Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

US Grenade killed Aid Worker

New information has been released TODAY (2nd Dec 2010) relating to the death of Aid worker: Linda Norgrove. First I'll tell you the initial story.

A UK aid worker held hostage after being kidnapped in Afghanistan has been killed during a rescue attempt, the Foreign Office has said.

Ms Norgrove was killed by her captors on Friday during a rescue mission by US forces.

"Responsibility for this tragic outcome rests squarely with the hostage takers."

Source

Evidence has now emerged which show that it was a US Grenade which killed Linda Norgrove. R.I.P

Aid worker Linda Norgrove was killed by a grenade thrown by a US special forces soldier sent to rescue her, a joint US-UK investigation has found.
An investigation team of 10 staff spent almost three weeks in Afghanistan interviewing all involved in the rescue attempt.

They also had access to video footage, reports and post-mortem examination results which showed Ms Norgrove died of "penetrative fragmentation injuries" to her head and chest

Source

After reading that and the unfortunate outcome of the operation I must question the intelligence of those who planned and authorised this operation. It is well known that in hostage situations your best chances of survival lies with negotiation. However, it appears commanders decided to send US forces in with 'all guns blazing' and now they must share some responibilty for her death. I think it is also worth noting that local Afghan tribesman wanted more time to negotiate her release.

Locals claim they had threatened to evict the Taliban and destroy their homes as punishment for the disgrace of abducting a woman.

Haji Kamil, leader of the group, claimed he had pleaded with the Americans not to launch a rescue mission but they ignored him.

The local Afghanis were convinced they could save the charity worker through negotiation.

Source

Reading that both infuriates me and yet at the same time gives me some faith in humanity. The local Afghani's were working hard to release the women who devoted her life to them. They were even going to punish the Taliban :s-smilie:

Is this even heard of in Afghanistan? Ordinary citizens were going to punish the Taliban for their crimes and were adament they could secure her release. The main reason why I think this negotiation would have worked is because it's as Obama says 'This is a war to win the hearts and the minds.' It's that same war for the Taliban, they need the co-operation of the Afghani's to operate. Something makes me think that perhaps this was the real reason behind the rescue attempt. A negotiated release would put the Taliban in some good light as they may be seen as taking compassion and obeying the will of the people in Norgrove's release.

Conspiracy theories aside, I believe it was a huge lack of judgement to launch a rescue operation without giving a chance for diplomacy.

What are your thoughts on the rescue operation?

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 1

F i s

kinda old news. When you send American's to do a British job.

Reply 2

SillyRodent

Don't want to jump on the back of the American guy responsible to be honest, only someone who was there could pass judgement.

Reply 3

CombineHarvester

Old news. Apparently the negotiations were making progress but they should only have intervened at that stage if they were sure they could do it properly. Clearly this wasn't the case.

Reply 4

B-Man.

Original post by F i s

kinda old news. When you send American's to do a British job.

Original post by CombineHarvester

Old news. Apparently the negotiations were making progress but they should only have intervened at that stage if they were sure they could do it properly. Clearly this wasn't the case.

Why do people keep saying old news? :s-smilie:

The first news story was old but I only included it for context. The story that it was a US grenade that killed Linda Norgrove was only released today. '2 December 2010 Last updated at 20:52' according to the BBC

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 5

F i s

Original post by B-Man.

Why do people keep saying old news? :s-smilie:

Wikileaks, bro.

Reply 6

member569366

As much as I dislike the US military, rescue operations are a rather stressful job so we shouldn't criticize the special forces while comfortably sitting in our armchairs.