A Chinook helicopter carrying more than 20 US Navy Seals, three air controllers, eight Afghan soldiers, a dog and his handler was shot down when forces resisting foreign occupation targeted it with grenade-propelled attack from the ground. As reported, a day before the event, many civilians, including an Imam of a local mosque, his wife and their six children, were killed by US bombing that left the public deeply enraged and anguished. Next day, the copter carrying Navy Seals was shot down. So, many considered the incident a tit for tat, a trophy.
This is the biggest loss so far since a similar copter crashed on 28 June 2005 with sixteen Navy Seals along with Special Forces troops aboard. Luckily, no dog and his handler were there. Mr Obama has condoled with the families of the soldiers who lost their lives while serving in the national interest. He did not delve upon the devious national interest thousands of miles away from home in parched Afghanistan. The event is likely to expedite troop withdrawal from Afghanistan yet accuse Pakistan for it.
DR A P SANGDIL
Oslo, Norway
