Kidnapped aid worker killed by rescuer's grenade?

perseus

perseus

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UK aid worker may have been killed by rescuers grenade

British aid worker Linda Norgrove may have been accidentally killed by US forces during a rescue mission in Afghanistan, however international forces originally said she died on Friday when one of her captors detonated a suicide vest.

It had been thought that she was killed by her abductors just as US forces reached the compound in which she was being held.
But [UK prime minister] Mr Cameron said Gen David Petraeus, the top allied commander in Afghanistan, had telephoned him on Monday morning to say she could have died as a result of a grenade detonated by the taskforce during the assault.

It is usual practice for US Special Forces to take fragmentation grenades on hostage rescue operations, the source added

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The BBC's Bilal Sarwary in Kabul said tribal elders negotiating her release they had asked Nato not to intervene, to ensure they had more time to secure a release.

An officer working for the National Directorate of Security, Afghanistan's spy agency, said a delegation of mullahs, tribal elders and village chiefs was despatched to the area soon after her capture to negotiate with the militants.

But the coalition forces bombed several nearby locations, forcing the delegation to halt their mission, our correspondent said
 
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Despite what happened in the rescue attempt, Gen Petraeus's office says they have absolutely no doubt that mounting a hostage rescue operation was "the right thing to do".

But this still leaves at least two uncomfortable questions hanging in the air:

1) Why were fragmentation grenades apparently used by her would-be rescuers when there was clearly a high risk she could be injured by them?

2) Why were US forces initially so adamant that Ms Norgrove was killed by her abductors, only to now change their minds, causing profound embarrassment to Britain's PM and foreign secretary?
 
Seeing that it was a British hostage one wonders why the SAS were not used, then America would not have embarrassed by the different stories coming out.
 
Perhaps this was because Norgrove was being held in the Korengal Valley, part of a US sector. The UK special forces have very limited experience there and do not know the ground. The SAS forces were also stretched elsewhere for such a comprehensive mission, they were consulted though. Here is a depiction of the events.

 
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The Korengal Valley was the responsibility of the US until they pulled out in April 2010. It is also the most dangerous area for US forces.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korengal_Valley

A good documentary on it is "Restrepo" done by National Geographic
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1559549/

perseus. I will offer my opinions to your questions below.

1. It is a war zone and a dangerous one at that. It would be pointless no to bring them.

2. This may be an oversight on the part of the commander on the ground. An investigation will reveal if her death was caused by US forces or not.

Now for my own thoughts:
It is sad that this happened but if she had not been kidnapped in the first place, this never would have happened.

Where is the outrage at the Afghani's that resort to this behavior?
 
I certainly agree it is a fine line between using sufficient firepower to overcome the captors and killing the captor, and mistakes can so easily be made in the stress of the moment. In fact I am surprised they came that near to rescuing her. Perhaps, a fairer criticism is to ask if there was an attempted cover up, rather than being open and honest.
The Guardian newspaper yesterday reported that a Seal Team Six soldier, a specialist squad similar to the SAS, did not see Norgrove during a bid to rescue her and tossed a grenade which detonated next to her.

US officials initially said that Norgrove, 36, died after one of her captors detonated a bomb vest.

The report also claims that the soldier then failed to report that he used the grenade to his superiors until "long after the event," and therefore faces disciplinary action.
Click to expand...

http://www.channel4.com/news/norgrove-death-could-result-in-severe-punishment
 
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Hostage retrivel ops the risk of losing the hostage breaching a position is upwards of 55%.This ain't Hollywood, it's a gamble.
 
When the body is returned to Britain then it would have come clear just what had killed her, so there was no point in trying to do a cover up. If we are allies then would it not have been prudent to bring the SAS in as they have proven track record of success in carrying out these sort of raids and rescues and if it had gone wrong then it is the Brits killing one of their own.
 
It is sad to see this happen but there is every chance something like this could happen. I know people criticise them for accidentally killing her but wouldn't you be more outraged if they just left her to her fate and she was taken into Pakistan or wherever and either shot or sold as a slave and then died a torturous death? I would rather have gone with risk because in my eyes, she was only going to be freed by force either way. Though of course there were the village elders trying to negotiate her release. Although I don't believe it would work, I do think they should have given them a little more time.
 
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