Death of Linda Norgrove
Encyclopedia
Linda Norgrove, a Scottish
aid worker, and three Afghan colleagues were kidnapped by members of the Taliban in Kunar Province
, eastern Afghanistan
, on 26 September 2010. The three kidnapped Afghan aid workers were released by the Taliban on 3 October 2010 while negotiations over Norgrove's release were ongoing. After concerns that Norgrove would be killed or moved by her captors, The United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group
(NSWDG), commonly known as DEVGRU and informally by its former name SEAL Team Six (ST6) conducted a pre-dawn rescue attempt on a Taliban mountain hideout on 8 October 2010 during which she was killed.
A joint official investigation by United Kingdom
and United States
concluded that Norgrove had died from a grenade thrown by one of the rescuers. A coroner's narrative verdict was recorded in February 2011 that stated Norgrove had died during a failed rescue attempt
, Sutherland
, in 1974 to John and Lorna Norgrove. She spent her childhood on a croft
on the Isle of Lewis in the Western Isles, attending a primary school in Uig
. She later attended the Nicolson Institute
in Stornoway
.
Norgrove studied at the University of Aberdeen
beginning in 1992, from which she gained a first-class honours degree in tropical environmental science; her coursework involved postgraduate research at the University of Chiapas
in Mexico, and a year of study at the University of Oregon
(1993–94). She attended the University of London
in 1996 and 1997, graduating with distinction in a masters degree in rural resources and environmental policy.
In 2002, Norgrove was awarded a PhD
from the University of Manchester
in development policy and management. From 2002 to 2005 she worked for the World Wide Fund
in Peru
, initially supporting and later taking charge of the WWF's Forest Program in the Peru
vian portion of the Northern Andes. At the time of her death, Norgrove was working towards completing an MBA
at the University of Warwick
through distance learning, in addition to her aid work.
Norgrove worked in countries including Afghanistan (first for the United Nations
, in 2005–08, and later as regional director of an international development
consultancy firm, based in Jalalabad, from February 2010), Laos (as an environmental specialist for the U.N. from 2008–09), Mexico, and Uganda (where she researched how national park management affected the indigenous population around Mount Elgon National Park
).
On 26 September 2010, Norgrove and three Afghan colleagues were kidnapped in the Chawkay (aka Tsawkay, Sawkay) district of the eastern Kunar Province. They were ambushed by members of the Taliban on the main highway from Jalalabad
to Asadabad
in the Dewagal valley. They were forced off the road while traveling in a convoy of two unarmored, unmarked Toyota Corolla
s. A U.S. military convoy had been ambushed two months prior on the same stretch of road. Norgrove was wearing a burqa
, in an effort to conceal the fact that she was a foreigner.
A local farmer saw Norgrove being led into the hills by six to eight men, armed with Kalashnikovs
and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. She was dressed in men's clothing by her captors, and taken into the mountains.
The three kidnapped Afghan aid workers were released by the Taliban on 3 October. At that point, the security forces became concerned that Norgrove was about to be taken over the nearby border into Pakistan. British Prime Minister David Cameron
said that the great fear was that she "was going to be passed up the terrorist chain, which would increase further the already high risk that she would be killed". The British foreign office asked the media not to release details of Norgrove's personal life while she was being held captive so as to avoid giving "trophy value" to her kidnapping.
William Hague
said they were from a local Salafi
st group (an extreme form of Islam) allied to the local Kunar Taliban, which had links up the Taliban chain of command to al-Qaeda
and other insurgent groups operating on the Pakistan/Afghanistan border.
Mohammed Osman and other Taliban commanders reportedly insisted Norgrove would be handed over only in exchange for Pakistani Aafia Siddiqui
, called "Lady al-Qaeda", who had been sentenced to jail for 86 years in the U.S. on 23 September 2010 for the attempted murder of U.S. agents and soldiers in Afghanistan. One of those reporting the effort to swap Norgrove for Siddiqui was a local news organization, the Afghan Islamic Press, which The Wall Street Journal
indicated has links to the Taliban. The Telegraph
reported that Osman told the Afghan Islamic Press: “We are lucky that we abducted this British woman soon after the ruthless ruling by an American court on Aafia Siddiqui. We will demand the release of Aafia Siddiqui in exchange for her.”
Intelligence indicated that one group of local elders were calling for Norgrove to be executed "like the Russian" (possibly a reference to the Russian war in Afghanistan). There were also concerns that she might be moved across the Pakistan border, around 10 miles from where she was being held, into the tribal areas of North Waziristan
. The intelligence prompted British Prime Minister Cameron and William Hague to approve a United States special operations effort to rescue Norgrove on her 13th night of captivity. The operation was spearheaded by Navy SEALs
, from the Naval Special Warfare Development Group
(also known as Navy SEAL Team 6), a unit used for high-risk counter-terrorist operations.
The SEALs staged a pre-dawn raid on the Taliban hillside compound
hideout, where Norgrove was being held in a mud
and timber shack, on 8 October 2010. The stronghold was surrounded by 16 feet (4.9 m) high, 2 foot (0.6096 m) thick, perimeter walls in a densely wooded area. It was located in the village of Dineshgal, 7000 feet (2,133.6 m) up a steep-sided mountain in the Korengal Valley, Kunar Province.
At approximately 3:30 AM, in darkness, 24 Navy sailors and around 20 U.S. Army Rangers, 75th Ranger Regiment, wearing night-vision goggles approached the compound, fast roping from two CH-47 Chinook
helicopters. They were fired upon from within the compound and from a nearby overwatch position by Taliban armed with AK-47
s, rocket-propelled grenades, and suicide vests. Two American snipers on board a helicopter killed two guards, using sound suppressed rifles. An AC-130 Spectre
gunship
provided the US troops on the ground with close air support
, and killed two fleeing Taliban. The Rangers secured fire bases on the surrounding hillside. All six Taliban gunmen who fought the U.S. force were killed in the prolonged firefight.
Norgrove was injured within the proximity of the US sailors who had reached the building where she was held. During the gunfight Norgrove had been dragged out of the building where she was kept, but had broken away and was lying in a fetal position. Video footage of the raid showed an explosion in her vicinity. Following the operation she was found injured in a gully.
Norgrove received emergency medical treatment and was evacuated by helicopter, but died from her injuries. It was initially reported that she had been killed by one of her captors detonating a suicide vest during the rescue attempt. According to The Guardian
it is not unusual for insurgents to put on suicide vests if there is a risk of attack. Taliban commanders Mullah Basir and Mullah Keftan, who were holding her, were among those killed in the raid, according to an Afghan intelligence official. Other women and children in the compound were not injured, and no members of the rescue team were wounded.
On 14 October, Norgrove's body was repatriated to the United Kingdom, arriving at RAF Lyneham
on a Royal Air Force
flight. Norgrove's funeral
was held on 26 October at the Uig Community Centre in the Western Isles. The humanist
service was attended by hundreds of people. Norgrove's body was interred at Ardroil
cemetery.
On 10 October, an unnamed Afghan intelligence officer said Norgrove had been killed by a grenade that had been thrown by her captors. The following day, Prime Minister Cameron told media that new information indicated Norgrove may have been killed accidentally by a U.S. grenade. In an interview, the Prime Minister said "Linda could have died as a result of a grenade detonated by the task force during the assault. However, this is not definite." A U.S. military statement said "Subsequent review of surveillance footage and discussions with members of the rescue team do not conclusively determine the cause of her death".
U.S. President Barack Obama
promised "to get to the bottom" of the failed rescue attempt and General David Petraeus
ordered an investigation into the incident. A joint investigation by the United Kingdom and United States was led by U.S. Major General
Joseph Votel
(Chief of Staff of U.S. Special Operations Command, who has extensive U.S. special operations experience) and British Brigadier
Rob Nitsch (the Head of Joint Force Support, UK Forces Afghanistan). Norgrove's family was kept informed of the results of the investigation. It was reported on 12 October that the results were expected within days.
At the inquest in Trowbridge
, Wiltshire
it was determined that a bullet wound to her leg, also sustained during the rescue, was not a contributory factor in her death. Detective Chief Inspector Colin Smith of the Metropolitan Police said during the opening of an inquest at the coroner's court in Salisbury
, Wiltshire
, South West England
, that a 19 October post-mortem examination by British coroner Pathologist Doctor Russell Delaney on Norgrove's body indicated that she died of "penetrating fragment injuries to the head and chest".
On 2 December, the results of the joint investigation were announced by British Foreign Secretary William Hague. The probe concluded that Norgrove had been accidentally killed by a grenade thrown by a U.S soldier. Hague said to the House of Commons: "A grenade was thrown by a member of the rescue team who feared for his own life and those of his team towards a gully from where some of the insurgents had emerged. When the grenade was thrown no member of the team had seen, or heard, Linda Norgrove." Navy SEAL sailors did not immediately notify senior officers about the grenade, in breach of military law. As a result, a number of sailors were disciplined.
William Hague announced her death and said that they had "failed to rescue Linda". He added in a written statement: "after receiving information on where she was held it was decided that, given the danger she was facing, her best chance of safe release was to act on that information.”
A regional director of Development Alternatives, an international consulting firm, for whom Norgrove used to work said:
The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator, Robert Watkins, praised Norgrove saying: "She was a true advocate for the people of Afghanistan and was dedicated to bringing improvements to their lives". He added, "Her spirit and compassion will be greatly missed". The First Minister of Scotland
, Alex Salmond
, gave tribute to Norgrove, saying: "Ms. Norgrove was a dedicated aid worker who was doing everything she could to help people in Afghanistan—hopefully that legacy of service in a humanitarian cause can be of some comfort to her loved ones in their time of grief".
Linda Norgrove was posthumously awarded the 2011 Robert Burns Humanitarian Award
for her work in Afghanistan. Her family has set up the Linda Norgrove Foundation, to continue her relief work.
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
aid worker, and three Afghan colleagues were kidnapped by members of the Taliban in Kunar Province
Kunar Province
Kunar is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the northeastern part of the country. Its capital is Asadabad. It is one of the four "N2KL" provinces...
, eastern Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, on 26 September 2010. The three kidnapped Afghan aid workers were released by the Taliban on 3 October 2010 while negotiations over Norgrove's release were ongoing. After concerns that Norgrove would be killed or moved by her captors, The United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group
United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group
The United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group , commonly known as DEVGRU and informally by its former name SEAL Team Six , is one of the United States' four secretive counter-terrorism and Special Mission Units .The vast majority of information about DEVGRU is highly classified, and...
(NSWDG), commonly known as DEVGRU and informally by its former name SEAL Team Six (ST6) conducted a pre-dawn rescue attempt on a Taliban mountain hideout on 8 October 2010 during which she was killed.
A joint official investigation by United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
concluded that Norgrove had died from a grenade thrown by one of the rescuers. A coroner's narrative verdict was recorded in February 2011 that stated Norgrove had died during a failed rescue attempt
Linda Norgrove
Norgrove was born in AltnaharraAltnaharra
-Notable persons:*Linda Norgrove, kidnapped by the Taliban in Afghanistan, and killed by a US grenade during a rescue effort.-External links:**...
, Sutherland
Sutherland
Sutherland is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic administrative county of Scotland. It is now within the Highland local government area. In Gaelic the area is referred to according to its traditional areas: Dùthaich 'IcAoidh , Asainte , and Cataibh...
, in 1974 to John and Lorna Norgrove. She spent her childhood on a croft
Croft (land)
A croft is a fenced or enclosed area of land, usually small and arable with a crofter's dwelling thereon. A crofter is one who has tenure and use of the land, typically as a tenant farmer.- Etymology :...
on the Isle of Lewis in the Western Isles, attending a primary school in Uig
Uig, Lewis
Uig , also known as Sgìr' Ùig, is a civil parish and community on the western coast of the island of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. It consists of scattered settlements around the bay of Camas Uig and the Bhaltos peninsula...
. She later attended the Nicolson Institute
Nicolson Institute
The Nicolson Institute in Stornoway, is the largest school in the Western Isles, Scotland.The Nicolson is the only six-year secondary school in Lewis. Sir E. Scott School is in Harris. Together, they provide education up to Advanced Higher level.The student population is around 2000...
in Stornoway
Stornoway
Stornoway is a burgh on the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.The town's population is around 9,000, making it the largest settlement in the Western Isles and the third largest town in the Scottish Highlands after Inverness and Fort William...
.
Norgrove studied at the University of Aberdeen
University of Aberdeen
The University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world...
beginning in 1992, from which she gained a first-class honours degree in tropical environmental science; her coursework involved postgraduate research at the University of Chiapas
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
in Mexico, and a year of study at the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
(1993–94). She attended the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
in 1996 and 1997, graduating with distinction in a masters degree in rural resources and environmental policy.
In 2002, Norgrove was awarded a PhD
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
from the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
in development policy and management. From 2002 to 2005 she worked for the World Wide Fund
World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States...
in Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, initially supporting and later taking charge of the WWF's Forest Program in the Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
vian portion of the Northern Andes. At the time of her death, Norgrove was working towards completing an MBA
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
at the University of Warwick
University of Warwick
The University of Warwick is a public research university located in Coventry, United Kingdom...
through distance learning, in addition to her aid work.
Norgrove worked in countries including Afghanistan (first for the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, in 2005–08, and later as regional director of an international development
International development
International development or global development is a concept that lacks a universally accepted definition, but it is most used in a holistic and multi-disciplinary context of human development — the development of greater quality of life for humans...
consultancy firm, based in Jalalabad, from February 2010), Laos (as an environmental specialist for the U.N. from 2008–09), Mexico, and Uganda (where she researched how national park management affected the indigenous population around Mount Elgon National Park
Mount Elgon National Park
Mount Elgon National Park is a national park 140 km North East of Lake Victoria. The park covers an area of 1279 km² and is bisected by the border of Kenya and Uganda. The Ugandan part of the park covers 1110 km² while the Kenyan part covers 169 km²...
).
Kidnapping of aid workers
Jalalabad
Jalalabad , formerly called Adinapour, as documented by the 7th century Hsüan-tsang, is a city in eastern Afghanistan. Located at the junction of the Kabul River and Kunar River near the Laghman valley, Jalalabad is the capital of Nangarhar province. It is linked by approximately of highway with...
to Asadabad
Asadabad, Afghanistan
Asadabad or Asad Abad is the capital city of Kunar Province in Afghanistan. It is located in the eastern portion of the country adjacent to Pakistan...
in the Dewagal valley. They were forced off the road while traveling in a convoy of two unarmored, unmarked Toyota Corolla
Toyota Corolla
The Toyota Corolla is a line of subcompact and compact cars manufactured by the Japanese automaker Toyota, which has become very popular throughout the world since the nameplate was first introduced in 1966. In 1997, the Corolla became the best selling nameplate in the world, with over 35 million...
s. A U.S. military convoy had been ambushed two months prior on the same stretch of road. Norgrove was wearing a burqa
Burqa
A burqa is an enveloping outer garment worn by women in some Islamic religion to cover their bodies in public places. The burqa is usually understood to be the woman's loose body-covering , plus the head-covering , plus the face-veil .-Etymology:A speculative and unattested etymology...
, in an effort to conceal the fact that she was a foreigner.
A local farmer saw Norgrove being led into the hills by six to eight men, armed with Kalashnikovs
AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. She was dressed in men's clothing by her captors, and taken into the mountains.
The three kidnapped Afghan aid workers were released by the Taliban on 3 October. At that point, the security forces became concerned that Norgrove was about to be taken over the nearby border into Pakistan. British Prime Minister David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
said that the great fear was that she "was going to be passed up the terrorist chain, which would increase further the already high risk that she would be killed". The British foreign office asked the media not to release details of Norgrove's personal life while she was being held captive so as to avoid giving "trophy value" to her kidnapping.
Negotiation with captors
Within 24 hours of the kidnapping, contact was made with a group claiming responsibility. Norgrove was being held by two Taliban commanders, Mullah Basir and Mullah Keftan, an Afghan intelligence official said later. U.S. military sources identified her captors as Kunar Taliban, and British Foreign SecretarySecretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, commonly referred to as the Foreign Secretary, is a senior member of Her Majesty's Government heading the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and regarded as one of the Great Offices of State...
William Hague
William Hague
William Jefferson Hague is the British Foreign Secretary and First Secretary of State. He served as Leader of the Conservative Party from June 1997 to September 2001...
said they were from a local Salafi
Salafi
A Salafi come from Sunni Islam is a follower of an Islamic movement, Salafiyyah, that is supposed to take the Salaf who lived during the patristic period of early Islam as model examples...
st group (an extreme form of Islam) allied to the local Kunar Taliban, which had links up the Taliban chain of command to al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
and other insurgent groups operating on the Pakistan/Afghanistan border.
Mohammed Osman and other Taliban commanders reportedly insisted Norgrove would be handed over only in exchange for Pakistani Aafia Siddiqui
Aafia Siddiqui
Aafia Siddiqui is an American-educated Pakistani cognitive neuroscientist who was convicted of assault with intent to murder her U.S. interrogators in Afghanistan. The charges carried a maximum sentence of life in prison; in September 2010, she was sentenced by a United States district court to 86...
, called "Lady al-Qaeda", who had been sentenced to jail for 86 years in the U.S. on 23 September 2010 for the attempted murder of U.S. agents and soldiers in Afghanistan. One of those reporting the effort to swap Norgrove for Siddiqui was a local news organization, the Afghan Islamic Press, which The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
indicated has links to the Taliban. The Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
reported that Osman told the Afghan Islamic Press: “We are lucky that we abducted this British woman soon after the ruthless ruling by an American court on Aafia Siddiqui. We will demand the release of Aafia Siddiqui in exchange for her.”
Rescue attempt and death
Initially, Linda Norgrove was taken into the Dewegal Valley within the Chowkai District by her captors. The Dewegal Valley intersects with the Korengal Valley. An intense 12 day search was conducted under the operation name of "Enterprise". Bravo Company, 2/327 Infantry, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division was the primary element in the search, assisted, supported and complemented by other U.S. Forces as well as Afghan Army, Police and Commando elements. To prevent her transfer east into Pakistan, blocking positions of the only roadway in and out of the Dewegal Valley were established while a house to house search within the vast valley were conducted. The difficult terrain and lack of roadways complicated and slowed the search, however the search efforts did result in the failure of her captors to move her from the area.Intelligence indicated that one group of local elders were calling for Norgrove to be executed "like the Russian" (possibly a reference to the Russian war in Afghanistan). There were also concerns that she might be moved across the Pakistan border, around 10 miles from where she was being held, into the tribal areas of North Waziristan
North Waziristan
North Waziristan is the northern part of Waziristan, a mountainous region of northwest Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and covering . Waziristan comprises the area west and south-west of Peshawar between the Tochi river to the north and the Gomal river to the south, forming part of Pakistan's...
. The intelligence prompted British Prime Minister Cameron and William Hague to approve a United States special operations effort to rescue Norgrove on her 13th night of captivity. The operation was spearheaded by Navy SEALs
United States Navy SEALs
The United States Navy's Sea, Air and Land Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's principal special operations force and a part of the Naval Special Warfare Command as well as the maritime component of the United States Special Operations Command.The acronym is derived from their...
, from the Naval Special Warfare Development Group
United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group
The United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group , commonly known as DEVGRU and informally by its former name SEAL Team Six , is one of the United States' four secretive counter-terrorism and Special Mission Units .The vast majority of information about DEVGRU is highly classified, and...
(also known as Navy SEAL Team 6), a unit used for high-risk counter-terrorist operations.
The SEALs staged a pre-dawn raid on the Taliban hillside compound
Compound
Compound may refer to:* Chemical compounds, combinations of two or more elements* Compound , a cluster of buildings having a shared purpose, usually inside a fence or wall...
hideout, where Norgrove was being held in a mud
Mud
Mud is a mixture of water and some combination of soil, silt, and clay. Ancient mud deposits harden over geological time to form sedimentary rock such as shale or mudstone . When geological deposits of mud are formed in estuaries the resultant layers are termed bay muds...
and timber shack, on 8 October 2010. The stronghold was surrounded by 16 feet (4.9 m) high, 2 foot (0.6096 m) thick, perimeter walls in a densely wooded area. It was located in the village of Dineshgal, 7000 feet (2,133.6 m) up a steep-sided mountain in the Korengal Valley, Kunar Province.
At approximately 3:30 AM, in darkness, 24 Navy sailors and around 20 U.S. Army Rangers, 75th Ranger Regiment, wearing night-vision goggles approached the compound, fast roping from two CH-47 Chinook
CH-47 Chinook
The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is an American twin-engine, tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopter. Its top speed of 170 knots is faster than contemporary utility and attack helicopters of the 1960s...
helicopters. They were fired upon from within the compound and from a nearby overwatch position by Taliban armed with AK-47
AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
s, rocket-propelled grenades, and suicide vests. Two American snipers on board a helicopter killed two guards, using sound suppressed rifles. An AC-130 Spectre
Lockheed AC-130
The Lockheed AC-130 gunship is a heavily-armed ground-attack aircraft variant of the C-130 Hercules transport plane. The basic airframe is manufactured by Lockheed, while Boeing is responsible for the conversion into a gunship and for aircraft support...
gunship
Gunship
The term "gunship" is used in several contexts, all sharing the general idea of a light craft armed with heavy guns.-In Navy:In the Navy, the term originally appeared in the mid-19th century as a less-common synonym for gunboat.-In military aviation:...
provided the US troops on the ground with close air support
Close air support
In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...
, and killed two fleeing Taliban. The Rangers secured fire bases on the surrounding hillside. All six Taliban gunmen who fought the U.S. force were killed in the prolonged firefight.
Norgrove was injured within the proximity of the US sailors who had reached the building where she was held. During the gunfight Norgrove had been dragged out of the building where she was kept, but had broken away and was lying in a fetal position. Video footage of the raid showed an explosion in her vicinity. Following the operation she was found injured in a gully.
Norgrove received emergency medical treatment and was evacuated by helicopter, but died from her injuries. It was initially reported that she had been killed by one of her captors detonating a suicide vest during the rescue attempt. According to The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
it is not unusual for insurgents to put on suicide vests if there is a risk of attack. Taliban commanders Mullah Basir and Mullah Keftan, who were holding her, were among those killed in the raid, according to an Afghan intelligence official. Other women and children in the compound were not injured, and no members of the rescue team were wounded.
On 14 October, Norgrove's body was repatriated to the United Kingdom, arriving at RAF Lyneham
RAF Lyneham
RAF Lyneham is a Royal Air Force station in Wiltshire, England. It was the home of all the Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport aircraft of the Royal Air Force before they were relocated to RAF Brize Norton.The station was also home to No...
on a Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
flight. Norgrove's funeral
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
was held on 26 October at the Uig Community Centre in the Western Isles. The humanist
Humanism
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
service was attended by hundreds of people. Norgrove's body was interred at Ardroil
Ardroil
Ardroil is a village on the Isle of Lewis in the Western Isles, Scotland....
cemetery.
Joint investigation
U.S. President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
promised "to get to the bottom" of the failed rescue attempt and General David Petraeus
David Petraeus
David Howell Petraeus is the current Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, sworn in on September 6, 2011. Prior to his assuming the directorship of the CIA, Petraeus was a four-star general serving over 37 years in the United States Army. His last assignments in the Army were as commander...
ordered an investigation into the incident. A joint investigation by the United Kingdom and United States was led by U.S. Major General
Major general (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general-officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general...
Joseph Votel
Joseph Votel
Joseph L. Votel is a Lieutenant General in the United States Army and the former Special Operations Command Chief of Staff. In June 2011, Votel succeeded Admiral William McRaven as the commander of the Joint Special Operations Command. -Early career:...
(Chief of Staff of U.S. Special Operations Command, who has extensive U.S. special operations experience) and British Brigadier
Brigadier (United Kingdom)
Brigadier is a senior rank in the British Army and the Royal Marines.Brigadier is the superior rank to Colonel, but subordinate to Major-General....
Rob Nitsch (the Head of Joint Force Support, UK Forces Afghanistan). Norgrove's family was kept informed of the results of the investigation. It was reported on 12 October that the results were expected within days.
At the inquest in Trowbridge
Trowbridge
Trowbridge is the county town of Wiltshire, England, situated on the River Biss in the west of the county, approximately 12 miles southeast of Bath, Somerset....
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
it was determined that a bullet wound to her leg, also sustained during the rescue, was not a contributory factor in her death. Detective Chief Inspector Colin Smith of the Metropolitan Police said during the opening of an inquest at the coroner's court in Salisbury
Salisbury
Salisbury is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England and the only city in the county. It is the second largest settlement in the county...
, Wiltshire
Wiltshire
Wiltshire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset, Somerset, Hampshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire. It contains the unitary authority of Swindon and covers...
, South West England
South West England
South West England is one of the regions of England defined by the Government of the United Kingdom for statistical and other purposes. It is the largest such region in area, covering and comprising Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. ...
, that a 19 October post-mortem examination by British coroner Pathologist Doctor Russell Delaney on Norgrove's body indicated that she died of "penetrating fragment injuries to the head and chest".
On 2 December, the results of the joint investigation were announced by British Foreign Secretary William Hague. The probe concluded that Norgrove had been accidentally killed by a grenade thrown by a U.S soldier. Hague said to the House of Commons: "A grenade was thrown by a member of the rescue team who feared for his own life and those of his team towards a gully from where some of the insurgents had emerged. When the grenade was thrown no member of the team had seen, or heard, Linda Norgrove." Navy SEAL sailors did not immediately notify senior officers about the grenade, in breach of military law. As a result, a number of sailors were disciplined.
Reactions
In a statement David Cameron said:My thoughts are with Linda's family, who will be devastated by this tragic news. She was doing valuable work for the Afghan people ... Decisions on operations to free hostages are always difficult. But where a British life is in such danger, and where we and our allies can act, I believe it is right to try.
William Hague announced her death and said that they had "failed to rescue Linda". He added in a written statement: "after receiving information on where she was held it was decided that, given the danger she was facing, her best chance of safe release was to act on that information.”
A regional director of Development Alternatives, an international consulting firm, for whom Norgrove used to work said:
This is devastating news. We are saddened beyond words by the death of a wonderful woman whose sole purpose in Afghanistan was to do good–to help the Afghan people achieve a measure of prosperity and stability in their everyday lives as they set about rebuilding their country.
The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator, Robert Watkins, praised Norgrove saying: "She was a true advocate for the people of Afghanistan and was dedicated to bringing improvements to their lives". He added, "Her spirit and compassion will be greatly missed". The First Minister of Scotland
First Minister of Scotland
The First Minister of Scotland is the political leader of Scotland and head of the Scottish Government. The First Minister chairs the Scottish Cabinet and is primarily responsible for the formulation, development and presentation of Scottish Government policy...
, Alex Salmond
Alex Salmond
Alexander Elliot Anderson "Alex" Salmond MSP is a Scottish politician and current First Minister of Scotland. He became Scotland's fourth First Minister in May 2007. He is the Leader of the Scottish National Party , having served as Member of the Scottish Parliament for Gordon...
, gave tribute to Norgrove, saying: "Ms. Norgrove was a dedicated aid worker who was doing everything she could to help people in Afghanistan—hopefully that legacy of service in a humanitarian cause can be of some comfort to her loved ones in their time of grief".
Linda Norgrove was posthumously awarded the 2011 Robert Burns Humanitarian Award
Robert Burns Humanitarian Award
The Robert Burns Humanitarian Award is presented annually to a group or individual who has saved, improved or enriched the lives of others or society as a whole, through personal self-sacrifice, selfless service, 'hands on' charitable/volunteer work, or other acts.The winner receives a 1759 guinea,...
for her work in Afghanistan. Her family has set up the Linda Norgrove Foundation, to continue her relief work.
External links
- DAI official website
- Confronting Conservation at Mount Elgon, Uganda by Linda Norgrove and David Hulme
- The Linda Norgrove Foundation official website A charitable foundation set up by the Norgrove family which will continue the humanitarian work that Linda was doing in Afghanistan