BAGHDAD, Feb. 21, 2007
Iraqi Insurgents Use Second Chlorine Bomb
Black Hawk Downing Points To Hostile Fire; "Dirty" Chlorine Bomb Strikes Again
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Iraqis gather to inspect human remains inside a wreck of a car destroyed in a car bomb attack in Najaf, 100 miles south of Baghdad, on Feb. 21, 2007. (AP Photo/Alaa al-Marjani)
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A man injured in a suicide bomber attack lies in Baghdad's al-Kindi hospital on Feb. 21, 2007. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)
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Interactive American Heroes Profiles of U.S. soldiers who've died in Iraq, a look at the war's toll and pictures of mourning.
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Interactive New Plan For Iraq Key elements of the plan, excerpts from the president's speech, reaction and more.
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Interactive Battle For Iraq The government, the insurgency, key players, background and photos.
Thunderous explosions reverberated through Baghdad after midnight as the security crackdown in the capital entered its second week.
The rash of spectacular insurgent attacks offer a sweeping narrative on evolving tactics by Sunni militants who have proved remarkably adaptable.
Military officials worry extremists may have recently gained more access to firepower such as shoulder-fired anti-aircraft rockets and heavy machine guns — and more expertise to use them. The Black Hawk would be at least the eighth U.S. helicopter to crash or be taken down by hostile fire in the past month.
The gas cloud in Baghdad, meanwhile, suggests possible new and coordinated strategies by bombers trying to unleash toxic — and potentially deadly — materials. "Terrorists are using dirty means," said Brig. Gen. Qassim Moussawi, an Iraqi military spokesman.
Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a U.S. military spokesman, said initial reports indicated the chopper was brought down by "small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades" north of Baghdad, but gave no further details. All nine aboard were taken away on a rescue helicopter, he said.
In Baghdad, a pickup truck carrying chlorine gas cylinders was blown apart, killing at least five people and sending more than 55 to hospitals gasping for breath and rubbing stinging eyes, police said.
On Tuesday, a bomb planted on a chlorine tanker left more than 150 villagers stricken north of the capital. More than 60 were still under medical care on Wednesday. Chlorine causes respiratory trouble and skin irritation in low levels and possible death with heavy exposure.
In Washington, two Pentagon officials said the tactic has been used at least three times since Jan. 28, when a truck carrying explosives and a chlorine tank blew up in Anbar province. More than a dozen people were reported killed.
A third Pentagon official said the United States has been concerned about Iraqi militants' ability to get weapons like chlorine bombs and use them effectively. But the official cautioned that chlorine bombs are just one threat on a long list of possible attacks that Iraqi fighters may try to carry out.
It was unclear whether the confluence of new insurgent tactics — attacking isolated combat posts, targeting helicopters more intensely and using chlorine bombs — was coincidental or in response to the U.S. troop increase.
In other developments:
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- Lars
Is your house is the one little kids avoid and dare each other to go into your yard when their ball goes into it? They are probably are afraid of the creepy person inside who is the subject of local legend. - Reply to this comment
- don%u2019t you just love these stupid silly little fascist nazi Islamic muslims pretending to be liberal Americans%u2026%u2026 and begging for the usa to leave iraq%u2026..lol%u2026.. they must be really getting their arses kicked%u2026. Hahahahahahaha
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- The Brits are finally showing Bush how to minimize loss of life on both sides by moving into a supportive - rebuilding posture and sending combat troops home. The Iragi use of chlorine gas in bombs is nothing like the U.S. use of white phosphorous in Faluja. Moreover, anyone close enough to a part-chlorine explosion will be killed by the blast before the chlorine causes harm. This is simply administration hype to keep Don Quixote well supplied with dragons.
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- What do any of these comments have to do with the radicals using chemical bombs on innocent civilians and U.S. troops??????????? Wow! I guess that sort of news doesn't really matter to the left wing losers, ignore any and all attrocities committed by the radicals and just focus on the hatred of the Amarican president and American policies.
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- panhandlpete
I for one don't believe the illegal's are very high in either parties radar. The democrats believe if they get tough on the issue it would hurt their Mexican vote. The Republicans want cheap labor. So it leaves us with a porous border with a never ending track of illegals coming across. The drug cartel is setting these people up in areas to protect marijuana fields and have killed hunters that come across them. - Reply to this comment
- It's really amazing that lars008 considers it lying when the Clinton's do it! But, it isn't when George W Bush does it!!!! The right wing nut cases are so full of hypocracy it is a wonder any normal person can take anything they say seriously. When information gets going through their meat grinder's for a brain it comes out something completely different! They obviously change their moral's and ethic's as often as they do their underwear!
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- king and queen of lies......
"Everybody in politics lies, but they [the Clintons] do it with such ease, it%u2019s troubling,%u201D Geffen said.
Posted by lars008 at 09:06 AM : Feb 22, 2007
As if Bush has any difficulty in lying whatsoever....... - Reply to this comment
- for helping Timothy Mc Veigh acquire AMMONIUM NITRATE FERTILIZER AND RACING FUEL
Posted by crater7 at 09:04 AM : Feb 22, 2007
I stand corrected. It WAS ammonium nitrate as opposed to ammonium chloride. My bad. - Reply to this comment
- king and queen of lies......
"Everybody in politics lies, but they [the Clintons] do it with such ease, it%u2019s troubling,%u201D Geffen said.
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003548043 - Reply to this comment
- formrusmcsgt: Thank you for bringing this bit of info to my attention. According to an article on this very web site, "Terry Nichols Talking to FBI",7-3-05, Terry Nichols, serving life in prison, for helping Timothy Mc Veigh acquire AMMONIUM NITRATE FERTILIZER AND RACING FUEL that were combined to make the explosives that were used in the OKC, bombings.
- Reply to this comment
- All efforts come back to the "party", not what is good for the country.
Posted by panhandlpete at 08:44 AM : Feb 22, 2007
Agreed, and why I am neither Repub or Dem. I am an Independent. When a sufficient number of people leave the Repubs and Dems we will see a change in the way our business is conducted.
As long as the two parties claim a majority of voters following their agenda, it will stay the same. - Reply to this comment
- The "decider" IS not ready to declare "victory" just yet, but believe it or not, it will happen by the end of this year so the "puppets" who supported him will have something to campaign with. All efforts come back to the "party", not what is good for the country.
Speaking of our country, he is in the process of giving it away. Our top officials are makidng numerous trips to Mexico and Canada working on the New America, where the borders will be open, a port in Mexico City will have Mexican drivers on semis that travel through the US straight to Canada. This has been done under the FTA which does not require any consent from the people. This could explain the delay in building a fence and the strong desire for a "temporary worker program". The people in the US are the losers as neither Canada or Mexico have median incomes or education levels comparable to the US citizens.
With Iraq taking up the headlines, no one is paying attention to this boondoogle. Is this what our soldiers are fighting for.....A New America? - Reply to this comment
- Can ANYONE tell me what the HELL this is about?
Posted by skyk at 08:26 AM : Feb 22, 2007
What this is about, skyk, is that the neocons wanted 4 permanent bases in Iraq from which to project American power in the middle east.
They thought we'd take out Hussein and the grateful Iraqi's would buy into our philosphy and allow the bases.
They knew that they couldn't sell the invasion to the American people on building bases, so the WMD lie was cooked up.
Since it became eveident that the Iraqis aren't going to permit occupiers, it's all been about "terrorists" so the neocons don't have to admit that they blew it. - Reply to this comment
- Well Sarge I gotta run. The C.O. of this house has a LOT of honey do's online today sooooo... have a good one.
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- When we have a president who looks for opportunities to make enemies at every turn, our military just can't keep up.....
Posted by formrusmcsgt at 08:22 AM : Feb 22, 2007
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Ahhh but that's what happens when you elect a Bar Room Bully for Prez. I knew we were in for a rough ride when the MORON shouted out "Bring em' On". Now as anyone who's actually been in these conflicts will tell you, making such statements will certainly increase the desire of the OTHER extremist to KILL you. I have lived in the South my entire life and heard these clowns in bars do things like that over and over.... NEVER understood it or them. - Reply to this comment
- Can ANYONE tell me what the HELL this is about? I keep hearing fascist spout about "Terrorist" but all I see and hear reports of is SUNNI attacks. The Administration of Sir Lies-A-Lot seems to want to attack Iran but that makes about as much sense as attacking Iraq. The Sunni ARE NOT funded by Iran and I seriously doubt if IRAN would help them taken their history. I thought our mission in Vietnam was screwed up and made no sense but compared to this god awlful mess it made perfect sense.
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- That's putting the security of this nation in harms way... that is making the mission in Afganistan, a war we CAN NOT afford to lose, much harder....
Posted by skyk at 08:16 AM : Feb 22, 2007
When we have a president who looks for opportunities to make enemies at every turn, our military just can't keep up..... - Reply to this comment
- Military success is measured in casualties. If you continue to lose more and more troops as time goes on, you're not achieving sucess.
Success would bring about a decrease in casualties, not an increase.
Posted by formrusmcsgt at 07:24 AM : Feb 22, 2007
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The thing that worries me Sarge is the FACT that so many of our troops are seeing their 2nd and 3rd tours without any down time to speak of. That's putting the security of this nation in harms way... that is making the mission in Afganistan, a war we CAN NOT afford to lose, much harder and I still do not understand what we're trying to accomplish. Are we siding with the Sunni's or the Shiite's and why? - Reply to this comment
- In the interview, Cheney also said Britain's plans to withdraw about 1,600 troops from Iraq %u2014 while the United States adds more troops %u2014 was a positive step. "I look at it and see it is actually an affirmation that there are parts of Iraq where things are going pretty well," the vice president said.
In response to that statement, Pelosi said: "If it's going so well, we'd like to withdraw our troops as well."
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If this really is a sign of success instead of a withdrawal from Iraq, why didn't Brittain re-deploy their troops to Baghdad?
Because they want out, of course. Cheney thinks we're all as dense as his boss....... - Reply to this comment
- We all know you hate Muslims, lars. What I don't understand, with all that hate, is why don't you join your a$$ up so you can go to Iraq or Afghanistan and kill all the Muslims you want?
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Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
