Croat pilots save Macedonian soldiers in Kabul

[chentovist]

http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/21874/45/

Drama in Kabul, Croatian pilots save Macedonian soldiers
Thursday, 20 September 2012

Afghanistan has become increasingly dangerous for Macedonian soldiers, due to an increased anti-US sentiment after the release of the film "Innocence of Muslims". As a result there the US and NATO have lost numerous soldiers killed by Afghan police, at the same time the Taliban has launched multiple brave attacks on NATO bases in and out of Kabul.

As a result the situation for Macedonian soldiers in one of those bases became life threatening after coming under a sustained attack by Taliban soldiers from all sides.
On Tuesday one of these bases housing Macedonian instructors came under attack, so much so US pilots were not allowed to fly in or out of the base fearing the aircraft would be easily downed.
*
The dire situation didn't stop a group of Croatian pilots to borrow an Afghan helicopter. They were determined to leave the base and transport soldiers to the Bagram base outside of Kabul.*
*
Despite the dangers of having their helicopter downed, the Croats managed to transport all Macedonian soldiers to Bagram as well as group of soldiers from Montenegro, Bosnia and Albania.
After arriving in Bagram, all Macedonian soldiers boarded a transport plane and landed in Kyrgistan where they are awaiting their flight to Macedonia.

*************

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=143401

Croatian Army Rescues Balkan Soldiers from Afghanistan

A helicopter unit of the Croatian army has rescued 38 beseiged soldiers from different Balkan countries in Afghanistan, writes Croatian paper Jutarnji List Thursday.
The drama unfolded on Tuesday amidst boiling tensions around the "Innocence of Muslims" film that provoked the ire of Muslims in various countries, who saw it as insulting to the Prophet Mohammed.
The 38 soldiers from Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Albania had to be transported from a base in Kabul to Bagram Air Base.
The sericemen were blocked by rioting protesters in their base and the Croatian unit was the only one that was ready to respond, after helicopters from the US and elsewhere were banned for flying in.
Fortunately, the operation went on succesfully and the Balkan soldiers were rescued.

[Risto the Great]

Perhaps the USA helicopter pilots were too busy on Facebook.

[DraganOfStip]

Hahaha,it's unbelievable how media blows out of proportion anything just so it that can be presented on the front page.The only true thing about this story is that there were indeed soldiers from the Balkan countries mentioned and that it was Croats that transported them out of the base.Our soldiers (I believe it was eight of them) as well as the others had ended their mission and were SCHEDULED to go back to their countries.There was no "siege" on their base whatsoever,the media just wanted to add some drama to the whole thing.I don't recall the nature of the problem of the US choppers,but I believe it had something to do with a sandstorm or something,they didn't feel it was safe to fly on that weather and the Croats were the only ones that accepted to fly them out to Kirgistan.The soldiers came back home and none of them confirmed this "heroism" in any way.Sorry to be a party breaker,but I believe "Jutarnji list" had something to do with this

[Phoenix]

Hahaha,it's unbelievable how media blows out of proportion anything just so it that can be presented on the front page.The only true thing about this story is that there were indeed soldiers from the Balkan countries mentioned and that it was Croats that transported them out of the base.Our soldiers (I believe it was eight of them) as well as the others had ended their mission and were SCHEDULED to go back to their countries.There was no "siege" on their base whatsoever,the media just wanted to add some drama to the whole thing.I don't recall the nature of the problem of the US choppers,but I believe it had something to do with a sandstorm or something,they didn't feel it was safe to fly on that weather and the Croats were the only ones that accepted to fly them out to Kirgistan.The soldiers came back home and none of them confirmed this "heroism" in any way.Sorry to be a party breaker,but I believe "Jutarnji list" had something to do with this

I think most of the stories generated by MINA are crap.

On another point, I believe that many/most western designed military helicopters have struggled in the harsh conditions of Afghanistan. Sand and high altitude have been the thorns in western designed choppers.

On the other hand, the Soviet era designed helicopters have generally been more 'accepting' of the Afghan environment.

A few years ago NATO sent out a request to its 'Eastern European' partners for a greater helicopter committment to the campaign because the Western models were found wanting in the harsh conditions.

Perhaps this MINA beat up has a basis in the above but that would make for a less than interesting read, unless of course you can draw an even longer bow and somehow implicate SDSM in the twisted and sordid 'truth'...

[George S.]

Macedonians and anyone else should get out of athghanistan there is no need to become gunfooder or to be target pacticsed on.

[Phoenix]

Macedonians and anyone else should get out of athghanistan there is no need to become gunfooder or to be target pacticsed on.

GS, being in Afghanistan (and Iraq before it) serves a far greater purpose.
If Macedonian forces have a non-combat, non special forces role they probably should get out but if their role is related to the wider special forces push (the jackpot would be an involvement in operations in the Horn of Africa), then they should stay around.

Before 2001 nearly every special operations force in the world had a relatively narrow perspective of operations and capability. In the decade after 2001 the capabilities of all special operations troops participating in the Iraqi and Afghan conflicts have improved exponentially.

For Macedonia, that would be an amazing capability to have.

[George S.]

phoenix i'm not talking about getting that experience which they did a long time ago.Im talking about the indiscriminant fire by afghan soldiers on out troops.Allready people are questioning the logic of being shot whil'st you are teaching them.I think what the macedonians are missing is they have been vry lucky with no deaths but look at the australian contingent the message is get the troops home.A death of our soldiers by stupid afghan soldiers has been so far done intentionally.They resent us being there,No matter how hard we tryit doesn't seem to work.The taliban will slip back again & reinforce itself.It's an unwinable war.Apart from experience macedonia has no need to be ther whatsoever because no membership has been offered to macedonia.Why be there apart from experience & even then why kow tow to them get out completely we are not part of nato.

[George S.]

i'm not talikg about capability.But i'm talking also about the wider ramifications for ourselves why are we in partnership when we are not members of nato.It doesn't make sense.We are acting like fully fledged members yet we havent been formally invited to the nato club.We have been told to change our name more or less appease our neighbour.Then if were lucky we might be accepted.Come on you know better than that what you have to kiss their arse as well.How many times have we been dictated to by nato.Do you think it's healthy for them to do it to us like that after all were mean't to be a sovereign nation.