was almost killed?
Turns out the assassin-wannabe had been IDed
and was in the process of being tackled and having
the shit beat out of him by two friendly Afghanis,
when a US Navy SEAL opened up with his MP-5
and hosed all three dead.
Whoops.
The things you learn from reading Soldier of Fortune Magazine
http://www.sofmag.com/story1.html
SEAL Team Six in Kabul: Eliminate the Threat
by Lt. Col. Robert K. Brown, USAR (Ret.)
SEAL Team Six, also known as the Naval Development Group, added another chapter to their controversial but murky history when one of its operatives blew away a would-be assassin attempting to take out Afghan President Hamid Karzai on 5 September in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Unfortunately, in the course of so doing, he also blew away two bystanders who had jumped the bad guy and wrestled him to the ground as soon as he started shooting.
Karzai was in Kandahar, his hometown, for the wedding of his youngest brother. He had completed his evening prayers and was being given a tour of the governor’s mansion across from the mosque. Hundreds of supporters were milling around the gates as his entourage prepared to leave when the shooter made his move.
According to an eyewitness, and Afghan boy neared Karzai’s vehicle. Karazi leaned out to shake his hand, as is the custom, and an Afghan in uniform moved forward and fired between four and eight rounds into the car wounding Kandahar Governor Gul Agha Sherzai in the neck. The assassin, a former Taliban, had been recruited into the Kandahar Palace Guard only 17 days earlier.
A 23-year-old shopkeeper, who had some martial arts background, wrestled the hitman to the ground and another friendly jumped in to assist. At that point the SEAL blazed away with most of a magazine from an MP5 submachine gun, killing all three.
I described the incident to two experienced law-enforcement types who stated that if this incident had occurred in the United States by a law-enforcement department it more than likely it would more than likely been classified as a “bad shooting.” One SWAT team member said, “The SEAL, if he pulled that in the United States, would have been charged with “voluntary manslaughter,” or even “second degree murder.”
But that’s in the United States. A highly decorated Vietnam veteran SEAL gave the other side of story. “Look,” he said, “the mission of the SEALS was to eliminate the threat. What if the Taliban shooter broke away and tossed a grenade in the car: Or pulled out a pistol and popped his target in the face?
The SEAL went on to say, “The assassin certainly met the definition of a threat because he fired a weapon. In this type of situation, in a combat zone, you eliminate the threat and then worry about the collateral damage. The SEAL shooter did the right thing.”
This particular SEAL mission is scheduled to end on or before 15 November. The Pentagon wants their special operators back as they have additional important missions for them, and figure that they can be replaced by Marines with embassy experience — who know the diplomatic-protection drill. These Marines will receive additional training and be controlled by the State Department Security.
Initially, Delta Force personnel, who receive a comprehensive block of instruction on executive protection as part of their Operator’s Training Course, (see sidebar) provided Karzai’s security. The security mission was handed-off to the SEALs sometime in August.
