Announcement

**bsteadman** · 07-25-2013, 08:18 PM

Savage outraged by ‘zero reaction’ to 2011 helicopter crash in Afghanistan

Savage outraged by ‘zero reaction’ to 2011 helicopter crash in Afghanistan

WorldTribune.com
Grace Vuoto
6/7/2013

Excerpt:

Radio talk-show host Michael Savage is furious, calling for “someone to go to prison” for the tragedy that occurred Aug. 6, 2011 in Afghanistan.

A Chinook helicopter carrying 30 American service members, including a contingent of elite SEALs was shot down in suspicious circumstances. The incident took place in the heart of the summer, when Congress was out of session and many reporters also took a break. Yet, Mr. Savage — who hosts one of the nation’s top talk shows — noticed immediately that something was afoul.
Michael Savage.

Michael Savage.

In an exclusive interview with WorldTribune.com, Savage said he was so upset by the incident, “I wrote a book about it.”

[RELATED: What happened to SEAL Team Six? The most serious scandal of all ]

A Time for War, published by St. Martin’s Press in February, is a work of fiction, a political thriller that opens with a helicopter crash, recreating the Aug. 6, 2011 tragedy. He depicts what must have been going through the minds of those men as the aircraft was going down. Yet, despite his attempt to raise awareness of the incident, there has been little attention given by the media and political elites to this story.

“I am incensed,” said Savage. “There has been no press coverage of this and no congressional investigation.” Despite the publication of the book, “there was still no reaction,” he said. “And right now, Congress is more interested in sexual harassment in the military than they are in delving into what happened to our elite warriors.”

Savage said the incident “stinks to high heaven.” Among the questions he wants answered are: Why were so many of our elite warriors placed in one helicopter? And why was an old, Vietnam-era helicopter chosen for the mission? Why were there no support helicopters? Why were the troops not permitted to return fire? Who gave the order to put them all on one aircraft? Was it then-Defense Secretary Leon Panetta? Who was the commander of the mission?

Savage was the first to give Karen and Billy Vaughn, parents of slain Navy SEAL Aaron Vaughn, a platform on his nationally syndicated show, The Savage Nation. In addition, he said, his book was “published by a major New York Publisher” and even that was insufficient to draw interest in the story.

“There has been zero reaction,” he said in dismay. “It’s not about me. I could care less [about media attention for himself]. I just want justice for those SEALs,” he said.

Families of three deceased soldiers, along with military experts, held a press conference on May 9 at the National Press Club, outlining the case. Retired Maj. Gen. Paul Valley referred to the fatal crash as laden with “a constant plethora of lies and deceit.” Many in the aircraft had assisted in the killing of Osama bin Laden only 93 days before the aircraft went down. The story was featured briefly, in a few national news outlets, as the families, with lawyers assisting them, have demanded a congressional investigation.

However, Savage, who is the author of 29 books, six being New York Times best sellers, and a veteran commentator of the political scene, said he is not optimistic that Congress will investigate this.

“Congress is anti-military,” Savage said, adding that this goes back to the era of President George W. Bush. Back then, “troops were falsely accused and had to be rescued by lawyers.” He has donated thousands of dollars and proceeds from book sales to assist soldiers who have been falsely accused of committing crimes in combat.

“And Republicans don’t have the guts to do it,” he said in response to my question about who could possibly lead a congressional inquiry on behalf of the deceased SEALs.

Yet, in his view, there is no denying this is a major scandal, not just of the Obama presidency, but in American history: “How do you loose more SEALS in one incident than in any other time in the nation’s history?” he asked. “It is simply shocking that this story has not caught fire. If you put this into a fictional story for a publisher, they wouldn’t publish it as it sounds impossible.”

At that moment, we both burst out laughing, perhaps to relieve our mutual angst in addressing a story of such emotional resonance — the nation’s heroes betrayed. Instantly, we were no longer interviewer and interviewee, but fellow conservatives banging our heads against the wall, commiserating on a preposterous set of circumstances, a world turned upside-down.

“It’s much bigger than we may think,” Savage mused as we discussed the fact that seven of the eight Afghans who were scheduled to go on that helicopter refused to get on the plane at the last minute and were replaced by others. I could almost hear the wheels of his brain turning, churning. That fact in particular struck a nerve. Savage said he would join me in a relentless drive to call upon members of Congress to take up the cause.

I then asked him to address the recent severance of his long-term relationship with Talk Radio Network, the former syndicator of his hit show. He said the change in time slot, from 6-9 pm (EST) to 9 pm-midnight (EST) “has been a tremendous adjustment for me” but that he had at last made the transition. More important, however, his new employer as of October 2012, Cumulus Media Networks ”is a fabulous company to work with,” he said. “There is no censorship. I feel much freer than in the last situation. I enjoy the show every night.”

Michael Savage pointed out that his ratings are soaring and that he is now on bigger stations than before.

For years, he was the third most-listened to radio show in the nation, with 8-10 million weekly listeners; he is now rebuilding his audience share in the new setting at galloping speed. He depicts his current callers as “very intelligent;” many are listening to his show as they are going home, returning from “high-powered positions.” This is a “much more educated audience,” he said.

I asked him why he continues to do such difficult work, which is so full of stress; so much pressure from haters, so much of the world to grasp and comment upon in little time. “Why am I killing myself?” he chimed in. “I ask myself that same question. But would you ask Rodin ‘why don’t you stop painting, why don’t you stop working on that beautiful piece of art you just did and sip a glass of wine instead?’ ”

The thought of no longer broadcasting a show “is unthinkable,” he said. “The only salvation is work. Work. Work. Work.” He explained that his mind is “turned on all the time” and he can’t shut it down. “Even my dreams are productive.”
.................................................. ...

View the complete article at:

http://www.worldtribune.com/2013/06/...n-afghanistan/

**bsteadman** · 07-25-2013, 08:28 PM

What happened to SEAL Team Six? The most serious scandal of all

WorldTribune.com
Grace Vuoto
5/30/2013

Excerpt:

The media is now consistently referring to three scandals engulfing the Obama presidency, even using a shorthand expression such as a “trifecta” of troubling incidents. Yet, there is a scandal brewing that is worse than the Department of Justice violating freedom of the press, the Internal Revenue Service abusing its power and four Americans left to die at the hands of jihadists in Benghazi, Libya.

Navy SEAL Team Six, the heroic unit that killed Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan in May 2011, is in grave danger due to the reckless actions of the Obama administration. The parents of three SEALs recently said the government bears criminal culpability in the deaths of their sons.

They are calling for a congressional investigation into the Aug. 6, 2011 helicopter crash in Afghanistan that resulted in 38 deaths, including 7 members of the Afghan National Army, an Afghan interpreter, 15 SEAL Team Six members, 2 members of West Coast SEAL and other U.S. troops. A rocket-propelled grenade struck the helicopter, causing the fatal crash. It was the deadliest day for America in the Afghan war.

Were the SEALS targeted in retaliation for killing Bin Laden? The elite SEAL Team Six is a special operations unit whose actions are supposed to be classified. They uphold a strict code of secrecy. As a result, it is not publicly known which specific SEAL Team Six members were involved in the killing of the world’s most wanted terrorist, nor how many of those who participated in the raid were on the helicopter that was shot down.

We now know, however, that the elite group and their families were shocked when Vice President Joe Biden publicly identified them on May 3, 2011, two days after the raid. He was speaking at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Washington D.C. at the 50th anniversary of the Atlantic Council, an international affairs think tank. It was a speech laden with praise for the intelligence and military community.

“Let me briefly acknowledge tonight’s distinguished honorees: Adm. Jim Stavridis is a — is the real deal; he could tell you more about and understands the incredible, the phenomenal, the just almost unbelievable capacity of his Navy SEALS and what they did last — last Sunday,” said Mr. Biden.

In that moment, the vice president revealed to the world the name of the unit that had tracked down and killed America’s foremost enemy. Every jihadist seeking to avenge Bin Laden’s death was given a clear target.

Even more astonishing, in that speech, Mr. Biden waxed eloquent on the fact that the whole mission had remained secret prior to the raid.

“And what was even more extraordinary was — and I’m sure former administration officials will appreciate this more than anyone — there was such an absolute, overwhelming desire to accomplish this mission that although for over several months we were in the process of planning it, and there were as many as 16 members of Congress who were briefed on it, not a single, solitary thing leaked. I find that absolutely amazing,” said Mr. Biden. Ironically, he was praising the team’s ability to work in secret while he had just carelessly leaked classified information — arguably one of the greatest leaks in American history.

As a result of the actions “of those brave professionals who tracked and killed Osama Bin Laden,” Mr. Biden said, “the world is a safer place today, not only for the American people but for all people.“ Yet, his very words that evening terrified members of SEAL Team Six who had just been betrayed by their government and immediately began to fear for their lives.

In a May 10, 2013 interview on Fox News’ America Live with Megyn Kelly, the parents of deceased SEAL Team Six member Aaron Vaughn revealed their son’s angst following Mr. Biden’s blunder: “As soon as Joe Biden announced that it was a SEAL Team who took out Bin Laden, within 24 hours, my son called me and I rarely heard him ever sound afraid in his adult life,” said Karen Vaughn.

Mrs. Vaughn described his tone in that conversation as “extraordinarily serious.” “‘Mom, you need to wipe your social media clean. You need to get everything off of it now.’” When she asked what was wrong, he explained: “’Mom, there is chatter and your life is in danger. Our lives are in danger. So clean it up right now.‘”

The chilling effect was widespread. “The community was very unnerved by that unveiling. So yes, a target got put on their back and it got put on the back of every group that would work with SEAL Team Six,” said Mrs. Vaughn. And indeed, three months after Mr. Biden made the announcement, a helicopter carrying SEALS in Afghanistan was shot down under mysterious circumstances. Aaron Vaughn’s worst fears were realized.

Family members of the slain are not satisfied with the military’s report on the incident. They have many questions, including why the Afghans who were on the helicopter were not the ones on the flight manifest. Why was there a last-minute change? Did the Taliban infiltrate the helicopter?
...............................................

View the complete article at:

http://www.worldtribune.com/2013/05/...candal-of-all/

Announcement

Father Of Navy SEAL: Obama Set Up My Son To Be Executed: Cremated Bodies; Threats

Father Of Navy SEAL: Obama Set Up My Son To Be Executed: Cremated Bodies; Threats

Comment

Comment