We have read accounts of the incident that occurred on Wednesday at Camp Bastion Airfield in Helmand province, Afghanistan, as the aircraft carrying Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta taxied towards a gathering of dignitaries, including the newly-installed commander of Regional Command-Southwest.
Chris Carroll over at the Stars and Stripes reports today from “aboard a military aircraft” that the “Panetta plane incident [was] more serious than first disclosed”:
Had the speeding vehicle arrived at the scene a few minutes later, Panetta could have been present on the tarmac at Camp Bastion Airfield in Helmand province.
New details paint the incident — coming at a time of heightened concern over increased violence directed at NATO and U.S. forces by Afghan personnel — as far more serious than U.S. officials originally let on.
Panetta’s plane rolled to another airport ramp after the welcoming party, including Maj. Gen. Charles Gurganus, who took over in RC-Southwest this week, and his deputy, British Gen. Stuart Skeates, was forced to scatter to avoid the SUV barreling toward them.
The man crashed into a ditch and appeared to set himself on fire with gas in the vehicle. He emerged ablaze, and was captured and the fire extinguished by security personnel. He died early Thursday before investigators could question him.
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