3 U.S. senators safe after forced landing in Afghanistan
2/22/2008WASHINGTON - Helicopters carrying three senior U.S. senators made emergency landings yesterday in the mountains of Afghanistan because of a snowstorm.
Sens. John Kerry (D., Mass.), Joseph Biden (D., Del.), and Chuck Hagel (R., Neb.) were aboard the aircraft. No one was injured, according a statement from Mr. Kerry's office. The senators and their delegation returned to Bagram Air Base in a motor convoy, and have left for Turkey.
"After several hours, the senators were evacuated by American troops and returned overland to Bagram Air Base, and left for their next scheduled stop in Ankara, Turkey," the Kerry statement said.
The lawmakers were on a trip this week that included stops in India, Turkey, and Pakistan, where they observed the elections earlier this week.