U.S. Helicopter Shot Down In Iraq, 2 Dead

Top U.S. General: Insurgent Ground Fire “More Effective”; 4th Aircraft Lost In 2 Weeks

(AP) 
Also in Anbar, gunmen assassinated the Sunni chairman of the Fallujah City Council, Abbas Ali Hussein, an outspoken critic of al Qaeda. He was the third council chairman assassinated in Fallujah this year as insurgents target Sunnis willing to cooperate with the U.S. and its Iraqi partners.

The U.S. military said six more troops died Thursday, two in fighting in Anbar province, one of an apparent heart attack and three in vehicle accidents.

The deaths raise to at least 3,092 the number of members of the U.S. military who have died since the Iraq war started in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. At least 2,480 died as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers.

In Baghdad, police said they found the bullet-riddled bodies of 23 people throughout the capital — apparent victims of Shiite or Sunni death squads. Three more bodies were found in Kut, southeast of Baghdad, and two in Mosul.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki met Friday with U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and the outgoing U.S. commander in Baghdad, Gen. George Casey, to discuss a planned major military operation against armed groups in Baghdad, state television said. It gave no further details.

Iraqi officials in Hillah, a Shiite city about 60 miles south of Baghdad, announced a three-day mourning period after a devastating suicide attack Thursday. Police spokesman Capt. Muthanna Khaled said at least 73 people were killed and 163 wounded.

Police and witnesses said two bombers strolled into the central Maktabat market about 6 p.m. when the area was packed with shoppers buying food for the evening meal.

Police said an officer, Ahmed Abed Majood, became suspicious and grabbed one of the bombers but he managed to detonate his explosives. His partner then blew himself up, too.

No group claimed responsibility, but many residents blamed Sunni insurgents. The Shiite city, located in a religiously mixed province, was the scene of one of Iraq's deadliest attacks — a February 2005 suicide car bombing that killed 125 people.

[peter2489]

It is becoming plan to see you need more troops to take hold of more areas in iraq,because the u.s is waking up to the fact that the iraqs that want to fight are the bad guys,the good iraqes cant fight and dont want to in large enough numbers to make a difference,john macaine has the right idea send much more troops,finish the job sooner and get home sooner!!!

[karlimhof]

Let's make a rough calculation;

1 hail of bullets = $100

1 Blackhawk bird = $ 6'000'000

+
2 priceless American servicemen lives

Apparently no enemy losses.

Do you still think this is "win-able"?

[shingles1]

Back in December, the AP reported this:

"Private Saudi citizens are giving millions of dollars to Sunni insurgents in Iraq and much of the money is used to buy weapons, including shoulder fired anti-aircraft missiles, according to key Iraqi officials and others familiar with the flow of cash.

...

But the U.S. Iraq Study Group report said Saudis are a source of funding for Sunni Arab insurgents. Several truck drivers interviewed by The Associated Press described carrying boxes of cash from Saudi Arabia into Iraq, money they said was headed for insurgents."

But why blame the Sunnis, who'd be most likely to support their fellow Sunnis, when you can just blame Iran instead.

[johnshaft4]

Makes you wonder where the "terrorist/insurgent" wannabe's learned THAT trick from, huh?

[middleman8]

Why in hell are Iraqis called Insurgents while us troops are liberators? some thing wrong as hell here.

[bildooreilly]

Rbayless, I have nothing against the troops, I was just making my point about who is getting rich off of them dying. Is supporting the troops keeping your mouth shut and just letting them die so a few rich turds can get richer?



------------------
bildooreilly,

Dude, there were American soldiers in those helicopters who lost their lives. Let's try and show a bit of empathy and compassion.

Sure, it was an incredibly stupid decision to invade Iraq to begin with. Sure, this administration has lied and been inept at practically every step of this whole fiasco. And, sure, the military industrial complex is making billions on the lives of our dying soldiers (and soon our oil companies will also be making billions too) ... all of which makes me sick to my stomach ... but the tone of your post was a bit flippant and cruel, don'cha think? (Or maybe I'm just reading too much into it, dunno.)
Posted by r_bayless at 08:13 PM : Feb 02, 2007
+ report this comment

[josephxmas]

If you had true compassion and empathy for our brothers and sisters in Iraqi you'd call Bush on his BS and military incompetence, yelling and screaming demanding we get out NOW! It's real easy being an arm chair keyboard punching patriot while 100,000's of Iraqis are dead, mutilated and homeless and 1,000's of kin are dying and or mutilated too.

[bildooreilly]

Hey at least Bushs daddy and Carlyle group were able to sell another Blackhawk, I wonder if he'll give junior a bonus on his allowance??? Any thoughts?

[grazinggoat]

CBS: 'The U.S. military relies heavily on helicopters to avoid roadside bombs and insurgent ambushes. Any new threat to helicopters would be a serious challenge to the military as it gears up for a major crackdown against Sunni insurgents and Shiite militias in Baghdad.'

The SA-7 anti-aircraft missiles are Russian-made weapons. Iranians may well be the providers of those weapons, but Russians are active as well, aren't they?

[grazinggoat]

With such a report, wouldn't be surprising to see Russia entering the game in Iraq, as well. Arren't we better leave now. Putting our hands on the Middle-Eastern Oil reserves, will cost us more than this. We're getting really too close to the Russian and Middle-Eastern states borders. Russia and Iran may be signing cooperation and defence treaties, wouldn't be surprising.