On 26 September 2010, British
aid worker
Humanitarian aid is material and logistic assistance to people who need help. It is usually short-term help until the long-term help by the government and other institutions replaces it. Among the people in need are the homeless, refugees, and v ...
Linda Norgrove and three Afghan colleagues were
kidnap
In criminal law, kidnapping is the unlawful confinement of a person against their will, often including transportation/asportation. The asportation and abduction element is typically but not necessarily conducted by means of force or fear: the p ...
ped by members of the
Taliban
The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalist, militant Islamist, jihadist, and Pasht ...
in the
Kunar Province
Kunar (Pashto: ; Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the northeastern part of the country. Its capital is Asadabad. Its population is estimated to be 508,224. Kunar's major political groups include Wahhabis or Ahl-e- Ha ...
of eastern Afghanistan. She was working in the country as regional director for
Development Alternatives Incorporated
DAI Global, LLC is a private development company with corporate offices in more than a dozen countries, including in Bethesda, Maryland, in the United States; London and Apsley, Hertfordshire, in the United Kingdom; Abuja and Lagos, in Nigeria; ...
, a contractor for US and other government agencies. The group were taken to the nearby Dewegal Valley area. United States and Afghan forces began a search of the area, placing roadblocks to prevent the group from being moved east
into Pakistan.
Norgrove's captors demanded the release of
Aafia Siddiqui in exchange for her return. The Taliban released the three Afghans on 3 October 2010 during negotiations. The
United States Naval Special Warfare Development Group
The Naval Special Warfare Development Group (NSWDG), abbreviated as DEVGRU ("Development Group") and commonly known as SEAL Team Six, is the United States Navy component of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). The unit is often referre ...
conducted a predawn rescue attempt five days later on the Taliban mountain hideout where Norgrove was held captive, amid concerns that she would be killed or moved by her kidnappers. US forces killed several kidnappers and three local farmers during the assault. They subsequently located Norgrove, badly wounded in a nearby gully, and she died later from her injuries.
Initial reports said that she had been killed by an explosion set off by one of her captors. A joint official investigation by the United Kingdom and the United States later concluded that her fatal injuries were inflicted by a grenade thrown by one of her rescuers. A February 2011
coroner's narrative verdict reported that Norgrove died during the failed rescue attempt. In October 2012, one of her colleagues said in an interview that the captors had told Norgrove that they had no intention of killing her.
Early life, education and work
![Lewis abandoned](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/Lewis_abandoned.jpg)
Norgrove was born in
Altnaharra
Altnaharra ( gd, Allt na h-Eirbhe) is a small hamlet in Sutherland in the Highland region of northern Scotland. The hamlet is on the A836 road, close to its junction with the B873. The nearest villages are Lairg and Tongue. Lochs in the area ...
, Scotland, in 1974 to John and Lorna Norgrove. She grew up on a
croft
Croft may refer to:
Occupations
* Croft (land), a small area of land, often with a crofter's dwelling
* Crofting, small-scale food production
* Bleachfield, an open space used for the bleaching of fabric, also called a croft
Locations In the Uni ...
on the
Isle of Lewis in the
Western Isles
The Outer Hebrides () or Western Isles ( gd, Na h-Eileanan Siar or or ("islands of the strangers"); sco, Waster Isles), sometimes known as the Long Isle/Long Island ( gd, An t-Eilean Fada, links=no), is an island chain off the west coast ...
, attending a primary school in
Uig.
She later attended the
Nicolson Institute
The Nicolson Institute ( Gaelic: ''Àrd-sgoil MhicNeacail'') in Stornoway, is the largest school in the Western Isles, Scotland.
The Nicolson is the only six-year secondary school in Lewis. With the Sir E. Scott School in Harris, they provide ...
in
Stornoway.
Norgrove attended the
University of Aberdeen
, mottoeng = The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom
, established =
, type = Public research universityAncient university
, endowment = £58.4 million (2021)
, budget ...
, receiving a first-class honours degree in tropical environmental science; her coursework included postgraduate research at the University of
Chiapas in Mexico and a year of study at the
University of Oregon
The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...
(1993–94).
She attended the
University of London
The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...
, receiving a
MA with distinction in rural resources and environmental policy in 1997.
In 2002, Norgrove received a
PhD from the
University of Manchester
, mottoeng = Knowledge, Wisdom, Humanity
, established = 2004 – University of Manchester Predecessor institutions: 1956 – UMIST (as university college; university 1994) 1904 – Victoria University of Manchester 1880 – Victoria Univ ...
in development policy and management.
From 2002 to 2005, she worked for the
World Wide Fund in Peru, supporting (and later supervising) the WWF's Forest Programme in the Peruvian
Andes
The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...
.
At the time of her death, in addition to her aid work, Norgrove was working towards an
MBA
A Master of Business Administration (MBA; also Master's in Business Administration) is a postgraduate degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration such as accounti ...
from the
University of Warwick
, mottoeng = Mind moves matter
, established =
, type = Public research university
, endowment = £7.0 million (2021)
, budget = £698.2 million (2020 ...
through
distance learning
Distance education, also known as distance learning, is the education of students who may not always be physically present at a school, or where the learner and the teacher are separated in both time and distance. Traditionally, this usually in ...
.
She worked in Afghanistan for the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...
from 2005 to 2008, and as regional director of an international development company based in
Jalalabad
Jalalabad (; Dari/ ps, جلالآباد, ) is the fifth-largest city of Afghanistan. It has a population of about 356,274, and serves as the capital of Nangarhar Province in the eastern part of the country, about from the capital Kabul. Jala ...
beginning in February 2010. She also worked in Laos as an environmental specialist for the UN in 2008–09, Mexico and Uganda where Norgrove researched the effects of national park management on the indigenous population near
Mount Elgon National Park.
Kidnapping
![Afghanistan-Konar](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/Afghanistan-Konar.png)
On 26 September 2010, Norgrove and three Afghan colleagues were travelling in the
Chawkay District (also known as Tsawkay and Sawkay) of eastern
Kunar Province
Kunar (Pashto: ; Dari: ) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, located in the northeastern part of the country. Its capital is Asadabad. Its population is estimated to be 508,224. Kunar's major political groups include Wahhabis or Ahl-e- Ha ...
when they were kidnapped by local insurgents.
They were ambushed while driving on the main highway from
Jalalabad
Jalalabad (; Dari/ ps, جلالآباد, ) is the fifth-largest city of Afghanistan. It has a population of about 356,274, and serves as the capital of Nangarhar Province in the eastern part of the country, about from the capital Kabul. Jala ...
to
Asadabad, in the Dewagal valley,
in two unarmoured, unmarked
Toyota Corollas. A US military convoy was ambushed two months earlier on the same stretch of road.
Norgrove wore a
burqa
A burqa or a burka, or , and ur, , it is also transliterated as burkha, bourkha, burqua or burqu' or borgha' and is pronounced natively . It is generally pronounced in the local variety of Arabic or variety of Persian, which varies. Examp ...
to disguise her foreign appearance.
According to four sources within the United States military and intelligence services, at the time Norgrove was working for
Development Alternatives Incorporated
DAI Global, LLC is a private development company with corporate offices in more than a dozen countries, including in Bethesda, Maryland, in the United States; London and Apsley, Hertfordshire, in the United Kingdom; Abuja and Lagos, in Nigeria; ...
and was secretly employed by
MI6
The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), commonly known as MI6 ( Military Intelligence, Section 6), is the foreign intelligence service of the United Kingdom, tasked mainly with the covert overseas collection and analysis of human intelligenc ...
.
However, this claim cannot be fully substantiated due to the confidential nature of its sources. Her family has regarded the claims as, "ridiculous." They have also claimed, "Linda was passionately against war, disliked the military with a vengeance and mostly sided with Afghans rather than western governments."
Dressed in men's clothing by her captors, she was taken first into the mountains
and then brought to the Dewegal Valley in Chowkai District (which crosses the
Korengal Valley). US Army troops from Bravo Company, 2/327 Infantry, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division began a 12-day search supported by Afghan army, police and commando units under the codename "Enterprise". A house-to-house search was conducted and roadblocks posted at the valley entrance to prevent Norgrove's captors from transferring her eastward into Pakistan. The difficult terrain (with few roads) complicated and slowed the process; the search efforts succeeded in containing the kidnappers in the vicinity and several local Taliban members were killed.
Negotiations
It was unclear at first who had kidnapped Norgrove and her colleagues. A Taliban commander, the Pakistan-based Mohammed Osman, was reported to demand the release of Aafia Siddiqui in return for Norgrove's freedom. Siddiqui, known as "Lady al-Qaeda", had received an 86-year prison sentence in the US on 26 September.
"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", said Osman.
Other Afghan sources denied any link to Osman.
US military sources identified Norgrove's captors as Kunar Taliban, and
British Foreign Secretary
The secretary of state for foreign, Commonwealth and development affairs, known as the foreign secretary, is a minister of the Crown of the Government of the United Kingdom and head of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Seen ...
William Hague
William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
said they were from a
Salafist group affiliated with the local Taliban,
known as
Jamaat al Dawa al Quran
Jamaat al-Dawah ila al-Quran wal-Sunnah (; ''Society for Dawah to the Quran and Sunnah''), abbreviated as JDQS, also known as The Salafi Group, is a militant Islamist organisation operating in eastern Afghanistan.
Background
Founded around 1986 ...
.
An Afghan intelligence official later identified her captors as local commanders Mullah Basir and Mullah Keftan.
Negotiations for Norgrove's release were conducted through local tribal elders.
The three Afghans captured with Norgrove were released on 3 October.
British Prime Minister
The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet and selects its ministers. As moder ...
David Cameron said that the primary 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 about Norgrove's personal life while she was in captivity to avoid attaching "trophy value" to her kidnapping.
Rescue attempt and death
Intelligence reports indicated that a group of local elders were calling for Norgrove to be executed "like the Russian" (a possible reference to the
Russian war in Afghanistan).
The intelligence prompted Cameron and Hague to approve a United States special operations effort to rescue Norgrove during her 13th night of captivity. The operation was spearheaded by "SEAL Team Six",
Navy SEALs
The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main functions are conducting sm ...
from the
Naval Special Warfare Development Group
The Naval Special Warfare Development Group (NSWDG), abbreviated as DEVGRU ("Development Group") and commonly known as SEAL Team Six, is the United States Navy component of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). The unit is often referre ...
.
The SEALs staged a predawn raid on the Taliban hillside
compound
Compound may refer to:
Architecture and built environments
* Compound (enclosure), a cluster of buildings having a shared purpose, usually inside a fence or wall
** Compound (fortification), a version of the above fortified with defensive struc ...
hideout, where Norgrove was held in a shack, on 8 October 2010. The stronghold was surrounded by high, thick perimeter walls in a densely wooded area
in the village of Dineshgal, up a steep mountain in the
Korengal Valley.
At approximately 3:30 am, 20 SEALs and about 24 US Army Rangers from the
75th Ranger Regiment (wearing
night-vision goggles) approached the compound,
fast roping from two
CH-47 Chinook
The Boeing CH-47 Chinook is a tandem rotor helicopter developed by American rotorcraft company Vertol and manufactured by Boeing Vertol. The Chinook is a heavy-lift helicopter that is among the heaviest lifting Western helicopters. Its name, C ...
helicopters. They were fired on from the compound and from a nearby position by Taliban armed with
AK-47
The AK-47, officially known as the ''Avtomat Kalashnikova'' (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is a gas-operated assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian small-arms d ...
s, rocket-propelled grenades, and suicide vests.
Two American snipers aboard a helicopter killed two guards using sound-suppressed rifles.
An
AC-130 Spectre
The Lockheed AC-130 gunship is a heavily armed, long-endurance, ground-attack variant of the C-130 Hercules transport, fixed-wing aircraft. It carries a wide array of ground-attack weapons that are integrated with sophisticated sensors, naviga ...
gunship provided the US troops on the ground with
close air support, killing two fleeing Taliban.
The Rangers secured enemy positions on the nearby hills,
and all six Taliban gunmen who fought the US forces were killed.
During the gunfight, Norgrove's captors dragged her outside the building where she was being held, but she apparently broke away from them. Video footage of the raid showed an explosion in her vicinity; Norgrove was then found, injured, in a
fetal
A fetus or foetus (; plural fetuses, feti, foetuses, or foeti) is the unborn offspring that develops from an animal embryo. Following embryonic development the fetal stage of development takes place. In human prenatal development, fetal develo ...
position in a gully.
Norgrove was removed from the scene via helicopter and received medical care, but she died.
It was reported initially that she had been killed by one of her captors setting off a
suicide vest
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and subs ...
.
According to ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'', insurgents often put on suicide vests if they think they are in danger of being attacked.
Taliban commanders Mullah Basir and Mullah Keftan (who were holding Norgrove) were among those killed in the raid, according to an Afghan intelligence official.
Other women and children in the compound were uninjured, and no members of the rescue team were wounded.
Joint investigation
![General Joseph L](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/General_Joseph_L._Votel_%28USCENTCOM%29.jpg)
The British Foreign Secretary, William Hague, announced Norgrove's death. In a written statement, he said that after receiving information on her location it was "decided that, given the danger she was facing, her best chance of safe release was to act on that information."
David Cameron, the UK Prime Minister, defended the rescue attempt: "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".
On 10 October, an unnamed Afghan intelligence officer said that Norgrove was killed by a
grenade thrown by one of her captors.
The following day, Cameron said that new information indicated Norgrove may have accidentally been killed by a US grenade.
A US military statement read: "Subsequent review of surveillance footage and discussions with members of the rescue team do not conclusively determine the cause of her death".
US President
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
promised "to get to the bottom" of the failed rescue attempt.
General
David Petraeus
David Howell Petraeus (; born November 7, 1952) is a retired United States Army general and public official. He served as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency from September 6, 2011, until his resignation on November 9, 2012. Prior to ...
, commander of the
NATO security force in Afghanistan, ordered an investigation into the incident.
US Major General Joseph Votel
Joseph Leonard Votel (born February 14, 1958) is a retired four-star general in the United States Army who was commander of United States Central Command from March 2016 to March 2019. Before that, he served as commander of the United States Specia ...
(then Chief of Staff of the
US Special Operations Command
The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM or SOCOM) is the unified combatant command charged with overseeing the various special operations component commands of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force of the United States Arm ...
) and
British Brigadier Robert Nitsch (Head of Joint Force Support, UK Forces Afghanistan) were appointed to lead a joint UK and US investigation.
It was reported on 12 October that the results were expected within days,
and Norgrove's family was kept informed of the investigation's progress.
While the military investigation was conducted, Norgrove's body was returned to the United Kingdom on 14 October on a
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
flight to
RAF Lyneham
Royal Air Force Lyneham otherwise known as RAF Lyneham was a Royal Air Force station located northeast of Chippenham, Wiltshire, and southwest of Swindon, Wiltshire, England. The station was the home of all the Lockheed C-130 Hercules transpor ...
.
A
humanist
Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential and agency of human beings. It considers human beings the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry.
The meaning of the term "human ...
funeral ceremony, attended by hundreds of people, was held on 26 October at the Uig Community Centre in the
Western Isles
The Outer Hebrides () or Western Isles ( gd, Na h-Eileanan Siar or or ("islands of the strangers"); sco, Waster Isles), sometimes known as the Long Isle/Long Island ( gd, An t-Eilean Fada, links=no), is an island chain off the west coast ...
. Norgrove was buried at
Ardroil
Ardroil ( gd, Eadar Dhà Fhadhail) is a village on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Ardroil is within the parish of Uig.
Geography
Ardroil is more accurately the name of a fertile machair district by the expanse of Uig Bay bet ...
cemetery.
On 2 December, Hague announced the results of the joint investigation, which concluded that Norgrove was accidentally killed by a grenade thrown by a US sailor.
Navy SEALs did not immediately notify senior officers about throwing the grenade; this breached military law,
and a number of sailors were disciplined.
A
post-mortem examination
An autopsy (post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death or to evaluate any dis ...
of Norgrove's body was conducted by British coroner Russell Delaney on 19 October 2010.
Detective Chief Inspector Colin Smith of the Metropolitan Police told an inquest, opened 22 October in the Salisbury coroner's court, that the examination identified the cause of death as "penetrating fragment injuries to the head and chest."
In February 2011, the coroner recorded a
narrative verdict
A narrative verdict is a verdict available to coroners in England and Wales and in Ireland following an inquest. In such a verdict the circumstances of a death are recorded, being a brief free-form, factual statement (either instead of, or in addit ...
confirming the earlier military investigations' findings that Norgrove was killed by a member of the US rescue team, noting that a gunshot wound to the leg Norgrove received during the rescue did not contribute to her death.
In October 2012, Abdul Wadood, Norgrove's colleague and fellow captive, told the BBC that she asked the kidnappers if they were going to kill her and that they assured her they would not.
Tributes
James Boomgard, regional director for
Development Alternatives Inc., the company employing Norgrove when she was kidnapped, released a statement: "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".
United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator Robert Watkins praised Norgrove: "She was a true advocate for the people of Afghanistan and was dedicated to bringing improvements to their lives", and "her spirit and compassion will be greatly missed".
First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond
Alexander Elliot Anderson Salmond (; born 31 December 1954) is a Scottish politician and economist who served as First Minister of Scotland from 2007 to 2014. A prominent figure on the Scottish nationalist movement, he has served as leader ...
said: "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".
Norgrove received the 2011
Robert Burns Humanitarian Award
The Robert Burns Humanitarian Award is an award presented annually around the time of Robert Burns' birthday to a group or individual who has saved, improved or enriched the lives of others or society as a whole, through self-sacrifice, selfless ...
posthumously for her work in Afghanistan.
Her family has established the Linda Norgrove Foundation to continue her relief work.
See also
*
2010 Badakhshan massacre
*
List of solved missing person cases
Lists of solved missing person cases include:
* List of solved missing person cases: pre-2000
* List of solved missing person cases: post-2000
See also
* List of kidnappings
* List of murder convictions without a body
* List of people who di ...
References
External links
DAI official websiteConfronting Conservation at Mount Elgon, Ugandaby Linda Norgrove and David Hulme
The Linda Norgrove Foundation official websiteA charitable foundation set up by the Norgrove family which will continue the humanitarian work that Linda was doing in Afghanistan
{{DEFAULTSORT:Norgrove, Linda
2010 deaths
2010 in international relations
21st century in Kunar Province
Deaths by hand grenade
Deaths by person in Asia
Foreign hostages in Afghanistan
Kidnapping in Afghanistan
October 2010 events in Afghanistan
Prisoners of the Taliban
September 2010 crimes
September 2010 events in Asia
Taliban attacks
Terrorist incidents in Afghanistan in 2010
United Kingdom–United States relations
United States Navy SEALs
Victims of Islamic terrorism
War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) casualties
1974 births