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"Somewhere
a True Believer is training to kill you. He |
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Ladies and
Gentlemen"
As you can see below, basic article was posted on a blog.
Supplementary comments come from the Army Special
Operations community.
Yellow highlighting is mine.
V/R,
ANON
(BEGIN TEXT)
Worth
sharing with others, particularly those that don't have
a military background or don't strongly support the war
in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Godspeed Nate Hardy and Mike Koch
Posted By Blackfive
In the early hours on Monday
morning, an American Task Force took
down a terrorist compound in Iraq.
In the ensuing fight, two US Navy
SEALs were killed by small arms fire
while clearing one of the buildings
- Chief Petty Officers Nathan H.
Hardy and Michael E. Koch.
Nate Hardy, 29,
enlisted in the US Navy in 1997 and
is survived by his wife - Mindy, 7
month old son - Parker, parents and
brother.
Mike Koch, also 29, enlisted in 1998
and had a fiancée, parents, brother
and sister.
Both Koch and
Hardy families have a tradition of
service. The Kochs are vets and
contractors (in Iraq and
Afghanistan) and Hardy's grandfather
served with John F. Kennedy on
PT-109 during WWII. Mike's brother
escorted the bodies of the two SEALs
back to the states.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the Koch, Hardy and SEAL families. Below is message from an Army Special Forces Soldier "Green Beret" serving in Iraq:
Last Sunday while most of America
was enjoying the Superbowl several
members of our Task Force were
commencing an assault on a terrorist
stronghold in Iraq. During the
assault two of our brothers from the
Navy were shot and killed while
clearing a building that was
occupied by terrorist insurgents.
Ultimately, the building was reduced
(precision bombed by aircraft) and
all of the terrorists in it were
destroyed by the assault force.
Remember these names, Mike and Nate.
They were good men doing honorable
work in the name of freedom.
The terrorists they sought to
destroy were responsible for
unspeakable acts of evil including
the construction of improvised
explosive devices and explosives to
equip homicide bombers. For those of
you who may not understand the enemy
we face out here let me remind you
that the previous week this group of
terrorists took two innocent and
unwitting women who had Downs
Syndrome, rigged them with explosive
vests and detonated them 20 minutes
apart in a crowded market causing
several deaths and hundreds of
injuries. These terrorists used
innocent people as unwitting
vehicles to destroy more innocent
lives. There is good and there is
evil in this world. The enemy we
face is evil.
Mike and Nate were fighting on the
side of good to prevent further acts
of evil that would result in the
loss of more innocent lives. The
next time you pray I ask you to
thank God for giving Mike and Nate
the talent and skill that made them
great warriors and thank God that he
gave them the heart to apply those
God given talents to destroy evil
and further the cause of freedom in
a land far from their home. Thank
God for men like Mike and Nate.
Their work is done here now, but
there are many of us who will honor
their sacrifice by continuing the
fight against evil terrorists. They
will be remembered through our
actions.
For any of you out there who are
doubting the validity of this war
and the evil that resides in our
enemy I ask you to study your
history again.
Over the last 20+ years dating back
to the bombing of the Marine Corps
Barracks in Lebanon, various
factions of radical Islamic
Terrorists have been committing
heinous acts of terrorism against
the free world. We are fighting the
same enemy here. The brethren of an
evil ideology that spawned the
terrorists attacks of September 11,
2001 claiming almost 3,000 innocent
lives. Take time to reflect on the
type of evil that would put
explosive vests on innocent women
with Downs Syndrome and use them to
kill and maim other innocent people.
While the American media strives
everyday to rewrite the history of
the most generous nation in the free
world and cast disparity over all
that we do as a Nation men like Mike
and Nate are giving their lives to
make sure the real history doesn't
repeat itself. While
the American media strives daily to
erase the memory of the terrorist
attacks of September 11, 2001 and
paint this war as an unjust
occupation of a sovereign nation men
like Mike and Nate are out here
hunting down and destroying the
enemies of the very freedom that
allows our media to try and
discredit us.
Terrorism
is real, evil is real, this war is
real and real men and women are in
this fight because righteousness and
freedom are worth fighting for.
If you don't support this war I'm calling you out. I've had enough of people sitting in their living rooms watching the lying media and jumping on the bandwagon against this war. Don't ever say to me, "I support the troops, but not the war." You might as well be telling me that I'm committing a crime. You are in effect saying that my cause is unjust and everything I believe in is a lie . I have held my tongue in the past, but I will never allow you to have it both ways again. You cannot support me if you do not support this war . I am this war. It embodies everything that I believe in. If you believe that what we are doing here is wrong then you are in effect supporting the evil we seek destroy. If you believe I'm wrong for trying to stop evil people from taking more innocent lives then I fear there is no hope for you. If you choose to dishonor my service and the sacrifice of my fallen brothers by taking a position against this war you are free to make that choice thanks to guys like Mike and Nate, but don't expect me to sit idly by and bite my tongue while you do it. Do it in my presence and be prepared to try and support your feeble position while I enlighten everyone else on the reality of this war and the nature of the enemy we face . I will ensure that you look like the fool that you are.
The stuff I'm seeing out here
you won't see on Oprah Winfrey. I'm
seeing really evil people doing
really evil things and I'm doing
everything in my power to stop them.
There's nothing wrong or unjust
about that.
Sincerely,
_________ the Angry American |
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UK soldier killed in Afghan attackA British soldier has been killed and a second injured in an attack in Afghanistan. The soldiers from the 2nd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment were on foot patrol in southern Afghanistan when they were caught in an explosion on Sunday.An MoD spokesman said: "Just before 9pm local time, soldiers from the 2nd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, as part of their Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT) role, were taking part in a foot patrol with 40 Commando Royal Marines near Kajaki, Helmand Province, when they were caught in an explosion."Medical treatment was administered at the scene and both soldiers were evacuated to Camp Bastion by emergency response helicopter. Sadly, one of the soldiers was pronounced dead on arrival." The second soldier's injuries were not thought to be life-threatening.Next of kin have been informed
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A Royal Marine has been killed in an explosion in Afghanistan. The soldier, who has not been named, was taking part in a patrol to disrupt Taliban activity in the southern province of Helmand when the blast took place. Another marine injured in the attack was taken to the British base at Camp Bastion for treatment for minor injuries, the Ministry of Defence said.The next of kin have been informed. The marines were patrolling in Viking armoured all-terrain vehicles north of the town of Sangin when the explosion happened. The death brings the number of British military fatalities in Afghanistan since the start of operations in November 2001 to 89.Earlier this week, members of the same regiment helped save the lives of two Afghan children injured in a random rocket attack.The children were badly hurt in the attack by enemy insurgents in Sangin, and commandos from Bravo Company 40 Commando RM had them airlifted to Camp Bastion for treatment.The marines of 40 Commando are halfway through their six-month deployment to Afghanistan.
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France to
send more troops to Afghanistan
Tue. Feb. 26 2008 5:31 PM ET CTV.ca News Staff France may be sending hundreds of ground troops to eastern Afghanistan to help NATO-led forces in the battle against Taliban insurgents, a French newspaper is reporting. The move comes as Canada has been appealing its NATO allies for troop reinforcements in the more dangerous southern region of Afghanistan. The Le Monde report said the French move is part of a new Afghan policy being worked out by President Nicholas Sarkozy. France has just under 2,000 troops stationed in Afghanistan, but most of those are located in the relatively-calm capital of Kabul. The fresh troops are expected to be placed outside of the capital, closer to the dangerous areas surrounding the Pakistan border. Canadian officials have had talks this month to Paris about supporting Canada's mission in the volatile-region of Kandahar. A government motion has been put before the house to extend Canada's mission past 2009 until the end of 2011, provided that NATO reinforces the Canadian contingent with additional troops. CTV's South Asia Bureau chief, Paul Workman, spoke to Canada AM from Kandahar and said that the Canadian military will probably be disappointed that the French troops won't be assisting their mission. "The Canadian Forces leadership might consider it a setback," Workman said of the report. But Workman said there could be a bright side, with the French troops allowing for the possibility of freeing up American forces to be assigned to the Kandahar region. NATO has about 42,000 soldiers in Afghanistan, 14,000 of whom are American. Canada has a force of about 2,500 in Kandahar. Workman noted that the Canadian and U.S. military have a strong working relationship in Afghanistan. The Le Monde report said that Sarkozy would make an official announcement of France's extended military commitment at a NATO summit in April. Since his election victory in May, France has sent more combat aircraft to Kandahar and has strengthened French efforts in training the Afghan army.
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PRINCE HARRY FIGHTS ON
FRONTLINES
IN AFGHANISTAN; 3 MONTH TOUR They're calling him "Harry the Hero!" British Royal Prince Harry has been fighting in Afghanistan since late December -- and has been directly involved in battle. Australian magazine NEW IDEA and the German daily BILD have broken world embargoes on the development. CNN has debated internally on the merits of reporting Harry at war. The prince, a junior officer in the Blues and Royals, and third in line to the throne, has been a "magnificent soldier" and an "inspiration to all of Briton." Prince Harry is talking part in a new offensive against the Taliban. Ministry of Defense and Clarence House refuse all comment. Army chiefs have managed to keep the prince away from media and have encourage fellow soldiers in his squadron to stay quiet. Developing... |
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Iraq's presidency has endorsed the execution of Saddam Hussein's cousin known as Chemical Ali. He was sentenced to death for his role in the 1980s scorched-earth campaign against Kurds. The approval by President Jalal Talabani and two vice presidents is the final step for the approval of Ali Hassan al-Majid's death sentence. The execution must be carried out within 30 days of the decision Al-Majid was one of three former Saddam officials sentenced to hang in June after being convicted of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity for their part in the Operation Anfal crackdown that killed nearly 200,000 Kurdish civilians and guerrillas. An appeals court upheld the verdict in September. But a government adviser said the presidency has not yet approved the death sentences against the other two - Hussein Rashid Mohammed, an ex-deputy director of operations for the Iraqi armed forces, and former defence minister Sultan Hashim al-Taie.
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Harry due to arrive back in Britain
Prince Harry at Kandahar Airfield as he prepares
to leave Afghanistan
Prince Harry is due to arrive back on British soil after the Ministry of Defence confirmed he had left Afghanistan. The 23-year-old Household Cavalry officer, who has been secretly fighting the Taliban in Helmand province, is on a troop transport plane bound for home after an emergency extraction ordered by the Chief of Defence Staff. The exit, a major blow for the prince, came after a news blackout deal broke down Thursday evening following leaks about his deployment on influential foreign websites. He was picked up at a grid reference in the desert where he had been on manoeuvre with a squadron of tanks and flown to a Nato base to join his flight home. The prince is said to be angered by the latest developments following the cancellation of his planned tour of duty in Iraq last year when his security was compromised by publicity. But he will face a hero's welcome from the British public with tributes led by the Queen who said her grandson had performed "a good job in a very difficult climate". Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup said: "This decision has been taken primarily on the basis that the worldwide media coverage of Prince Harry in Afghanistan could impact on the security of those who are deployed there, as well as the risks to him as an individual soldier." He is expected to fly into an RAF base this morning in a low-key arrival. Harry, a Blues and Royals "Cornet" or Second Lieutenant, has spent the past 10 weeks working as a battlefield air controller and Spartan reconnaissance vehicle commander across some of the troubled province's most dangerous spots. Now that he has been safely withdrawn it can be reported that until last night he was operating with a squadron of light tanks in the desert outside the former Taliban stronghold of Musa Qaleh.
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Corporal Damian Mulvihill killed in Afghanistan21 Feb 08It is with great sadness that the Ministry of Defence must confirm the death of Corporal Damian Mulvihill of 40 Commando Royal Marines yesterday, Wednesday 20 February 2008, in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Corporal Damian Mulvihill Shortly before 1215 hrs local time Corporal Mulvihill was taking part in a joint ISAF – ANA patrol engaged in operations near Sangin. The marines of Alpha Company were conducting a clearance patrol to deter Taliban intimidation of local Afghans. It was during this action that an Improvised Explosive Device was detonated, which sadly killed Corporal Mulvihill instantly. He died leading his section and the Company from the front.
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Marines save Afghan girls injured by insurgent attack20 Feb 08Royal Marines from 40 Commando have helped to save the lives of two Afghan children injured in a random attack by enemy insurgents in Sangin, Helmand province. Marine Will Charters of 40 Commando's
Bravo Company Group, rushes one of the wounded girls to the
First Aid Post The commandos of Bravo Company were called upon for assistance when a local man brought his two nieces to the gate of the Marines' patrol base in the Sangin District Centre. The girls had been badly wounded after insurgents fired two rockets in an indiscriminate response to an earlier Royal Marines patrol. First on the scene was 19-year-old Marine Will Charters from Exeter. He carried one of the injured children to the Bravo Company sickbay:
"I've seen casualties before but it's horrible when children
are involved," he said.
Company Medic Marine Martin McCaffrey was on duty when the young patients were brought in:
"I gave fluids to both children and was able to stabilise
them and dress their wounds while the Medical Emergency
Response Team was called in," he said.
Within 30 minutes a Chinook helicopter had arrived and the girls were airlifted to the main field hospital at Camp Bastion. Royal Marines and attached ranks of 40
Commando's Bravo Company Group provide medical assistance to
the wounded Afghan children while they await emergency
airlift to Camp Bastion field hospital Sadly, one of the girls lost her left arm. The other remains in a serious condition with major head wounds. Marine McCaffrey, 24, from Runcorn, said:
"What happened to these girls is tragic but it's the reality
of fighting against people who don't care who they attack."
Speaking through an interpreter, the girls' uncle thanked the Royal Marines for making local people feel more secure. Aggressive patrolling and interaction with the Sangin community by Bravo Company has gained the trust of local people and helped to push the insurgents away from the town.
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