Breaking CNN: Helicopter in Falluja Shot Down / Official: Enemy Fire

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

Downs Helicopter In Iraq

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A U.S. commander says a military helicopter crashed Friday in Iraq after coming under enemy fire.

One soldier was killed and another wounded when the chopper went down near Fallujah.

After the crash, American soldiers blocked off streets and searched shops and homes in Fallujah as helicopters circled above. Soldiers also sealed off the crash site and won't let reporters approach.

A witness told the Associated Press Television News that the helicopter burst into flames after crashing. But he didn't know why it went down.


http://www.thesandiegochannel.com/news/2737608/detail.html


US helicopter shot down over Iraq Indipendent.co.UK

An American military helicopter was shot down west of Baghdad today, killing the pilot and wounding another soldier, the US military said.

The OH-58 Kiowa Warrior observation helicopter crashed near Fallujah where rebels have previously shot at and brought down US helicopters.

Following the crash, American. soldiers swept through Fallujah, blocking off streets and searching shops and homes as helicopters circled above. Soldiers also sealed off the crash scene and would not allow reporters to approach the downed helicopter.

A witness told Associated Press Television News that he had seen the helicopter crash and burst into flames, though he could not say what caused the crash.
<snip>
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=477564

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[DCDemo]

4. I'm sure you're serious...

Hmm.I wonder if you write this now, and then point it out to Rush in a couple of hours as evidence of how awful us Dems are.

You have been noted.

[g.hadi4dean]

15. Just saying...

I certainly am not rooting for soldiers to die... but the more Iraq becomes a quagmire and the more that people understand that Dean's position on the war was correct, the better for Dean. Bush and the neocons took us into this war for Oil and people need to understand that the cost in American soldier's lives isn't worth it...

perhaps I didn't provide enough explanation.... I apologize.

Galibda Hadi

[Individualist]

17. We know exactly what you're saying

as well as what you're unsuccessfully attempting to do.

[Name removed]

19. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

20. Then hit the edit button on it and rephrase it please.

[Individualist]

23. Your implication was that Dean supporters

would be elated at hearing of more deaths of our military. It's time for a reality check! I'm a Dean supporter, and I'm appalled at your implication that we'd find troop deaths encouraging. Also your comment that zionist deaths or any death is a reason to party is disgusting. The democratic party is not the party of hate and fear - the repukes thrive on it!!

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

24. He has left our board.... Thanks, Mods!

[truth2power]

31. May I ask?

I didn't see the original post. It had already been deleted. But it seems he tried to apologize...twice.

I've seen people who I could swear were freepers continue to post. Maybe I missed something.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

33. It was a waaay off the wall post saying that the downing was

a great thing for Dean. It was pretty sick.

[mouse7]

7. Kiss my...

Nobody roots for ANYONE to die.

Rrrrrr... I can't say it. Against the rules.

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

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[Tom Yossarian Joad]

16. Just hit alert! He'll be gone in a few, I'm sure.

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[bowens43]

18. Dean and his supporters do not

look at this sort of thing as good news.

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

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[WherestheOutrage]

30. Good Riddance!

Glad to see the Moderators took care of you.

[Timefortruth]

41. Welcome to DU outrage.

What took so long?

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

2. 1st published report found noting hostile fire:

U.S. says military chopper crashed after coming under enemy fire

(BAGHDAD, Iraq) -- A U.S. commander says a military helicopter crashed Friday in Iraq after coming under enemy fire.

One soldier was killed and another wounded when the chopper went down near Fallujah.

U.S. troops moved into the tense area after the crash, blocking off streets and searching shops.

<snip>
http://rdu.news14.com/content/headlines/?ArID=40981&SecID=2

That's about all at this point.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

12. 2nd report and link (a little more info but still without US reports

as was on CNN)

http://www.timesanddemocrat.com/articles/2004/01/02/ap/Headlines/d7vqp68g0.txt

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A U.S. military helicopter crashed Friday after coming under fire west of Baghdad, killing one soldier and wounding another. Elsewhere, Arab gunmen shot and killed a Kurd amid rising ethnic tensions in the northern, oil-rich city of Kirkuk.

Also, a minor Baath party official was assassinated in an apparent revenge killing, and an oil tanker in a U.S. convoy was set ablaze in an attack by anti-American insurgents.

In Baghdad, U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, after speaking to the 82nd Airborne Division, said enemy fire likely brought down the copter. The OH-58 Kiowa Warrior crashed near Fallujah, a flashpoint in the insurgency.

"They are fairly convinced that it was enemy fire," Kimmitt said.

Rebels in have previously shot at and brought down U.S. helicopters elsewhere in the Sunni Triangle, the heart of Saddam Hussein's support and center of resistance to the U.S.-led occupation. Afterward, U.S. soldiers swept through Fallujah, blocking off streets and searching shops and homes as helicopters circled above.

<snip>

[mouse7]

3. Dammit.

Shit. Any casualties?

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

5. This is the same copter reported earlier. Sadly, one dead. n/t

[spinbaby]

6. Is this another helicoptor?

Or is this the third thread on the same helicoptor?

[diamond14]

22. seems odd that only TWO died....isn't there usually more soldiers

in these helicopters....IMO, casualties are being really under-reported....like, if 4 die in a helicopter crash, report two only because someone might be suspecious if you only report ONE....oops, now it looks like it is only ONE killed, the other was just injured (hard to believe that the helicopter exploded and ONE got out of the inferno alive....

there are road bombs killing ONE when a military vehicle is demolished....there are huge explosions from suicide bombers killing ONE....it just all seems to be a real under-count to me...just like Vietnam....

[0007]

25. Where do ya get two? The article said "ONE" death.

[Flagg]

29. another soldier died today

January 2, 2004
Release Number: 04-01-01C


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


SOLDIER KILLED BY NEGLIGENT DISCHARGE

TENIF, Iraq – One 82nd Airborne Division soldier was killed and another was injured at approximately 6:25 p.m. Dec. 30 at the Tanif border crossing when a third soldier was cleaning a weapon and it fired a chambered round.

http://www.centcom.mil/CENTCOMNews/Casualty_Report.asp?CasualtyReport=20040101.txt

http://lunaville.org/warcasualties/Summary.aspx

[Bonhomme Richard]

27. Might have been an apache

only two crew

[Sagan]

26. "wounded" my ass...

I would like to think that someone could survive falling at least dozens of feet in a burning shot up helicopter.

So here's another one that goes into the vast, unimportant pool of "wounded" American servicemen and women. Naturally, they all just have a bullet through the fleshy part of their arm, which they tied up with a camo bandana and grimly continued to fight for Old Glory, right?

[diamond14]

28. and "the helicopter burst into flames after crashing".....you'd have

to be 'superman' to get out alive from that mess....

did the 'wounded soldier' just stand up and walk out of the flaming wreckage and then stroll away....??

the whole thing just sounds un-believable....usually, in these types of crashes, if you do survive....it might have been more merciful had you died...because you'll never be the same...burns...broken backs and head injuries....

[underpants]

32. FYI an OH-58 is at mostly a two seater

Usually used for reconaissance it can be fitted (D) with tracking devices to coordinate Apache fire.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/oh-58-pics.htm

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/oh-58.htm

[Moderator]

34. Original LBN Thread here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=294639

Although this thread is actually a duplicate of the one above, it has more responses, and also includes information about the "enemy fire" cause.

Please visit NNN0LHI's thread above to read about this event as it happened.

Thanks!

DU Moderator

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

35. RESCUE SOLDIERS ATTACKED BY Resistance DRESSED LIKE PRESS

(Source: CNN)

That's all I have on it right now.

[Judi Lynn]

36. They should be easy to spot

This is the most frenzied day for Iraq news, isn't it?

Found this at CNN just now:

(snip) Responding to the helicopter's downing, U.S. troops were attacked by people dressed in clothes identifying them as journalists, Kimmitt said.

He said the attackers drove up to the site in Mercedes cars and opened fire on troops. No one was hurt, but the troops tracked one car to a nearby house and arrested four suspects, who were being questioned, Kimmitt said. (snip/...)

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/01/02/sprj.nirq.main/index.html

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

38. Soundds as if they are posturing to keep Journalists out of the picture...

Or make excuses for shooting the ones they don't like or are not "embedded."

[Judi Lynn]

43. It's not as if it hasn't happened before, is it?

It sounded damned strange from the very first.

Definitely quite possible.

[pinto]

39. heard the same, Faux now saying a rebuttal has come from BBC,

they (BBC) say those were THEIR reporters at the scene....

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

40. Holy Shit!!!!

This is going to be another major FU.

It's getting to where you can't believe a word coming out of Centcom or the Military.

[pinto]

42. It's Reuters News, sorry. Reuters says Iraqi employees arrested at scene.

[caledesi]

37. But, but we captured Saddam Hussein.... aren't you safer now? nt