Somalia questions

[SkyShark]

I have a question forthe Rangers or to anyone else that may be savvy to this.

Last night, after my softball game my team went to a local sprts bar for some beer and chow. While we were there someone brought up the war. I sat back and listened for a while and the talk moved on to past conflicts. Anyway, the subject turned to Somalia. during the cuorse of the conversation a guy stated that Somalia was 100% funded by Al Quada and Bin Laden. Then someone else on the team looked to me for an answer. I told them That even though I was in at the time, I wasn't in Somolia and everythng I know about it, I was told from Rangers who were there, and I never heard that Bin Laden was behind it. Then the guy that made the original commet stated that the "government" and the "military leaders" never really tell thewhole trut to the soldiers wjho are going into a "war zone". I immediatley saw where this conversation was going, so I only answered that I would ask around from those that were there and briefed on the situation before and after the insertion ad then get back to the guys at next weeks game.

My questions are these.

1. Was the drug czar in Somalia funded by Bin Laden and Al Quada?

2. Have you ever expierienced where your chain of command didn't give tell the truth before and insertion.

Also, I did tell them that rarely does an insertion g 100% to plan. THere are always canges made once on the ground, and IF just because soldiers aren't told "everything" before going in, doesn't mean they are being lied to. I then tried to explain opsec to him, his response to that was Opsec is just a politically correct way of saying "cover-up".

Any answers you Rangers or historians who know more than I, that can can help will be greatly appreciated. Thanx

[Everett Ruess]

Let me say first of all I was not in the Mog. I have many friends that were and of course some on this site were and can better answer some of your questions. I just thought I'd say one of the more intriguing things to come out of the war in Afghanistan was some troops from 10th Mountain(?) found a GPS in a cave they were clearing with the name 'Gary Gordon' inscribed in it. How do you suppose it made it's way from Mogadishu to Afghanistan?

[SkyShark]

Let me say first of all I was not in the Mog. I have many friends that were and of course some on this site were and can better answer some of your questions. I just thought I'd say one of the more intriguing things to come out of the war in Afghanistan was some troops from 10th Mountain(?) found a GPS in a cave they were clearing with the name 'Gary Gordon' inscribed in it. How do you suppose it made it's way from Mogadishu to Afghanistan?

Wow, that too is something I have never heard, that does make one think. Damn, Brings up another question. Were Shugart and Gordons bodies recovered? If so when and by who.

Damn, I keep reading your post. That is fucking eerie.

[Silverback]

I just thought I'd say one of the more intriguing things to come out of the war in Afghanistan was some troops from 10th Mountain(?) found a GPS in a cave they were clearing with the name 'Gary Gordon' inscribed in it.

Sorry not true LINKAGE

Bin Laden Info LINKAGE

Hope this helps. I can say that the information you'd get from the BTDT's of Somalia would be of a more tactical nature. I have read a lot of stuff and the link between Somalia and Bin Laden is tenuous at best. Bin Laden has claimed to be behind Somalia but I've never seen or heard any proof other than his own admission.

Bin Laden LINKAGE

[Spartan]

I bought a book on Bin Laden and in it, the claim was that AQ provided technical assistance to those in Mogadishu who opposed the UN, such as how to modify the RPG7s to deflect the blackblast away from the operator when it was shot towards the sky. There was never any claim from what I recall that it was AQ's operation or that they provided funding for it.

[Everett Ruess]

Thanks for clearing that up SB. I'd never heard anything beyond the initital discovery of the GPS. It caused quite a stir, but for some reason I never heard that it wasn't his after all. It does seem the link between Bin Laden and Somalia is tenuous, but in some ways that's more concerning to me. The fact is, we all like the idea of conspiracies, but if anything is centralized it's easier to defeat. Instead, there's just lots of disparate terrorist organiations that don't like us. It makes it harder to combat so many seperate organizations. Of course I'm willing to try. The threat to our way of life is very real. How long will it take people to realise this isn't going to go away if we bury our heads in the sand?

[Chiron]

Let me say first of all I was not in the Mog. I have many friends that were and of course some on this site were and can better answer some of your questions. I just thought I'd say one of the more intriguing things to come out of the war in Afghanistan was some troops from 10th Mountain(?) found a GPS in a cave they were clearing with the name 'Gary Gordon' inscribed in it. How do you suppose it made it's way from Mogadishu to Afghanistan?

Wow, that too is something I have never heard, that does make one think. Damn, Brings up another question. Were Shugart and Gordons bodies recovered? If so when and by who.

Damn, I keep reading your post. That is fucking eerie.

The GPS thing was told about a year ago here and I don't remember the outcome of that story.

[Chiron]

Good links SB thanks.

[Silverback]

Glad everyone found the information useful. I have a high speed internet tool that assists in my research

SECRET LINKAGE

[SkyShark]

Glad everyone found the information useful. I have a high speed internet tool that assists in my research

SECRET LINKAGE

Nice......I did dearch, however not enough. Also, I trust the answers coming from you all before anything else. That is why I asked. :D Thanx for the info, I will forward it on.

[Everett Ruess]

Glad everyone found the information useful. I have a high speed internet tool that assists in my research

SECRET LINKAGE

I've heard lore of that site. Never been there myself, found it's just easier to believe everything I'm told and not question anything. Therby making me look like a FREAKIN' IDIOT!

OK, I need to start checking my sources before speaking (really I'm trying to get a job with the press )

[Rock Island Ranger]

2. Have you ever expierienced where your chain of command didn't give tell the truth before and insertion.

I then tried to explain opsec to him, his response to that was Opsec is just a politically correct way of saying "cover-up".

Any answers you Rangers or historians who know more than I, that can can help will be greatly appreciated. Thanx

I think it is always easy for those who dont know to speculate on conspirousy theories. I dont think anyone in the lower level of the Military needs to know the bags full of bullshit that go with missions. Ie...the political ramifications, decision making process, ect...I never did. I was always accepting of several facts.
1. I was a soldier and an instrument of the Govt...not a decision maker in the Govt.
2. I didnt want to know that kind of crap because it would only cloud the issues for the soldiers. A soldier needs to be a single minded, very focused warrior. You can think it about it later but for now, the mission and the men.
Your "associate" is one of those white knuckled idiots who were too cowardly to serve and like a Magpie, sit on the sidelines and squauk about the injustice.

[10thVet]

I can answer most question that you have about Mog. I was a member of the 10mtn QRF I was there from Aug-Dec 93 and on the convoy that helped TFR out of the objective area on Oct 3/4

I am not sure of when it came, but we did get reports that the Mujhadine were training the sammies. Later(20/20) it was quessed that they were teaching them to shoot down helos with RPG's.. I think that it's bullshit. If you throw thousands of RPG's rounds up in the air you are libal to hit something.
They may have been on the ground, I only seen one thing that would tell me they were trained at all...

On Sept 25 1993 when the first black hawk was shot down(101 bird) I was first on the scene with the QRF and had the foward postion. We took fire as soon as we showed up on scene and was fighting sporadicly for about 2 hours or so. When Daylight came we were taking RPG fire and light rifle fire... At that point it was pretty static and the recvoery had begun when the shit hit the fan... In a matter of minutes I had two soldiers down. One with a neck shot. and one with an upper thigh shot...
looking back they only way they could have made those shots was from an elevated psn from about 400-500 meters away....it could have been lucky shots...or someone was trained as a sniper...

There is a great website that I belong to that is a great memorial to all that served there espically TFR.. If you have any questions about the mog at all thaty can not be answered here go to www.BHD93.com
We have TF160 and even some TFR guys that show up every now and then

[Rangeratlarge]

I can answer most question that you have about Mog. I was a member of the 10mtn QRF I was there from Aug-Dec 93 and on the convoy that helped TFR out of the objective area on Oct 3/4

I am not sure of when it came, but we did get reports that the Mujhadine were training the sammies. Later(20/20) it was quessed that they were teaching them to shoot down helos with RPG's.. I think that it's bullshit. If you throw thousands of RPG's rounds up in the air you are libal to hit something.
They may have been on the ground, I only seen one thing that would tell me they were trained at all...

On Sept 25 1993 when the first black hawk was shot down(101 bird) I was first on the scene with the QRF and had the foward postion. We took fire as soon as we showed up on scene and was fighting sporadicly for about 2 hours or so. When Daylight came we were taking RPG fire and light rifle fire... At that point it was pretty static and the recvoery had begun when the shit hit the fan... In a matter of minutes I had two soldiers down. One with a neck shot. and one with an upper thigh shot...
looking back they only way they could have made those shots was from an elevated psn from about 400-500 meters away....it could have been lucky shots...or someone was trained as a sniper...

There is a great website that I belong to that is a great memorial to all that served there espically TFR.. If you have any questions about the mog at all thaty can not be answered here go to www.BHD93.com
We have TF160 and even some TFR guys that show up every now and then

Small world....I was in TF Ranger and was the Sgt of the Guard for our hanger the night the 101 bird was shot down. One of the gate guard on my shift called it in to me.

Never heard of the WWW site you mention...will check it out.

RAL

[Earthpig]

Apparently, we're priming the pump in that region again. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050505/wl_ ... a_usa_dc_1
"U.S. Marines landed on Somalia's coast in one of their most visible hunts for militants in the country since they set up a Horn of Africa counter terrorism force in 2002, Somali officials said on Thursday."
RLTW
EP