Italian helicopter crashes in Iraq, 4 dead

[LynnTheDem]

An Italian army helicopter has crashed southeast of the Iraqi city of Nassiriya, killing four Italians, Italy's military command said on Tuesday.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known.

Italy has some 3,000 forces in Iraq, the fourth largest contingent after the United States, Britain and South Korea.

It was the third aircraft to go down in Iraq within a week.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L31703495.htm

MORE of bush's "DARN GOOD PROGRESS"!

And this news is REALLY gonna piss off already-pissed-off Italians.

[Binka]

1. Shit! I Have Been Feeling The Anti-American Vibe HEAVY

Two weeks ago the bus driver who hates Americans left my daughter and I standing at the bus stop while he sped past and last week he missed my stop by about half a mile. And I was wearing my Bush is a douche bag T-shirt! It has gotten really bad.

[lebkuchen]

7. Interesting

I take it you're in Italy. If so, any other problems you've encountered due to anti-bushism?

[Crunchy Frog]

2. Italian helicopter crashes in Iraq, 4 dead

ROME, May 31 (Reuters) - An Italian army helicopter has crashed southeast of the Iraqi city of Nassiriya, killing four Italians, Italy's military command said on Tuesday.

-snip-

It was the third aircraft to go down in Iraq within a week.

Four Americans and an Iraqi were killed when an Iraqi Air Force plane went down in eastern Iraq on Monday, probably in a sandstorm, a spokesman for Iraq's Defence Ministry said.

Last Thursday, an OH-58 surveillance helicopter was shot down by small arms fire near the town of Baquba, northeast of Baghdad, killing both American soldiers on board.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L31703495.htm

Edit: Looks like a dupe, sorry.

[DoYouEverWonder]

3. Basra is out of control

Now Nassiriya is back in the news.

This means that the Iraqis have finally got us where they wanted us and are starting to turn the screws. I bet Saddam is smiling while he washes his underwear.

[lebkuchen]

8. Seems like yesterday when Gen. Demsey said Baghdad was running

like a finely-tuned clock.

[leftchick]

4. Look at this headline! :Aircraft Crashes Kill Eight in Iraq

Not nine including the Iraqi "pilot" but eight! 4 US Navy personnel and 2 Italian Pilots with their 2 Gunners! wtf?

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050531/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

<snip>
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Four American and four Italian military personnel were killed in separate aircraft crashes, military officials said Tuesday, and Iraq's prime minister condemned the U.S. arrest of a top Sunni political leader.

<snip>

It was unclear what type of aircraft it was, who was in control or why it crashed. The four Americans killed were all U.S. Air Force members and the Iraqi was a pilot, Wellman said.

The Italian AB-412 military helicopter crashed overnight killing its two Italian pilots and two gunmen, all attached to the army, about eight miles southeast of Nasiriyah, Italian military spokesman Lt. Col. Fabio Mattiassi said Tuesday. Most of Italy's 3,000 troops are based in Nasiriyah. Again, the cause of the crash was not immediately clear.

That is the AP for ya. At least reuters counts the Iraqi. :eyes:

[DemoTex]

5. Looks like "bird" hunting season just opened in Iraqnam.

Glad I'm not a "sitting duck."


Sitting Duck by Bedard

[bemildred]

6. Sure does look that way.

I've been sort of wondering why it took so long.
Perhaps waiting for the right moment to turn the screws as
the other fellow says.