The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force-Afghanistan (ISAF) says it has no information yet to validate whether the U.S. Chinook helicopter that crashed in eastern Afghanistan, killing 30 U.S. troops, flew into a Taliban ambush.
It was reported by AFP news agency that an unnamed Afghan official had said the Taliban, working with some Pakistanis, lured the U.S. forces into a trap to shoot down the helicopter. CNSNews.com asked the ISAF if that report was accurate.
U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jimmie Cummings Jr., a spokesman for ISAF, responded by e-mail, saying, “I have seen a number of media stories stating this allegation. We have no initial information as of yet to validate that this was some kind of ambush or trap, but with that said, the helicopter incident is still under investigation for the cause of the crash.”
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GERMAN NAVY “SEALS”
German naval commandos are called Kampfschwimmer or "combat swimmers". These German navy counterparts to the US Navy SEALs are Germany's oldest Special Operations Forces. The Kampfschwimmer roots go back to World War II.
Today's Kampfschwimmer formations are heavily involved in international operations against terrorism, including missions in the mountains of Afghanistan.
This e-book is written by a German Navy lieutenant who serves as a Kampfschwimmer team leader -- the equivalent of a US Navy SEAL platoon leader.
"German Navy SEALs" is a profile of the Kampfschwimmer units. The e-book covers the history of the Kampfschwimmer beginning with the World War II era; describes their organization, command structure, capabilities and training; discusses their cooperation with US Navy SEALS and other Special Operations Forces; and their role in German and NATO operational planning.
Other German Special Operations Forces are also briefly discussed.
