Breaking: Sen. John Kerry Makes Emergency Landing in Afghanistan

It sounds like the beginning of a joke. Senators John Kerry, Joe Biden, and Chuck Hagel are in a helicopter over Afghanistan. But it wasn’t very funny when the helicopter was forced to land in the mountains this morning due to inclement weather.

The details are just starting to come in, but it sounds like all three senators are fine.

“The helicopters carrying Sen. Kerry, Sen. Biden, Sen. Hagel and their aides this morning made an unscheduled landing in the mountains in Afghanistan due to ominous weather. No one was injured, everyone is safe. After several hours, the Senators were evacuated by American troops and returned overland to Bagram Air base, and left for their next scheduled stop in Ankara, Turkey. Sen. Kerry thanks the American troops who were terrific as always, and who continue to do an incredible job in Afghanistan,” David Wade, a Kerry spokesman, said in a statement.

Phew. Thank goodness. Now, what was that motley crew doing in a helicopter together in the first place?