[h=1]U.S. Raid in Yemen Garners Intelligence[/h][FONT="]By Terri Moon CronkDoD News, Defense Media Activity[/FONT]
[FONT="]WASHINGTON, Jan. 30, 2017 — The U.S. military raid on the militant Islamist group al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula compound in Yemen Jan. 28 that killed a U.S. service member and injured three others yielded valuable intelligence, Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis told reporters today.
Service members from the Air Force, Army and Marine Corps participate in sustainment training at Grand Bara, Djibouti, Jan. 5, 2017. During the exercise, Air Force joint terminal attack controllers, along with soldiers from the 101st Infantry Battalion and Marines from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit conducted training utilizing MV-22 Osprey and F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft. During a raid against the terrorist group al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, Jan. 28, 2017, in Yemen, an Osprey hard-landed, injuring three service members and killing one. Air Force photo Tech. Sgt. Joshua J. Garcia
Material captured from the site will help the United States “gain a deeper insight into the group’s planning to help prevent terrorist attacks against innocent civilians in the United States and our coalition-partner nations,” he said.
Similar site exploitation operations in Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq have produced information about terrorist planner logistics, recruiting and financing efforts, Davis noted.
“Until now, we’ve had limited access to terror sites on the ground to gain intelligence from [al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula],” he said.
Raid Conducted for Intel Gathering
“This [operation] was specifically to enable us to gather the information we needed to be able to map out this group better, and to prevent future foreign terrorist attacks,” the captain said, noting that al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula has a number of links to very specific, United States and Western-focused attacks.
The three service members’ injuries occurred when an Osprey MV-22 tilt-rotor aircraft made a hard landing during the operation, Davis said, adding that the inoperable Osprey was subsequently destroyed in place by a U.S. airstrike.
Casualties Being Assessed
The raid on the compound, in a remote area of al-Bayda, Yemen, reportedly also killed 14 of the organization’s operatives, he said.
The casualties in Yemen are being assessed, including al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula’s use of numerous female fighters, some of whom were among those killed in the raid, Davis said.
“The [female fighters] ran to pre-established positions as if they’d trained to be ready and trained to be combatants and engage with us. So, some of the enemy killed in combat are in fact female,” he said.
Aggressive Actions Against Terrorists
The operation had been planned for months, and was one in a series of aggressive actions against al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen, he said.
Coalition forces drove the organization out of Yemen’s al-Mukalla province last year, which the terrorist group controlled at the time, Davis noted, adding they then moved down the Yemen coast to parts of Aden and inland.
“The AQAP presence right now is largely coastal with some inland presence,” he noted.
“AQAP is a foreign terrorist organization designated as such,” Davis said. “It continues to target U.S. and allied interests in Yemen as well as around the world.”
The United States is interested in al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula following their proven history of engaging in external operations, he said.
Davis said the terrorist events that the group has claimed responsibility for or been linked to include the attempt to mail explosives to U.S. addresses in 2010; orchestrating complex attacks against Yemen’s ministry of defense in 2013; and most recently, the targeted and financed attack and massacre on the French newspaper Charlie Hebdo in January 2015.
The group also is connected to attacks on the United States that include the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, and the attempted underwear bombing aboard Northwest Flight 253 on Christmas in 2009.
“The United States and our partner nations remain committed to eradicating the threats posed by violent extremism and destroying militant safe havens,” Davis emphasized. “We will take measures to combat terrorism, ensuring the safety and security of the U.S. citizens and those targeted by terrorists.”
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[FONT="]WASHINGTON, Jan. 30, 2017 — The U.S. military raid on the militant Islamist group al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula compound in Yemen Jan. 28 that killed a U.S. service member and injured three others yielded valuable intelligence, Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis told reporters today.
Service members from the Air Force, Army and Marine Corps participate in sustainment training at Grand Bara, Djibouti, Jan. 5, 2017. During the exercise, Air Force joint terminal attack controllers, along with soldiers from the 101st Infantry Battalion and Marines from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit conducted training utilizing MV-22 Osprey and F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft. During a raid against the terrorist group al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, Jan. 28, 2017, in Yemen, an Osprey hard-landed, injuring three service members and killing one. Air Force photo Tech. Sgt. Joshua J. Garcia
Material captured from the site will help the United States “gain a deeper insight into the group’s planning to help prevent terrorist attacks against innocent civilians in the United States and our coalition-partner nations,” he said.
Similar site exploitation operations in Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq have produced information about terrorist planner logistics, recruiting and financing efforts, Davis noted.
“Until now, we’ve had limited access to terror sites on the ground to gain intelligence from [al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula],” he said.
Raid Conducted for Intel Gathering
“This [operation] was specifically to enable us to gather the information we needed to be able to map out this group better, and to prevent future foreign terrorist attacks,” the captain said, noting that al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula has a number of links to very specific, United States and Western-focused attacks.
The three service members’ injuries occurred when an Osprey MV-22 tilt-rotor aircraft made a hard landing during the operation, Davis said, adding that the inoperable Osprey was subsequently destroyed in place by a U.S. airstrike.
Casualties Being Assessed
The raid on the compound, in a remote area of al-Bayda, Yemen, reportedly also killed 14 of the organization’s operatives, he said.
The casualties in Yemen are being assessed, including al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula’s use of numerous female fighters, some of whom were among those killed in the raid, Davis said.
“The [female fighters] ran to pre-established positions as if they’d trained to be ready and trained to be combatants and engage with us. So, some of the enemy killed in combat are in fact female,” he said.
Aggressive Actions Against Terrorists
The operation had been planned for months, and was one in a series of aggressive actions against al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen, he said.
Coalition forces drove the organization out of Yemen’s al-Mukalla province last year, which the terrorist group controlled at the time, Davis noted, adding they then moved down the Yemen coast to parts of Aden and inland.
“The AQAP presence right now is largely coastal with some inland presence,” he noted.
“AQAP is a foreign terrorist organization designated as such,” Davis said. “It continues to target U.S. and allied interests in Yemen as well as around the world.”
The United States is interested in al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula following their proven history of engaging in external operations, he said.
Davis said the terrorist events that the group has claimed responsibility for or been linked to include the attempt to mail explosives to U.S. addresses in 2010; orchestrating complex attacks against Yemen’s ministry of defense in 2013; and most recently, the targeted and financed attack and massacre on the French newspaper Charlie Hebdo in January 2015.
The group also is connected to attacks on the United States that include the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, and the attempted underwear bombing aboard Northwest Flight 253 on Christmas in 2009.
“The United States and our partner nations remain committed to eradicating the threats posed by violent extremism and destroying militant safe havens,” Davis emphasized. “We will take measures to combat terrorism, ensuring the safety and security of the U.S. citizens and those targeted by terrorists.”
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Navy SEAL killed in al-Qaida raid remembered as hero
By Associated Press
PUBLISHED: 20:29, 31 January 2017 | UPDATED: 20:29, 31 January 201
PEORIA, Ill. (AP) — A decorated U.S. Navy SEAL from Illinois who was killed during a raid against al-Qaida in Yemen is being remembered as a hero by elected officials and those who knew him as a high school student.
A friend from Illinois Valley Central High School, Cody Jackson, said Chief Special Warfare Operator William "Ryan" Owens was doing exactly what he wanted with his life when the 36-year-old Peoria man was killed in a firefight in a raid that left 30 others dead, including an estimated 14 militants. Owens was the first known U.S. military combat casualty since President Donald Trump took office.
"Since he was a freshman in high school, this kid decided he wanted to protect his country (and) he never once wavered from that," Jackson told the (Peoria) Journal Star. "Not everyone knows what they want to do in high school, but he did. He wanted to be a Navy SEAL."
The Navy Special Command did not immediately have information Tuesday about when Owens' remains would be returned to the United States. In a statement, the command said that the family "would like to extend their gratitude to the community for their interest in their beloved Ryan," whom the statement called a "devoted father, a true professional and a wonderful husband." The statement said that the family was requesting privacy.
Owens was "an exceptional SEAL — an experienced warrior and highly respected teammate who served silently, nobly and bravely though several combat deployments," Rear Adm. Tim Szymanski, commander of Navy Special Warfare Command in Coronado, California, said in a statement.
Owens joined the Navy just after graduating from high school and went on to earn two bronze stars, Joint Service Commendation and an Afghanistan Campaign Medal. Trump, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and others praised Owens for his sacrifice.
U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, a Republican from Peoria, said Owens' death "is a painful reminder of the immeasurable cost of our freedom and national security."
U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, a Democrat from of East Moline, said Owens death is a "tragic loss" and "our nation owes him and his family our deep heartfelt gratitude."
By Associated Press
PUBLISHED: 20:29, 31 January 2017 | UPDATED: 20:29, 31 January 201
PEORIA, Ill. (AP) — A decorated U.S. Navy SEAL from Illinois who was killed during a raid against al-Qaida in Yemen is being remembered as a hero by elected officials and those who knew him as a high school student.
A friend from Illinois Valley Central High School, Cody Jackson, said Chief Special Warfare Operator William "Ryan" Owens was doing exactly what he wanted with his life when the 36-year-old Peoria man was killed in a firefight in a raid that left 30 others dead, including an estimated 14 militants. Owens was the first known U.S. military combat casualty since President Donald Trump took office.
"Since he was a freshman in high school, this kid decided he wanted to protect his country (and) he never once wavered from that," Jackson told the (Peoria) Journal Star. "Not everyone knows what they want to do in high school, but he did. He wanted to be a Navy SEAL."
The Navy Special Command did not immediately have information Tuesday about when Owens' remains would be returned to the United States. In a statement, the command said that the family "would like to extend their gratitude to the community for their interest in their beloved Ryan," whom the statement called a "devoted father, a true professional and a wonderful husband." The statement said that the family was requesting privacy.
Owens was "an exceptional SEAL — an experienced warrior and highly respected teammate who served silently, nobly and bravely though several combat deployments," Rear Adm. Tim Szymanski, commander of Navy Special Warfare Command in Coronado, California, said in a statement.
Owens joined the Navy just after graduating from high school and went on to earn two bronze stars, Joint Service Commendation and an Afghanistan Campaign Medal. Trump, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and others praised Owens for his sacrifice.
U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, a Republican from Peoria, said Owens' death "is a painful reminder of the immeasurable cost of our freedom and national security."
U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, a Democrat from of East Moline, said Owens death is a "tragic loss" and "our nation owes him and his family our deep heartfelt gratitude."
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President Donald Trump is mourning the death of a SEAL Team Six member killed in his first military raid as president
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Trump and his eldest daughter, Ivanka, arrived at Dover Air Force Base this afternoon, after making the short flight to Delaware from Washington, to receive the body of Chief Petty Officer William 'Ryan' Owens
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President Trump salutes a marine as he boards Marine One Wednesday afternoon from the South Lawn of the White House
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Ivanka Trump leaves her home in Washington D.C. on Wednesday afternoon. She met her father at the White House and they rode together on Marine One to Dover
ok
President Trump honors first military casualty of his presidency by meeting fallen SEAL's coffin - and takes Ivanka with him
President Donald Trump is mourning the death of a SEAL Team Six member killed in his first military raid as president. Trump and his eldest daughter, Ivanka, arrived at Dover Air Force Base this afternoon, after making the short flight to Delaware from Washington, to receive the body of Chief Petty Officer William 'Ryan' Owens. Owens was killed in a pre-dawn raid last Sunday, in which officials have said 'almost everything went wrong. It was Trump's first clandestine strike, and not one that had previously been ordered by former President Barack Obama.
President Donald Trump is mourning the death of a SEAL Team Six member killed in his first military raid as president. Trump and his eldest daughter, Ivanka, arrived at Dover Air Force Base this afternoon, after making the short flight to Delaware from Washington, to receive the body of Chief Petty Officer William 'Ryan' Owens. Owens was killed in a pre-dawn raid last Sunday, in which officials have said 'almost everything went wrong. It was Trump's first clandestine strike, and not one that had previously been ordered by former President Barack Obama.
Ivanka looking very nice today
+1
Thank You Ryan
Buster Posey, SF Giants (from his Instagram)
Sadly, Javier Lopez relayed the news to me today that Ryan Owens had been killed in Yemen while serving our country.
Ryan was a member of Seal Team 6 and a big Giants fan.
He would come to spring training frequently and I had the honor of meeting him and his son in 2012.
For me, it is easy to take for granted the life that my family and I get to live everyday.
Words don't do justice for the gratitude that I have for people like Ryan that sacrifice their lives fighting against evil, so that we may live with freedom.
Unfortunately for Ryan's family, they lost a husband and a father this weekend.
I can't imagine the pain they must be going through. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers.
Ryan Owens was a hero that is gone way too soon.
+1
Thank You Ryan
Buster Posey, SF Giants (from his Instagram)
Sadly, Javier Lopez relayed the news to me today that Ryan Owens had been killed in Yemen while serving our country.
Ryan was a member of Seal Team 6 and a big Giants fan.
He would come to spring training frequently and I had the honor of meeting him and his son in 2012.
For me, it is easy to take for granted the life that my family and I get to live everyday.
Words don't do justice for the gratitude that I have for people like Ryan that sacrifice their lives fighting against evil, so that we may live with freedom.
Unfortunately for Ryan's family, they lost a husband and a father this weekend.
I can't imagine the pain they must be going through. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers.
Ryan Owens was a hero that is gone way too soon.
Thanks for the share. Legit on Poseys part. If you want to share pics with that chick in your avatar. That would be appreciated as well.
William "Ryan" Owens, 36, was from Peoria, Illinois. According to The Chicago Tribune, he had dreamed of being a SEAL since he was in high school.
“People might have thought it was just a kid talking,” high school friend Cody Jackson told the Tribune. “But he meant every word of it. He always talked about the greatest thing he could do was serve his country.”
A high school athlete, Owens enlisted in the Navy after graduating from high school, the Chicago Tribune reported.
He was a “decorated Navy SEAL from the Virginia-based elite unit known as SEAL Team 6,” according to the San Diego Union Tribune.
The newspaper said that Owens “was twice awarded the Bronze Star medal with V for valor in combat.”
Time Magazine reported that Owens, “a recipient of two bronze stars, Joint Service Commendation and an Afghanistan Campaign Medal among others, joined the Navy in 1998 and received his special warfare training in Coronado, California.”
The gun battle that killed Owens lasted for two hours, reported the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Defense Secretary James Mattis Praises Owens For His ‘Selfless Commitment’ as a Warrior
Defense Secretary James Mattis praised the slain SEAL, and Trump and his daughter, Ivanka, went to Dover to pay their respects as Owens’ body returned to American shores. According to the Chicago Tribune, Owens was on his 12th deployment with the American military.
Trump previously spoke with Owens’ widow, according to The Washington Times. He was also accompanied to Dover by Chris Coons, a Democratic senator from Delaware, the newspaper reported.
“Ryan gave his full measure for our nation, and in performing his duty, he upheld the noblest standard of military service,” the defense secretary said, according to UPI. “The United States would not long exist were it not for the selfless commitment of such warriors.”
“People might have thought it was just a kid talking,” high school friend Cody Jackson told the Tribune. “But he meant every word of it. He always talked about the greatest thing he could do was serve his country.”
A high school athlete, Owens enlisted in the Navy after graduating from high school, the Chicago Tribune reported.
He was a “decorated Navy SEAL from the Virginia-based elite unit known as SEAL Team 6,” according to the San Diego Union Tribune.
The newspaper said that Owens “was twice awarded the Bronze Star medal with V for valor in combat.”
Time Magazine reported that Owens, “a recipient of two bronze stars, Joint Service Commendation and an Afghanistan Campaign Medal among others, joined the Navy in 1998 and received his special warfare training in Coronado, California.”
The gun battle that killed Owens lasted for two hours, reported the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Defense Secretary James Mattis Praises Owens For His ‘Selfless Commitment’ as a Warrior
Defense Secretary James Mattis praised the slain SEAL, and Trump and his daughter, Ivanka, went to Dover to pay their respects as Owens’ body returned to American shores. According to the Chicago Tribune, Owens was on his 12th deployment with the American military.
Trump previously spoke with Owens’ widow, according to The Washington Times. He was also accompanied to Dover by Chris Coons, a Democratic senator from Delaware, the newspaper reported.
“Ryan gave his full measure for our nation, and in performing his duty, he upheld the noblest standard of military service,” the defense secretary said, according to UPI. “The United States would not long exist were it not for the selfless commitment of such warriors.”
He can keep it up - it's who he is - he's a smart person but he has the work ethnic like a freak of nature - I know two people like this - they are insanely successful because they are high energy people - Trump is just one of the very few high energy people - I wish I had 50% of his energy - he's fucken 70 and tweeting at 3 am
Yeah its a mystical thing this guy and how hard he is able to Work. I've seen/read interviews with very successful people who say they owe their success to having been able to Outwork everyone else in their field, that no one could OutWork them but Donald Trump did.
Like you say, 70 Years Old. Its amazing.
