Senators make emergency landing in Afghanistan.
By on Feb 21st, 2008 at 3:26 pm
Senators make emergency landing in Afghanistan.
AP reports:
A helicopter carrying three senior U.S. senators has made an emergency landing in Afghanistan.
Sens. John Kerry, Joseph Biden and Chuck Hagel were aboard the aircraft., according to Jon Summers, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. The lawmakers are on a trip this week that includes stops in India, Turkey and Pakistan.
Kerry and Biden are Democrats from Massachusetts and Delaware, respectively, and the Republican Hagel is from Nebraska.
UPDATE: CNN reports that a snowstorm forced the senators’ helicopter to make the emergency landing. Biden’s press secretary notes, “There were no injuries and all members of the traveling party were safely transported to their destination at Bagram Air Base.”
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21 Responses to “Senators make emergency landing in Afghanistan.”
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And the Switchboat vets have already accused Kerry of intentionally making the helicopter land.
February 21st, 2008 at 3:36 pmI hope nobody was hurt; these are good men, by golly.
February 21st, 2008 at 3:49 pmWatch out for that "Friendly Fire" guys.
Buck Fush
February 21st, 2008 at 3:55 pmThis is good news. I'm glad they had a good pilot.
February 21st, 2008 at 4:18 pmplease please Taliban kill all 100 useless senators…..not just a token three
Comment by jason baddo — February 21, 2008 @ 4:07 pm
Welcome back, Mr. P!
February 21st, 2008 at 4:19 pm6. That has got to be, by far, the dumbest, most calous comment I have ever read on TP.
Comment by good_golly — February 21, 2008 @ 4:14 pm
I very rarely agree with anything that I read from you, so I have to let you know that this time I do.
February 21st, 2008 at 4:26 pmWelcome back, Mr. P!
Comment by toasterhead —
No, he is not. Jason has been here around. I'm guessing he is from UK, far more progressive than US liberals.
And while I don't advocate the death of people, I wonder how is despicable to call for the killing of 100 senators instead but support the actions that have killed thousands of civilians (Senators that have signed this and other allowances) is not.
Maybe because American deaths are far more important than some bunch of Afghans killed...
February 21st, 2008 at 4:34 pmNo, he is not. Jason has been here around. I’m guessing he is from UK, far more progressive than US liberals.
And while I don’t advocate the death of people, I wonder how is despicable to call for the killing of 100 senators instead but support the actions that have killed thousands of civilians (Senators that have signed this and other allowances) is not.
Comment by Juan C. — February 21, 2008 @ 4:34 pm
There's nothing progressive about calling for political assassinations, no matter who the target is.
And there is a bit of a wide gulf of morality between calling for the assassination of a hundred political leaders and authorizing the use of military action. One is a guarantee of mass murder. The other relies on the disretion and professionalism of the senior military and civilian leadership to conduct a war in a way that minimizes civilian casualties.
In a pure moral sense, sure - you're sentencing people to death in both cases and there's really no difference. But in reality it's not black-or-white, it's grey and another shade of grey.
February 21st, 2008 at 4:48 pmI wholeheartedly agree with good golly. There is no sane person calling for the death of any senator. The poster is beneath the standard jabs that go back and forth here.
To the Senators and those with them, God Speed.
February 21st, 2008 at 4:49 pmGet their asses back home!. That is all we need to lose two good Democrats and a decent Republican. Holey Crap.
February 21st, 2008 at 4:54 pmThere’s nothing progressive about calling for political assassinations, no matter who the target is.
Comment by toasterhead
mmm...I've seen and heard things that no jury would ever make justice for the crimes of some politicians. The most progressive times have always begin with violence. The ruling class won't step down, won't allow radical economc changes peacefully. THis is the historical constant in the world, and you know this far better than me.
Guillotines changed the world, ironically.
I don't agree with Jason Baddo's statement, but I don't agree also with the disguised morality of some of the replies against his statement. If those were a bunch of Afghan Senators, how do you think people would have answered to Jason Baddo's comment.
What strikes me is the reaction of people when it comes to "important" American people and "non-important" foreign people. Furthermore, non-important foreign people have never made something that harm those important Americans but the opposite has happened... so I guess, if justice exists, you should get what you deserve, and the vast majority of American politicians have enabled the killing of civilian, "non-important" people. There is no way around that.
February 21st, 2008 at 4:56 pmYou are right Juan. There is a lot of "soft bigotry" here. And they will get upset for it being suggested. Gray is an excuse. There is always another option. It just might be harder.
February 21st, 2008 at 5:12 pm#13,
Spot on, Toasterhead. Well-said and well-reasoned.
February 21st, 2008 at 5:14 pmThe other relies on the disretion and professionalism of the senior military and civilian leadership to conduct a war in a way that minimizes civilian casualties.
Comment by toasterhead
Good luck with that one...
February 21st, 2008 at 5:22 pmThe most progressive times have always begin with violence. The ruling class won’t step down, won’t allow radical economc changes peacefully. THis is the historical constant in the world, and you know this far better than me.
As have the most REgressive times in history. Coups and assassinations and violent uprisings have been just as successful at installing corporatist dictators as they have social justice populists. And even the populists have been shown to be very corruptible. The same Revolution that overthrew the monarchy and instilled Enlightenment principles on freedom and the rights of man in France also installed the warhawk Emporer Napoleon as leader.
What strikes me is the reaction of people when it comes to “important†American people and “non-important†foreign people. Furthermore, non-important foreign people have never made something that harm those important Americans but the opposite has happened… so I guess, if justice exists, you should get what you deserve, and the vast majority of American politicians have enabled the killing of civilian, “non-important†people. There is no way around that.
Comment by Juan C. — February 21, 2008 @ 4:56 pm
It is a common human reaction to care more about those they identify with than those they don't. It's human nature for Americans to care more about three American politicians than three Afghan or Lebanese or Kazakhstani politicians. And on this and other progressive outlets I've seen a lot of concern for the assassinations or attempted assassinations of foreign leaders such as Benazir Bhutto or Rafiq al-Hariri or Jose Ramos-Horta, so I don't think the concerns of foreign people are completely ignored.
That having been said, isolationism and U.S.-centricism is also a very common trait among the U.S. population. Perhaps because of geography or history or media bias, but there is a tendency for many of us to ignore what happens outside our borders. It's why less than 1/4th of us have passports. It's why so few of us speak foreign languages. It's why so many readers of the above paragraph are right now looking up who Jose Ramos-Horta is. And it's why 9/11 came as such a surprise to so many people.
February 21st, 2008 at 5:28 pmThe sentiment is duley noted, but calling for the death's of 100 heads of state including 3 Presidential Candidates is rather... regressive.
February 21st, 2008 at 5:57 pmIf you want to see what REAL dead Senator jokes look like, head on over to Redstate, where all the real patriotic types hang out...
and circle jerk each other.
February 21st, 2008 at 10:19 pmWhat in the hell are three of them doing travelling in the same chopper in a country well-known for its ground to air takedowns of soviet aircraft! Are they stupid?
February 21st, 2008 at 10:45 pmI would not wish them captured or dead, but I don't care how senior they are I would not shed a tear if they all lost their jobs their next election cycle. Americans really need to get past this he is a s.o.b. but he is our s.o.b. crap and elect some new politicians.
February 21st, 2008 at 11:48 pmI have a theory--
February 22nd, 2008 at 6:45 amChuck Hagel is doing some advance work--as I think Barack Obama will ask him to be VP.
Chuck Hagel is doing some advance work–as I think Barack Obama will ask him to be VP.
Comment by loretta — February 22, 2008 @ 6:45 am
VP? I doubt it. Someone like Hagel would make a good Secretary of Defense, though, and there's precedent of a Democratic President appointing a moderate Republican to the job.
February 22nd, 2008 at 9:42 am