The Belgravia Dispatch: Downed Helicopter Near Herat

August 16, 2005

Downed Helicopter Near Herat

Many of us have heaped scorn on post-Aznar appeasement-minded Spain, but it behooves us to recall that their military is fighting, and dying, alongside the American one in Afghanistan. Today Spain lost 17 soldiers in a helicoper incident (it is perhaps an accident but no one is yet ruling out possible enemy action--particularly as a second chopper needed to make an emergency landing in the area too). Zapatero is interruping his August vacation in Lanzarote and returning to Madrid to speak to the nation this evening.

UPDATE: Fair point, D Lange....

Posted by Gregory at August 16, 2005 05:19 PM | TrackBack (0)

Comments

If I were Bush, I would find the time to call Zap up and extend condolences. I would publicly thank the Spanish for hanging in there in Afghanistan, despite the ominous threats of al-Qaeda and company.

Posted by: JohnFH at August 16, 2005 09:12 PM | Permalink to this comment

Yep, and the reds are already howling about pulling out of Afghanistan.

Posted by: Spaceman at August 17, 2005 12:46 AM | Permalink to this comment

Now, I don't see why the Spanish leader should interrupt his vacation just becasue some soldiers died.

Posted by: Small Axe at August 17, 2005 04:51 AM | Permalink to this comment

Now, I don't see why the Spanish leader should interrupt his vacation just becasue some soldiers died.

Posted by: Small Axe at August 17, 2005 04:54 AM | Permalink to this comment

Greg,

The accident is the second tragedy the Spanish Army has suffered in Afghanistan since 2003. Condolences for all who has suffered a loss in this noble effort. It would be a misnomer to say they are fighting in Afghanistan however. They are there as part of ISAF, the NATO stabilization force. They are a part of the NATO deployment precisely because as such, they will not have to fight. If they wanted to fight they'd be with the U.S. as part of Operation Enduring Freedom on the Afghan-Pak border.

Posted by: D. Lange at August 17, 2005 07:26 AM | Permalink to this comment

Oskar Lafontaine called yesterday for German troops to be pulled out of Afghanistan. The far-left grouping, generally known as Die Linke, of which he is a prominent figure, has around 12% support according to polls.

http://davidp1.blogspot.com/2005/08/sophisticated.html

Posted by: DavidP at August 18, 2005 10:05 AM | Permalink to this comment

	Main \| The Flypaper Fallacy: 10 Reasons Not To Believe the Hype » August 16, 2005 Downed Helicopter Near Herat Many of us have heaped scorn on post-Aznar appeasement-minded Spain, but it behooves us to recall that their military is fighting, and dying, alongside the American one in Afghanistan. Today Spain lost 17 soldiers in a helicoper incident (it is perhaps an accident but no one is yet ruling out possible enemy action--particularly as a second chopper needed to make an emergency landing in the area too). Zapatero is interruping his August vacation in Lanzarote and returning to Madrid to speak to the nation this evening. UPDATE: Fair point, D Lange.... Posted by Gregory at August 16, 2005 05:19 PM \| TrackBack (0) Comments If I were Bush, I would find the time to call Zap up and extend condolences. I would publicly thank the Spanish for hanging in there in Afghanistan, despite the ominous threats of al-Qaeda and company. Posted by: JohnFH at August 16, 2005 09:12 PM \| Permalink to this comment Yep, and the reds are already howling about pulling out of Afghanistan. Posted by: Spaceman at August 17, 2005 12:46 AM \| Permalink to this comment Now, I don't see why the Spanish leader should interrupt his vacation just becasue some soldiers died. Posted by: Small Axe at August 17, 2005 04:51 AM \| Permalink to this comment Now, I don't see why the Spanish leader should interrupt his vacation just becasue some soldiers died. Posted by: Small Axe at August 17, 2005 04:54 AM \| Permalink to this comment Greg, The accident is the second tragedy the Spanish Army has suffered in Afghanistan since 2003. Condolences for all who has suffered a loss in this noble effort. It would be a misnomer to say they are fighting in Afghanistan however. They are there as part of ISAF, the NATO stabilization force. They are a part of the NATO deployment precisely because as such, they will not have to fight. If they wanted to fight they'd be with the U.S. as part of Operation Enduring Freedom on the Afghan-Pak border. Posted by: D. Lange at August 17, 2005 07:26 AM \| Permalink to this comment Oskar Lafontaine called yesterday for German troops to be pulled out of Afghanistan. The far-left grouping, generally known as Die Linke, of which he is a prominent figure, has around 12% support according to polls. http://davidp1.blogspot.com/2005/08/sophisticated.html Posted by: DavidP at August 18, 2005 10:05 AM \| Permalink to this comment		Reviews of Belgravia Dispatch "Awake" --New York Times "Always-Worth Reading" --Andrew Sullivan Recent Entries A Brief (and Belated) Word on Chas Freeman What Would Real--Rather Than Rhetorical--Change in U.S. Foreign Policy Look Like? Of War, and Tent Hospitals The Obama Imperative Some Addt'l Thoughts Re: Georgia McCain: Let's Compound the Blunder! Georgia On My Mind Should We De-Emphasize The Terror Threat in U.S. Foreign Policy? 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