Chinook Down So Is the US Out?

Last May the US Navy Seals Team Six secured a historic victory in the war against terrorism—taking down Osama bin Laden. With the most potent face of terrorism dead, Americans breathed a sigh of relief and applauded the remarkable efforts of the US special forces responsible for carrying out the mission. Suffering a heavy blow from the US, Al Qaeda’s key networks crumbled. Thus many Americans began to view the elite Nave Seals team as a symbol of hope, a hope for a tomorrow without terrorism. “For over two decades, Bin Laden has been Al Qaeda’s leader and symbol.” President Barack Obama announced on the first of May. “The death of Bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation’s effort to defeat Al Qaeda.” Taking advantage of Al Qaeda’s weakened base, the US pressed harder to choke the enemy by using more military might. The deployment of US special forces and the expanded use of drones became a successful tactic in targeting insurgents in Afghanistan. Hence Saturday’s disastrous attack came as a dismal surprise.

On Saturday, August 6^tha total of thirty-one US special forces and seven Afghan special forces commandos were killed in a helicopter crash in eastern Afghanistan. BBC news reports say the Chinook, the helicopter carrying the elite team, took off after engaging the Taliban in Wardak, just west of Kabul. The aircraft came down early on Saturday. A local resident who was at the scene of the attack, told BBC News that he saw the Chinook combust and crash from the blow of a rocket. One Afghan coalition official remarked that the helicopter was most likely brought down by a rocket-propelled grenade. The Taliban claim responsibility for the deadly attack proclaiming that their soldiers shot the enemy vehicle down. However no evidence has been uncovered thus far to support their claims. For one, it is extremely rare for a helicopter to be shot down by ground-level troops. Secondly, the Taliban could claim responsibility because they could hardly have found a more valuable target: Among the dead, 22 were Navy Seal commandos, including members of elite Seal Team 6. The Taliban views the attack on Friday as a prized victory therefore the terrorist organization is susceptible of exaggerating claims for propaganda purposes. Until the investigations team in Afghanistan publically discloses more information of the attack, exact details regarding the type of weapon used and the criminal(s) responsible for the crime are unknown. The death of these brave soldiers is a critical loss for the international mission in Afghanistan. President Barack Obama paid his condolences to the Americans and Afghans killed in the crash. "Their deaths are a reminder of the extraordinary sacrifices made by the men and women of our military and their families, including all who have served in Afghanistan," Obama stated. 

Saturday’s attack came during a surge of violence that accompanied the beginning of a draw down of American and NATO troops. The devastating loss of so many of our elite forces proves how deeply entrenched the insurgency remains though located far from its main strongholds in southern Afghanistan and along the eastern Af-Pak border. In addition the heavy loss of thirty-one US soldiers incites the US military to reconsider the effects of the initial transition of military command. Saturday’s disaster followed a recent transfer of command as American soldiers turned over US command of outpost stationed in the Tangi Valley. The Tangi Valley traverses the border between Wardak and Logar Province, an area where security has worsened over the past years. The mountainous region, with its steep hillsides laced by small byways, has long been an area that theTaliban have used to move between Logar and Wardak. Because of the fierce terrain, American troops had difficulty maneuvering around the land let alone effectively targeting insurgents. Thus the US had to rely on the Chinook to swiftly fly troops over the mountainous region.  Yet now that the best mode of transport has become vulnerable to attack, redoubts defending a continued US military campaign in the region are being reconsidered. 

As warned by Admiral Mullen last May, though the gains from the past year have intensified, US-led military operations are "fragile and reversible." The US-NATO military forces abroad face tough circumstances: a limited supply of funds, a heavy death toll, and a lack of support from the Afghan civilians whom US soldiers are risking their lives to defend.  However, a sudden withdrawal of US military support would incur serious damages, especially since we are already meeting a near deadline. If NATO military forces do not stay in these tumultuous areas of Afghanistan, the areas often quickly slip back under Taliban influence, and the Afghan National Security Forces do not yet have the capability to rout them.  It is imperative then to stick with our current strategy in deploying drones and US-led special forces. Saturday’s incident should not compel Americans to call for an immediate withdrawal of US troops. Right now the US military faces no ready alternatives and if all US command is handed over to our Afghan counterparts,  stability in Afghanistan will be undermined and we will risk thwarting the steps taken thus far in successfully quelling Al Qaeda.