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http://www.csmonitor.com/World/A ... ms-Taliban-momentum
For many Afghans, US helicopter crash confirms Taliban momentum
The Taliban claimed responsibility for Saturday's deadly crash of a US military
helicopter, and many Afghans say they doubt NATO's ability to turn back what appears to
be fresh momentum for the Taliban.
Kabul, Afghanistan
The day after a helicopter crash resulted in the largest loss of American soldiers in a
single day during a decade of war in Afghanistan, many locals say they fear it is a sign
that the war will likely to drag on for a long time to come.
For most Afghans, the incident has done little to change their outlook on the future of
the war. It has, however, confirmed their suspicions that NATO-led forces have yet to
reverse the Taliban’s momentum.
“It is another big sign that indicates continuous fighting in Afghanistan," says
Mirajudin Ahmadzai, a tribal elder in Nangarhar province. "That the Taliban can now
shoot down a helicopter shows that they are getting more capable.”
MONITOR QUIZ: Weekly News Quiz for July 30-August 4, 2011
US military officials say they are still investigating the incident, but it appears that
the Taliban may have shot down the Chinook helicopter on Saturday east of Kabul in
Wardak province.
A blow to the special forces community
Among the 30 Americans who died in the crash, at least 20 were Navy SEALs from the elite
SEAL Team 6 unit responsible for killing Osama Bin Laden. Seven Afghan commandos and a
civilian interpreter were also killed.
The magnitude of the loss will be felt hard by the special forces community – there are
approximately 2,500 Navy SEALs in the US military and only a few hundred make it to SEAL
Team 6. The deaths also constitute about 10 percent of all American fatalities in
Afghanistan this year.
Taliban claims responsibility
The Taliban has claimed responsibility for downing the helicopter. Zabiullah Mujahid, a
spokesman for the Islamist organization says fighters used a shoulder-launched, anti-
aircraft missile to shoot down the helicopter and he claims the fighters have a handful
more of these systems scattered throughout Afghanistan. The Taliban has a history of
taking responsibility for incidents they were not involved in or grossly exaggerating
their successes.
According to Mr. Mujahid, the fighters did not know the significance of their target.
“We didn’t know exactly that it was that Navy SEAL unit, but we know whenever they
have the night raids and they plan to attack mujahideen [holy warriors] somewhere, they
always use their special forces so we knew they were very important,” he says,
explaining that the helicopter was returning from a night operation.
A propaganda boost?
Throughout the course of the war in Afghanistan, 101 helicopters have crashed, 17 of
which were downed by hostile fire. The significance of this latest incident is likely to
serve as a major propaganda coup for the Taliban.
“They will have big morale boost since they’ve shown to the world that they can even
target a chopper,” says Hakim Bashirat, a resident of Kabul who is originally from
Wardak. “Foreign forces and the Afghan government will increase their military
operations out there, which will cause many problems for the local residents of Wardak.
”
Already, there were reports of fighting near the crash site on Sunday where foreign
forces have been conducting a recovery operation. Other locals have reported that Afghan
and foreign forces have arrested a large number of civilians in the area.
In Wardak, as in other parts of the East, residents say there has been an increase in
militant activity in recent months.
“Foreign people will never bring security to us until our police and our army do their
part,” says Roshanak Wardak, a former member of parliament from Wardak who now directs
a hospital there. “We should be involved in this. There is no need for foreigners to go
to the villages and kill the people." |
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发表于 2011-8-8 12:07
