LT Sayed Basam Pacha
The New York Times tells the story of Afghan Police Lieutenant Sayed Basam Pacha and his last moments. He was guarding a gathering of dignitaries in Kabul last week when he spotted a man he suspected was a suicide bomber;
Broad-shouldered and heavily muscled, Lieutenant Pacha shouted at the suspect to halt, but instead the man started running. The officer stopped him, throwing his arms around him in a bear hug.
A second later the bomber detonated the explosive vest hidden under his coat. Fourteen people, including Lieutenant Pacha and seven other police officers as well as six civilians, were killed; 18 others were wounded, seven police and 11 civilians, said Basir Mujahed, a police spokesman.
There was little doubt the death toll would have been far higher without the lieutenant’s body blunting the blast, Mr. Mujahed said.
“He’s a hero, he saved many lives,” he said. “All seven of those policemen are heroes but especially him. Just think if that suicide attacker got past the gate, what would have happened — you cannot even imagine.”
Lieutenant Pacha’s father, Gen. Sayed Nizam Agha, is also a police commander.
“My son sacrificed himself to save other people,” General Agha said, proud but tearful when reached by telephone. He wept as he recounted his son’s story.
Lt Pacha had only been on the job for a year – but Afghanistan needs a few divisions of policemen like him.
Category: Terror War
Rest easy, hero.
Such courage, to choose to die so others might live, and keep going at it for longer than just a second or two, as every instinct has to be screaming at you to get away, not from a chance or even a probability of death, but the guaranteed certainty of it. I can only pray that I could find a fraction of that man’s courage in a similar situation.
So we know what Sigrun was doing that day. She had one to carry back to the hallowed halls.
A brave act for sure but indicative of why we are wasting our time and American lives in that country. Gathering of dignitaries = prime target. So WITF were they out in the open? WITF was an unauthorized person permitted access? Or a better question, how did an unauthorized person gain access. Apparently years of lessons learned were not learned by the Afghan decision makers and it costs the life of brave men like Lt. Pacha.
Live to fight another day, LT Pacha.
Rest well
Because of men like him, the region has a chance.
Because of the paucity of men like him, the chance is a slim one.
BZ Hero, may you rest in peace
BZ to a REAL Martyr!
There’s someone who DESERVES his 72 virgins… and a coupla older women who know what they’re doing.
It’s good to hear a good news story coming out of that otherwise dreadful news generating part of the world.
Rest easy, Lt.
Wow! Such selfless sacrifice. Very admirable.
On another note, that is A LOT OF EXPLOSIVES to kill that many people and harm others. There are some VBIED’s that haven’t haven’t done as much.
May the suicide bomber find his 72 goats.
E4 Mafia, it works better if the 72 goats find him… and have sharp horns.
May his family KNOW that this “FAT AMERICAN” will honor his name and his sacrifice, LT. SAYEM BASAM PASHA is, and should also be, revered by his Afghani countrymen as a HERO. He ran TOWARDS the danger, not from it, and that is the crux of it all. Rest In Peace BRAVE SON of your country.
PACHA PACHA PACHA.Not Pasha…bloody autocorrect.