Invisible, Quiet and Deadly

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Navy SEALs raid rescues Somalia aid workers

From Chris Lawrence, CNN

Washington (CNN) -- U.S. special forces swooped into Somalia in a pair of helicopters in a daring overnight raid to rescue two kidnapped aid workers -- an American and a Dane -- and killed several gunmen in the operation, an American official said Wednesday.

The raid was carried out by Navy SEALs, the same special forces unit that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in a dramatic operation in Pakistan last year, the official said.

The SEALs took fire as they fought their way into the compound where the hostages were held, the official said, adding that the troops believed that the kidnappers were shooting. The official is not authorized to speak to the media and asked not to be named.

Nine gunmen were killed in the strike, the U.S. military said. There are conflicting reports of the number of wounded.

The hostages, Jessica Buchanan and Poul Thisted, were seized in October after they visited humanitarian projects in the northern part of the country, said the Danish Refugee Council, the agency they worked for.

Both are unharmed and at a safe location, the aid group said.

Special forces decided to mount the raid when they did at least partly because Buchanan's health was failing, Vice President Joe Biden said on ABC's "Good Morning America."

"It just takes your breath away, their capacity and their bravery and their incredible timing," Biden said of the SEALs.

The special forces rushed the hostages out of the compound and onto the helicopters, said the official.

There "is no reason" to believe the kidnappers were acting as part of a larger jihadist group, the official said. The area where the hostages were seized is known as a hub for pirates, rather than an area of Islamic militant activity.

A number of high-profile abductions of foreigners have occurred in Somalia and in Kenya, close to the largely lawless Somali border.

Some of the kidnappings have been blamed on the Somali Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab, while others seem to have been carried out by criminals seeking ransoms.

President Barack Obama said he authorized the raid. He thanked the Special Operations forces for their "extraordinary courage and capabilities," but did not provide details on the fatalities.

"The United States will not tolerate the abduction of our people, and will spare no effort to secure the safety of our citizens and to bring their captors to justice," Obama said in a statement. "This is yet another message to the world that the United States of America will stand strongly against any threats to our people."

Before news broke of the rescue, Obama told Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, "Leon, good job tonight. Good job tonight," at the State of the Union address.

Panetta later said in a statement that the raid "is a testament to the superb skills of courageous service members who risked their lives to save others."

The raid comes nearly three years after Navy snipers killed three pirates who had taken hostage the captain of the Maersk Alabama off the coast of Somalia.

U.S. forces did not coordinate the raid with local officials, but residents welcomed the outcome as a warning to other groups to cease the kidnapping of foreigners, said Abdirahman Mohamud Farole, the president of Puntland, a semi-autonomous region of Somalia.

Local authorities gave conflicting casualty figures after the raid. Some officials said seven gunmen were killed, but Mohamed Ahmed Aalin, president of Galmudug state, said nine were killed and five others detained by U.S. forces.

The aid workers were part of the Danish Refugee Council's de-mining unit, which aims to make civilians safe from landmines and unexploded ordnance, the group said.

[slim 1,514]

I'm still waiting on the "we got our guy out of Iran" post.

[Dan and Judy 614]

I thought this was going to be about Judy's stinkers

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

I'm still waiting on the "we got our guy out of Iran" post.

Give it time. The two rescued out of Somalia were taken hostage back in October. I'd imagine that an operation of this sort takes a lot of preparation. You don't just send the guys in there without them having sufficient intel or if the mission simply isn't feasible.

I thought this was going to be about Judy's stinkers

Edited January 25, 2012 by Mr. Big Dog

[slim 1,514]

Give it time. The two rescued out of Somalia were taken hostage back in October. I'd imagine that an operation of this sort takes a lot of preparation. You don't just send the guys in there without them having sufficient intel or if the mission simply isn't feasible.

Tell that to Clinton.

[Deputy Purple 1,294]

I'm still waiting on the "we got our guy out of Iran" post.

Or the "We blew the Sh!t out of the facility that contains our Stealth Drone and the facilities that were used to hijack it" post....

[Rattlehead 69]

Give it time. The two rescued out of Somalia were taken hostage back in October. I'd imagine that an operation of this sort takes a lot of preparation. You don't just send the guys in there without them having sufficient intel or if the mission simply isn't feasible.

Yep, the Son Tay Raid was rehearsed for almost six months - to the point where the soldiers conducting the operation knew exactly how many steps between the different points on the ground - before they boarded the helicopters on the mission.

[Susita 175]

Tell that to Clinton.

Clinton had the charisma necessary to woo Kim Jong-Il into doing what he wanted. We call that "swagger."

I have to say, everytime I hear stories like this, I'm super impressed by the skill and mission-impossibleness of our special forces.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Invisible, Quiet and Deadly - sounds like a fart

[slim 1,514]

I have to say, everytime I hear stories like this, I'm super impressed by the skill and mission-impossibleness of our special forces.

Pakistanis and Somalis are the Freshmen to our Seals' Varsity.

[luckytxn 2,263]

Clinton had the charisma necessary to woo Kim Jong-Il into doing what he wanted. We call that "swagger."

I have to say, everytime I hear stories like this, I'm super impressed by the skill and mission-impossibleness of our special forces.

Now you are making words up.

[Susita 175]

Now you are making words up.

I'm a trendsetter. Maybe it will stick, like Colbert's "truthiness."

But swagger is a real word: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/swagger

[Harpa Timsah 13,258]

I thought this thread was about Carbon Monoxide.

[SuperDuper! 230]

I thought this was going to be about Judy's stinkers

No, about Spook's SBD's !

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Pakistanis and Somalis are the Freshmen to our Seals' Varsity.

More Islamic extremists....... DEAD. Nice.