A helicopter carrying Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts and two colleagues made an emergency landing in the mountains of Afghanistan yesterday morning because of a snowstorm.
Kerry and others on board, including Senators Joseph Biden, Democrat of Delaware, and Chuck Hagel, Republican of Nebraska, made it safely to Bagram Air Base in a motor convoy, after waiting several hours in the mountains, according to Kerry's office. Bagram is the US military's main air base in Afghanistan.
"The weather closed in on us," the Associated Press quoted Kerry as saying. "It went pretty blind, pretty fast and we were around some pretty dangerous ridges. So the pilot exercised his judgment that we were better off putting down there, and we all agreed."
Kerry said the landing was smooth and the group waited for about three hours until the convoy arrived. There was a perimeter guard and an F-16 fighter overhead providing cover.
"We were going to send Biden out to fight the Taliban with snowballs, but we didn't have to do it." he said. "Other than getting a little cold, it was fine."
Once at the air base, the senators continued on to a scheduled stop in Ankara, Turkey.
The senators are on a trip to India, Turkey, and Pakistan, where they observed this week's election. All three are members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, of which Biden is chairman.
NOAH BIERMAN
