Coalition helicopter drops weapons into Taliban hands, officials say
KABUL, Afghanistan — A coalition helicopter trying to supply Afghan police with munitions dropped them in the wrong location and Taliban fighters later recovered the weaponry, an intelligence official said Sunday. A member of parliament, however, said he didn't believe the arms drop was an accident.
Amrullah Saleh, the head of Afghanistan's intelligence service, told a parliament security committee that coalition forces intended to place weapons, ammunition and food at a police checkpoint in a remote section of the southern province of Zabul in late March.
“By mistake it was dropped somewhere far from the checkpoint. Later, the Taliban came and they picked it up,” Mr. Saleh told reporters after addressing the committee.
In his testimony, he said a “small box” had been dropped but did not say how many weapons were inside.
It was not clear whose helicopter left the supplies. NATO's International Security Assistance Force and the U.S.-led coalition said it wasn't theirs.
Hamidullah Tukhi, a lawmaker from Zabul, told the security commission the weapons were placed 100 metres from the home of a Taliban commander named Mullah Mohammad Alam.
He said the supply drop contained heavy machine guns, AK-47s, rockets and food.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl.../BNStory/Front
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Why shouldn't the Taliban have friends, too?? Pakistan perhaps?
I'm amazed, a small box containing all that!!
Now they have to get busy denying, belittling and covering up the "mistake".
KABUL, Afghanistan — A coalition helicopter trying to supply Afghan police with munitions dropped them in the wrong location and Taliban fighters later recovered the weaponry, an intelligence official said Sunday. A member of parliament, however, said he didn't believe the arms drop was an accident.
Amrullah Saleh, the head of Afghanistan's intelligence service, told a parliament security committee that coalition forces intended to place weapons, ammunition and food at a police checkpoint in a remote section of the southern province of Zabul in late March.
“By mistake it was dropped somewhere far from the checkpoint. Later, the Taliban came and they picked it up,” Mr. Saleh told reporters after addressing the committee.
In his testimony, he said a “small box” had been dropped but did not say how many weapons were inside.
It was not clear whose helicopter left the supplies. NATO's International Security Assistance Force and the U.S.-led coalition said it wasn't theirs.
Hamidullah Tukhi, a lawmaker from Zabul, told the security commission the weapons were placed 100 metres from the home of a Taliban commander named Mullah Mohammad Alam.
He said the supply drop contained heavy machine guns, AK-47s, rockets and food.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl.../BNStory/Front
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Why shouldn't the Taliban have friends, too?? Pakistan perhaps?
I'm amazed, a small box containing all that!!
Now they have to get busy denying, belittling and covering up the "mistake".