K9 in Islamic State raid boosts Blumenthal efforts on dogs
WASHINGTON — When the world heard of the daring U.S. raid on an ISIS leader this weekend, Sen Richard Blumenthal, a best friend of military dogs, joined other lawmakers in lauding the courage of American special forces — and a tenacious canine.
“We must also recognize the brave service of military working dogs, who work honorably alongside our troops and played a key role in the raid against alBaghdadi. They too are heroes,” Blumenthal tweeted.
Although no U.S. forces were killed in the Saturday evening raid that led to the death of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr alBaghdadi, a military working dog suffered injuries in the line of duty.
“Our K9, as they call — I call it a dog, a beautiful dog, a talented dog — was injured and brought back,” Trump said on Sunday. “But we had no soldier injured.”
According to official accounts of the raid, the dog chased Abu Bakr alBaghdadi into a tunnel and cornered him. With no place to go, the terrorist leader blew himself up along with three of his children, who he was using as human shields.
As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Blumenthal for years has sought more humane treatment of military dogs — and that effort could get a boost from this weekend’s raid on the Islamic State leader.
Military dogs save the lives of more than 100 U.S. troops every year. But when they were no longer able to perform their jobs, they were considered excess military equipment, like an outofcommission tank or an obsolete rifle, and often left behind in a theater of war or overseas base.
In 2013, Blumenthal succeeded in changing the lives of many of these highly trained animals that sniff out narcotics and bombs and whose keen sensory perceptions can alert U.S. forces to enemy troops more than a mile away.
In a massive defense authorization bill, Blumenthal sponsored an amendment that would reclassify retired military dogs as “canine members of the armed forces,” guaranteeing them a free trip home.
“These dogs are so much more than a rifle or a tank. They are living, breathing heroes who have saved the lives of our troops and provided many of our veterans with companionship long after they retire from service,” Blumenthal said.
However, the language concerning military dogs in the final defense bill was weakened because of objections from the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, the late Sen. John McCain, RAriz.
The final bill said the military was allowed, but not required, to transfer the animals to Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, or another location that would prevent adopters from having to pay the high cost of transporting the dogs from overseas.