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Something Extra: In Praise Of Special Forces

MIAMI (CBS4) - The best-selling books of Tom Clancy, Vince Flynn and Brad Thor are full of seemingly super-human heroes like "24's" Jack Bauer, who make it their mission to defeat murderous terrorists around the world.

But now, there's little doubt fiction is simply reflecting reality.

American Jessica Buchanan and a colleague from Denmark learned that last night, when a team of Navy Seals parachuted in the dark into Somalia, killed nine pirates who had kidnapped the aid workers and then freed the hostages, escaping when helicopters swooped in.

The raid was conducted by Seal Team 6, the same special forces involved the daring operation in Pakistan that killed Osama bin Laden.

And who can forget the Navy Seal snipers who killed three Somali pirates at sea two years ago, saving Richard Phillips, the American sea captain who had offered himself as a hostage to save his crew?

These heroic special operators are just as incredible as their fictional counterparts.  We should all be thankful for their courage and service to their country.

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