the New York Times the helicopter was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. The BBC's Quentin Sommerville in Kabul says it is rare for the Taliban to shoot down aircraft. The Taliban say they have modified their rocket-propelled grenades to improve their accuracy but that may not be true, our correspondent says. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-14430735
Historically, 25 % of Seal Team Six does not reach their 30th birthday - it's been that way since the early 80's. There is also the Army's First Special Operations - Delta, the Air Force's 24th Special Tactics Squadron - and they are all integrated into the CIA's Special Activities Division. It is a hit, but in terms of manpower it is not a crisis by any stretch of the imagination. BTW, SF has been making incursions into Iran out of bases in Iraq since 2007.
Yesterday was the biggest human loss for USA army in a single day when 31 USA soldiers. This tragedy may force Obama to withdraw USA army from Afghanistan right now because USA debts has been downgraded for the first time after year 1917. There is serious financial situation in the world. What about the $1 Trillion mineral deposits in Afghanistan? My understanding says that somebody has supplied high-tech and sophisticated missiles to Taliban and terrorists in Afghanistan. If this is true then USA army is in big danger figthing in Afghanistan and they should withdraw immediately. Few years back, 2 chinook helicopters were hit by rocket propelled grenades by taliban fighters in Afghanistan. The helicopters crashed 5 miles away but nodoby was killed in the crash. Yesterday 31 USA soliders died in Chinook crash. How is this possible? USA government thinks Taliban is finished in Afghanistan but US army suffer the biggest loss yesterday. I think Taliban is stronger now because of middle east revolution and help from America's rivals. If they cannot finish the job in 10 years they better get the hell out of there.
It may have been an inside hit......A turncoat among the Afghan supports troops....someone talked and gave out coordinates.
Awful. I hope Wardak province is being carpet bombed today. As another member said, nothing should be dropped into that place that doesn't whistle on the way down.
I caught the tail end of the TV news and I think they said a dog was also aboard the helicopter and was also killed. Can anyone confirm this?
Bone, that is a pretty interesting statistic. I'm surprised it's that high. Do you have any more info of the conflicts activities which have resulted in the number being that high. Runningbear
Well, training and air transport accounts for as many deaths as conflicts. You do not hear about many of the 'conflicts'.
With all due respect to the SEALS and their families, 30'ish special ops guys going down in a chopper isn't going to make or break the Afghanistan operation. Finance and the will of the American people to be at war, will determine how long we are there.