By Andrea Shalal-Esa. Black Hawk helicopter during the mission that killed Osama bin Laden reveals the vulnerability of such aircraft, but also reflects important lessons learned from earlier helicopter accidents. The accident was not unusual, military experts said. Dozens of U. In mountainous Afghanistan, there is the added challenge of flying at high altitudes.
Bin Laden is on the run, U.S. says, but he has many places to hide
Bin Laden: the ‘new model’ terrorist
I n one episode of The Simpsons the school bell rings, prompting the students to sprint for the door before the end of a history lesson. The teacher pleads with them to let him finish. Delighted, the class cheers, as one: "U-S-A! The patriotic impulse in American society is intense and pervasive. The kind of national fervour reserved elsewhere for occasional events like royal weddings, World Cup victories or major tragedies is a dormant reflex waiting for a trigger. The flags are always out; the pledge is recited every day in schools.
Debate over torture reignited with death of Osama bin Laden
They also wounded a number of civilians, and civilians were killed as well. Heroes who have been engaged in a dangerous, selfless mission to save the lives of others. They were part of an airlift, an evacuation effort unlike any seen in history, with more than , American citizens, American partners, Afghans who helped us, and others taken to safety in the last 11 days.
To military and security officials, few things have been more difficult to plan than a strategy against modern terrorists. The random bombings and hijackings of the past were bad enough. Now, however, the emergence of more sophisticated networks like that allegedly run by Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden has raised more disturbing questions about tactics, the weapons terrorists will employ and how to fight them. The central challenge for the U. As networks solidify into syndicates with clear leaders, they become easier to counter.