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U.S. Sends More Search-and-Rescue Helicopters to Northern Iraq Jordanians Step Up Bombing Raids on ISIS
(about 7 hours later)
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon sent additional Black Hawk helicopters this week to Erbil in northern Iraq to reduce the time needed to rescue pilots who may go down conducting airstrikes against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, Defense Department officials said Thursday. WASHINGTON — Jordan sharply increased airstrikes against the Islamic State in Syria on Thursday in retaliation for the immolation of one of its pilots, as the United States sent additional Black Hawk helicopters to Erbil in northern Iraq to increase the number of aircraft and personnel on call to rescue downed pilots.
The move followed a demand from a crucial Arab ally that the United States place more effective search and rescue teams in northern Iraq, closer to the battleground, instead of basing aircraft for such missions much farther south in Kuwait. The United Arab Emirates suspended combat missions in late December, citing fear for the safety of its pilots after a Jordanian pilot was captured — and later burned to death by militants — after his F-16 went down in northern Syria. Jordanian officials said dozens of warplanes carried out strikes against militant targets in Syria, hitting ammunition depots and training camps. That number is a dramatic increase over the two to four missions that Jordan had launched at one time in the past against militant targets. American officials said the Jordanians had conducted 15 to 24 strikes.
American military officials said that Islamic State fighters captured the Jordanian pilot, First Lt. Moaz al-Kasasbeh, within minutes after his plane went down, and said that search teams did not even have time to locate him before he was captured. Jordanian military officials said the stepped-up attacks represented only a first wave. A rare public announcement by the Jordanian military opened dramatically, saying: “This is just a beginning. You will know who the Jordanians are!”
Even as Jordan was stamping its imprint on the American-led campaign against the Islamic State, which has seized territory in both Syria and Iraq, the Pentagon said it was taking additional steps to reduce the time it would take to reach pilots who are shot down.
The United Arab Emirates, another member of the coalition fighting the Islamic State, has demanded that the United States put in place a more effective search-and-rescue system in northern Iraq, closer to the battleground, instead of basing aircraft for such missions much farther south in Kuwait.
The Emirates suspended combat missions in late December, citing fear for the safety of its pilots after the Jordanian pilot was captured — and later burned to death by militants — when his F-16 went down in northern Syria. American military officials said that Islamic State fighters captured the Jordanian pilot, First Lt. Moaz al-Kasasbeh, within minutes after his plane went down, and that search teams did not have enough time to locate him before he was captured.
A senior military official said that Lieutenant Kasasbeh’s parachute had been spotted quickly by the militants and that he had landed right in their midst.A senior military official said that Lieutenant Kasasbeh’s parachute had been spotted quickly by the militants and that he had landed right in their midst.
But his capture raised questions about whether rescue teams would have been able to get to Lieutenant Kasasbeh within the so-called golden hour, after which chances of survival from a crash or injury drop sharply. When United Arab Emirates officials discovered that most of the rescue teams and aircraft were based in Kuwait, they said that their pilots would not fly until there was a system in place for more rapid search and rescue.But his capture raised questions about whether rescue teams would have been able to get to Lieutenant Kasasbeh within the so-called golden hour, after which chances of survival from a crash or injury drop sharply. When United Arab Emirates officials discovered that most of the rescue teams and aircraft were based in Kuwait, they said that their pilots would not fly until there was a system in place for more rapid search and rescue.
Two days ago, the United States Central Command notified the United Arab Emirates officials that they had sent additional rescue helicopters to Erbil, Defense Department officials said. It was unclear Thursday morning whether the addition of the Black Hawk helicopters would be enough to restart Emirati combat missions. Two days ago, the United States Central Command notified Emirates officials that they had sent additional rescue helicopters and crew members to Erbil, Defense Department officials said. Officials declined to disclose the number of additional Black Hawk helicopters, and it was unclear whether they would be enough to restart Emirati combat missions.
The rescue teams and aircraft — or lack thereof — would apply as well to the recovery of American pilots, who have continued to fly combat missions over Iraq and Syria. The rescue teams and aircraft — or their lack — would apply as well to the recovery of any downed American pilots flying missions over Iraq and Syria.
A senior administration official said that American officials have been trying to navigate around objections by the Iraqi government to the deploying in Erbil of American helicopters and V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, which take off and land like helicopters but fly like planes. A senior administration official said American officials had been trying to navigate around resistance from the Iraqi government, which has objected to Erbil as the location of American helicopters and V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, which take off and land like helicopters but fly like planes. The Iraqi government has expressed concerns that placing sophisticated American weaponry in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, could embolden the Kurds’ ambitions for independence from Iraq.
The Iraqi government has expressed concerns that placing sophisticated American weaponry in Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, could embolden the Kurds’ ambitions for independence from Iraq. Even after the Emirates suspended combat missions, the Central Command continued to issue news releases saying otherwise. As recently as Wednesday, the military task force in Iraq that reports to Central Command put out a news release about airstrikes in Syria and Iraq on Jan. 27 and 28. “Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Syria include the U.S., Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates,” the release said.
Even after the United Arab Emirates suspended combat missions, the Central Command continued to issue news releases saying otherwise. A Central Command spokesman, asked about the discrepancy, said that “unless there’s a formal declaration, we leave it as it is.”
As recently as Wednesday, the military task force in Iraq that reports to Central Command put out a news release about airstrikes in Syria and Iraq on Jan. 27 and 28. “Coalition nations conducting airstrikes in Syria include the U.S., Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates,” the release said. Pentagon officials said that the additional American search-and-rescue aircraft and personnel in northern Iraq would be put to use on behalf of all pilots in the coalition fighting the Islamic State.
A Central Command spokesman, asked about the discrepancy, said Wednesday night that “unless there’s a formal declaration, we leave it as it is.” Jordan has been taking part in the air campaign for months, but until now had kept its participation relatively quiet, for fear of animating Islamist extremists at home.
The killing of Lieutenant Kasasbeh changed that. The day after the Islamic State released a video of its fighters burning the Jordanian pilot to death, the official Facebook page of the Royal Hashemite Court posted a photo of King Abdullah II of Jordan in military fatigues, flight harness and black gloves. On Thursday, the king was filmed paying condolences to the father of the slain pilot as warplanes flew overhead. The jets were said to be saluting the pilot’s family on the way back from the mission against the Islamic State.
In Washington, both Democratic and Republican members of Congress called for the United States to move quickly to steer military aid to Jordan, and Obama administration officials indicated on Thursday that additional assistance may soon be coming. Several administration officials said they welcomed Jordan’s stepped-up effort against the Islamic State.
“These are very capable pilots,” said Air Force Col. Edward Thomas, spokesman for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin E. Dempsey. “We’re reaping the benefits of two decades of training together.”
A video posted online Thursday by the Jordanian armed forces showed pilots who took part in the airstrikes writing messages in chalk on their planes’ bombs. One wrote, “Islam has nothing to do with ISIS.” Another quoted the Quran as saying the militants would burn in hell.