paulitician
Platinum Member
- Oct 7, 2011
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Looks like an assassination attempt no?
Soldiers Tackle Man on Fire During Panetta's Afghan Visit
In a bizarre security scare on a coalition base in Afghanistan today, defense officials said an Afghan civilian managed to steal a truck, crash it, but then continue to apparently try to attack Western soldiers even though he was on fire -- all while U.S. Defense Secretary sat nearby on a military transport plane.
The incident occurred at a Camp Bastion airstrip just about the same time Panetta arrived to address troops there in a high profile visit. The suspect, who has not been identified and appears to have been working alone, stole a truck from a British soldier and sped onto the runway where Panetta's plane had landed before he crashed the truck into a ditch, the officials said. The British soldier purportedly suffered a broken pelvis during the theft.
The man somehow caught on fire in the course of escaping the wreck -- one NATO official said he is suspected of lighting himself on fire -- and then jumped on the side of a vehicle belonging to soldiers responding to the scene, according to several officials. Soldiers from the base's security detail eventually managed to tackle the man to the ground and put out the flames.
Pentagon spokesperson Capt. John Kirby said that at no point was Panetta in danger and an investigation into the apparent attacker's motive is ongoing. No explosives or weapons were found in the vehicle or with the driver, Kirby said.
Read More:
Soldiers Tackle Man on Fire During Panetta's Afghan Visit - Yahoo! News
DRUDGE REPORT 2012®
Soldiers Tackle Man on Fire During Panetta's Afghan Visit
In a bizarre security scare on a coalition base in Afghanistan today, defense officials said an Afghan civilian managed to steal a truck, crash it, but then continue to apparently try to attack Western soldiers even though he was on fire -- all while U.S. Defense Secretary sat nearby on a military transport plane.
The incident occurred at a Camp Bastion airstrip just about the same time Panetta arrived to address troops there in a high profile visit. The suspect, who has not been identified and appears to have been working alone, stole a truck from a British soldier and sped onto the runway where Panetta's plane had landed before he crashed the truck into a ditch, the officials said. The British soldier purportedly suffered a broken pelvis during the theft.
The man somehow caught on fire in the course of escaping the wreck -- one NATO official said he is suspected of lighting himself on fire -- and then jumped on the side of a vehicle belonging to soldiers responding to the scene, according to several officials. Soldiers from the base's security detail eventually managed to tackle the man to the ground and put out the flames.
Pentagon spokesperson Capt. John Kirby said that at no point was Panetta in danger and an investigation into the apparent attacker's motive is ongoing. No explosives or weapons were found in the vehicle or with the driver, Kirby said.
Read More:
Soldiers Tackle Man on Fire During Panetta's Afghan Visit - Yahoo! News
DRUDGE REPORT 2012®