Bob J
NES Member
[sad2]
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2009/10/deadly-day-in-afghanistan-3-copters-crash-14-us-lives-lost/
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2009/10/deadly-day-in-afghanistan-3-copters-crash-14-us-lives-lost/
Three coalition helicopters crashed in two separate incidents in Afghanistan today, underscoring the dangers of moving around the country’s harsh and unforgiving terrain.
According to an International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) news release, seven U.S. service members and three U.S. civilians were killed in a crash in western Badghis Province. The cause of that incident remains unclear: The Telegraph, quoting a Taliban spokesman, said militants claimed to have shot down the helicopter; ISAF blamed “unconfirmed reasons,” saying the helicopter was not believed to have been downed by from enemy action.
Separately, a mid-air collision involving two ISAF helicopters occurred in southern Afghanistan. According to the coalition, four service members were killed and two others injured in that incident.
The crash in western Afghanistan is also a reminder of the dangers faced by diplomats as well as by the military: The U.S. Embassy Kabul said that three of the U.S. civilians killed in the Badghis crash were “members of our embassy community.” It’s not clear whether they were Foreign Service officers, contractors or counter-narcotics officials [UPDATE: Newsweek reports that they were members of the Drug Enforcement Agency -- the first "to lose their lives in Afghanistan since the 2001 invasion."]. Badghis has seen a rise in Taliban activity in recent months; an unnamed ISAF official told Agence France-Presse much of that activity was “related to opium production.”
“The joint Afghan and international force was conducting an operation to search a compound known to be used by insurgents in the area for their activities, which included narcotics trafficking in western Afghanistan. The force was engaged when they approached the compound, and in returning fire, the force killed more than a dozen insurgents. After searching the compound, the force departed the area, at which time the helicopter went down,” Captain Elizabeth Mathias, an ISAF spokesperson, tells Danger Room.
Hostile fire continued after the helicopter went down, delaying recovery efforts. “The activity didn’t exactly hamper investigation activities, as indeed it is quite difficult to begin investigating any incident until it has concluded. While insurgent activity was ruled out fairly early as a likely cause of the incident, I will not categorically exclude it as a factor; that’s not bet hedging, per se, but rather deferring absolute conclusions to the investigators,” Mathias adds.
There’s little to add at this point, but the helicopter incidents point to the difficulties of moving around in a country with extremely primitive limited roads. The U.S. military just received the first lightweight, mine–resistant trucks designated for southern Afghanistan last week; the new trucks are supposed to make it easier for troops to travel off-road in the region. Lack of helicopters and lightweight, bomb-proof vehicles has hampered the mission in the past.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan is bracing for a second round of voting in the presidential elections after a first round was marred by widespread fraud. Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah now says he will not accept a power-sharing deal with President Hamid Karzai, making a Nov. 7 runoff election all the more likely.
In an interview published yesterday in Spiegel magazine, Abdullah said he supported Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s strategy for Afghanistan. But he added this key disclaimer: “You need a credible partner in Afghanistan. One who can deliver, otherwise it can’t succeed. General McChrystal’s strategy is the right one. But it takes two to tango. The other part is the Afghans — if they fail, it can’t work. The legitimacy should come through the electoral process, through free, fair and transparent elections. Hopefully as a result, the people of Afghanistan have a chance for change.”
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