Helicopter Crashes in Iraq; 2 Pilots Dead

[Barrett808]

Helicopter Crashes in Iraq; 2 Pilots Dead

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A U.S. Army OH-58 Kiowa Warrior helicopter crashed Friday in northern Iraq, killing the two pilots, the U.S. military said.

The crash occurred about 8:30 p.m. near Qayyarah about 30 miles south of Mosul, the military said.

The cause of the crash was unclear. The military said "an initial report from the accompanying second helicopter did not make mention of hostile activity."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040123/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_helicopter_crash&cid=540&ncid=1480

[Dhalgren]

1. Damn.

Two more gone for Little George's War. Another 50 million dollar helicopter, too. Look, why don't we agree to just blow up the choppers on the pad - that way, we save the lives of the pilots and passengers, but the freedom fighters get the shoot down? It works for me.

[alittlelark]

18. Hadn't thought of that....

...but it would probably save the lives of many innocent Iraqis as well! I like it! The only problem is that they would then have to order ANOTHER helicopter from a 'military industrialist complex' minion.

[Yavin4]

2. Can You Say "DoubleSpeaK"?

They've stopped saying "shot down". Now, they say, "helicopter crash, cause unknown". Unbelievable. Or, shoul I say, "credibilty not known".

[Zero Gravitas]

8. to be fair

sometimes helicopters do crash w/o being shot down. One crashed in CA last night for instance.

[maggrwaggr]

21. to be fair? They keep LYING about it

sure helicopters crash. But the ones in Iraq that keep getting shot down, well they say they "crashed".

it's fucked up

[MaineDem]

3. Damn!!!

Two more. How many deaths will it take...?

May they rest in peace and their families find comfort.

[htuttle]

4. Do they really want us to think our military is incompetent?

Helicopters constantly just falling out of the sky, Bradleys flipping over on their own, people shooting themselves with their own rifles -- Is this really the impression they want us to have of our Armed Forces?

Either our military training and equipment maintenance STINKS, or we are getting lied to all the time. I'll bet on the latter.

[mike1963]

5. Here's another Yahoo story listing 15 choppers down in Iraq

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040123/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_helicopter_glance&cid=540&ncid=1480

[54anickel]

7. Wow. The pace clearly picked up in October. It is quite revealing to

see them all listed together. Very sad indeed.
Seems our troops cannot mobilize much at all anymore.

[VolcanoJen]

14. Yikes!! Great link, mike1963!! (n/m)

[0007]

6. Yes but, didn't a General just tell us today that this is healtly?

....and action was better than just common training and having the troops just hanging around and doing whatever....

What was his name again?

[htuttle]

9. Since they keep insisting that there is no hostile fire involved...

...they leave one with the impression that if the US military were simply left to it's own devices for awhile somewhere, they'd obliterate themselves via accidents and friendly fire in short order -- even without an enemy shooting at them.

For some reason, I just don't think that's true.

[JeebusH]

10. I believe that moran name is General Schoomaker ....

I think he's one of Dumsfeld's lackies

[0007]

12. Thanks for the help!

"There's got to be a certain appetite for what the hell we exist for," he said.

[alittlelark]

19. Healthy for whom?

Certainly not the underpaid soldiers on the ground. I am really a pacifist...but sometimes when I hear quotes like that I GET SOOO MAD! Wish I was into Yoga or something to calm me down. As is, a glass of red helps.:9

[theHandpuppet]

11. Has anyone else noticed....

... that one of the Army's most recent commercials makes an appeal for chopper pilots, making it all appear like some thrilling video game? I first saw the commercial about six weeks ago and they've been really pushing this one.

[hatrack]

13. A depressing start to the weekend

And there's nothing that I can say or do to make it one thin dime's worth of difference for the people paying the ultimate price for the Big Oil Adventure, uh, Operation Iraqi Freedom.

[mbperrin]

15. Meanwhile, the war continues to be won..................

as the economy at home booms!

[Flagg]

16. Bring 'em on cried the AWOL chimp

[teryang]

17. Army of "one" making the hard sell

...on the Spanish speaking stations.

[alittlelark]

20. I saw that too - in NM this holiday season.

Do they assume Latinos are stupid??! Perhaps Bush will create a new initiative that will advertise in Mexico, "Get your citizenship after only 3 years on the front lines!"

[teryang]

23. Actually you're right

There is a citizenship arrangement for non citizen residents who serve on active duty. I can't remember the details.

The army commericials on the spanish stations are virtually non stop. I can them on and flip around and see one within five minutes.

Kind of like the British and the Hessians or Rome and the Goths. The citizens who made the war won't fight it. Hire someone else.

[osaMABUSh]

22. nothing on this in mainstream media - cnn.com

GIs' deaths barely make the news anymore. We'll have to wait until the total hits 1,000 before we hear about in the mainstream. I figure that'll be just before the election or at repub convention time.