U.S. copter down in Iraq; 13 aboard dead

[DoYouEverWonder]

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A U.S. helicopter went down northeast of Baghdad, killing all 13 people aboard, the military said Saturday.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070120/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq


Hey George, have enough people died yet?

[n2doc]

1. He probably won't even hear about it

Cheney is probably thinking "Oh, good, another replacement helicopter contract" Evil bastards.

[KansDem]

16. "So who are we honoring here?"

Bush's "classic" question to Cindy Sheehan who met with him just after she lost her son.

He wouldn't look at the pictures of Casey. He didn't even know Casey's name. He came in the room and the very first thing he said is, "So who are we honoring here?" He didn't even know Casey's name. He didn't want to hear it. He didn't want to hear anything about Casey. He wouldn't even call him "him" or "he." He called him "your loved one."

Every time we tried to talk about Casey and how much we missed him, he would change the subject. And he acted like it was a party.

BLITZER: Like a party? I mean...

SHEEHAN: Yes, he came in very jovial, and like we should be happy that he, our son, died for his misguided policies. He didn't even pretend like somebody...

Juan Cole

No doubt he'll say this about the 13 who died in this crash, but only if he acknowledges them...

The man is a rat-bastard par excellence...

[malaise]

2. When will this madness stop

WHo will stop Bush.

[screembloodymurder]

3. Was Gates on it ?

Is he still over there?

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

9. I asked the same thing...seems he's meeting with gwb today?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2696617&mesg_id=2696645 MKJ

[seemslikeadream]

4. HOW MANY MORE GOERGIE, HOW MANY MORE?

HOW MANY MORE GEORGIE, HOW MANY MORE?
HOW MANY MORE YEARS GEORGIE, HOW MANY MORE ANNIVERIES?




http://www.bushflash.com/year.html
Enveloped in a sentiment,
A sound that rushes over me.
Engage an impulse to pretend
I have a faith as pure.
Not forgetting what it means to dream.
Indulging everything.
Entertaining thoughts that I've the strength
Of those I yearn to be.
Cheers and tribute greet the saviours.
Reckless thoughts survive.
Anachronistic and impulsive.

And what will happen?
Will I dream?
I am too scared to close my eyes.
For a second please hold me.
None can change in me these things that I believe.
But I don't know what happens now.
I am too scared to close my eyes.

Legion
Vnv Nation

[Warren Stupidity]

5. We're surgin now, surgin in Baghdad, things going well.

This is so fucked up. How many must die for Bush's Blunder?

[countingbluecars]

6. I wonder if they will find a way

to blame this on Iran?

[Anywho6]

7. Oh, they will. Any minute now... n/t

[frogcycle]

20. SHIT!

You're probably right. This is the Tonkin Gulf incident!


Oh damn damn damn

[rockymountaindem]

26. Oh calm down

Trying to blame this on Iran when the answer is obviously that if it was shot down, insurgents pulled the trigger. They'd need a little more plausibility for a war on Iran than for something like this.

[frogcycle]

28. glad to hear it!

so you were an eyewitness?

[rockymountaindem]

29. ...

:boring:

[Olney Blue]

8. It is NOT getting better over there. Stop this madness!

[seemslikeadream]

10. Withdrawal is not an option - Kissinger

http://www.iht.com/bin/print.php?id=4251021

President George W. Bush's bold decision to order a "surge" of some 20,000 American troops for Iraq has brought the debate over the war to a defining stage. There will not be opportunity for another reassessment.

The Baker-Hamilton commission has powerfully described the impasse on the ground. It is the result of cumulative choices — some of them enumerated by the president — in which worthy objectives and fundamental American values clashed with regional and cultural realities.

The important goal of modernizing U.S. armed forces led to inadequate troop levels for the occupation of Iraq.

The reliance on early elections as the key to political evolution, in a country lacking a sense of national identity, caused the newly enfranchised to vote almost exclusively for sectarian parties, deepening historic divisions into chasms.

The understandable — but, in retrospect, premature — strategy of replacing American with indigenous forces deflected U.S. forces from a military mission; nor could it deal with the most flagrant shortcoming of Iraqi forces, which is to define what the Iraqi forces are supposed to fight for and under what banner.

These circumstances have merged into an almost perfect storm of mutually reinforcing crises: Within Iraq, the sectarian militias are engaged in civil war or so close to it as to make little practical difference.

[TahitiNut]

21. That's a maddeningly typical Kissinger piece.

Henry habitually leavens the obvious with his own overcompensating muscularity, mixing his patronizing postures with that which otherwise might appear reasonable. It's a well-known negotiating tactic: say things which get people nodding agreement while peddling his own 'product.'

It's a little like giving dogs medicines - wrap the pills in foods they eagerly swallow.

He says, for example, "worthy objectives and fundamental American values clashed with regional and cultural realities." The use of terms like "worthy" and "values" are noxiously Orwellian, since Henry pimps for nothing more than the politics of greed - global wealth. "Principle," "interest," "worthwhile," "value," "cost," and "investment" are the rhetorical currency in which he trades, appealing viscerally to the "have's and the have more's."

[hwmnbn]

24. That asshole was on Charlie Rose last night.....

I'd swear we've been time transported back to '72. This guy was wrong then, he's wrong now, why is he still talking?!

Fortunately the other guests countered his arguments well.

[donsu]

11. has CNN reported this yet - haven't had the TV on ?

been listening to, not watching a DVD - Calle 54 (greatest Latin Jazz musicians) while I DUed.


when I read about the 13 dead my whole being slumped with sadness

how can we let this go on?

[DemReadingDU]

12. CNN link

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/01/20/Iraq.main/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

[frogcycle]

23. I really think we're in for a Tonkin Gulf move

this is going to be hellish

[wtmusic]

13. Horrible.

Sean? Rush? Michelle? What are your thoughts on this? How many more burning helicopters full of dead young people will it take before we've won? :grr:

[lonestarnot]

14. And the "numbers" keep rising.

[Eurobabe]

15. Just great. Asshat is ready to send more to their deaths

in this pointless clusterfuck.

Bring 'Em HOME, NO ESCALATION!!!!!!

[ngant17]

17. and we know where the trail will lead

You can scoop the news over CNN, because it is practically a guarantee that the chopper was taken out with a newer 'Stella' type of missle, whether of Iranian/Chinese/Russia/ect origin makes no difference as the Iraqi guerrillas have access to enough funds to get the best stuff they're making out there.

My guess is that it is the first in a series of retaliatory attacks against high-profile US targets, coming after the hanging of Pres. Hussein and his two comrades. It is payback time for them, and we're on the business end of their advanced tech SAMs and IEDs now.

Won't be over until the last GI is airlifted off the US embassy in Baghdad.

[originalpckelly]

18. Aw crap.

:cry:

[TahitiNut]

19. "The brief statement from the military lacked the customary comment that the aircraft was ..."

"The brief statement from the military lacked the customary comment that the aircraft was not shot down, indicating it may have been downed by insurgent fighters. The helicopter was carrying 13 passengers and crew members and all were killed, it said. No further details were released, including the exact location of the crash.

"The violent Diyala province sits northeast of Baghdad, and U.S. and Iraqi forces have been battling Sunni insurgents and Shiite militia forces around its main city of Baqouba for months."


It would seem to me that a "surge" accompanied by an in-country redeployment focusing on Baghdad 'pacification' will necessarily fill the skies of Iraq with helicopters. (After all, those damned IEDs make truck convoys dangerous, right?)

I predict that the 'insurgents' will become notably more expert (and well-equipped) in targeting aircraft. Look for more of this.
:cry:

[frogcycle]

22. I was just updating

to add names and pictures of the ones from the past couple of days.

hit "refresh" on the DoD press release page that I had open and these were added. I thought I was seeing things for a second. Thought I had accidentally jumped to a prior year.

http://www.dbc3.com/Fallen/Fatalities.htm

http://www.dbc3.com/Fallen

damn. damn damn

[midnight]

25. I wish I could be attending that march in washington. I bet it is

going to be therapeutic for those of us who know this war is wrong to come together and be there for each other. I went to see Cindy Sheehan speak right before Christmas and I was really happy to see how confident and at peace she is with herself. I know that the lose of her son has been very difficult on her, but the continued murder does continue to add to that stress. She is truly an angel for bringing a voice to end this hell.

[liberal renegade]

27. ITMFA!

Freedoms on the march, spreading democracy is hard work, the insurgency is in it's last throes, when the iraqis stand up we'll stand down, we won't leave until we win, it's for the next president to worry about, we don't do body counts, mission accomplished and on and on.... FUGWB! History will not be kind to you......

[leftofthedial]

30. you liberal cowards with no stomach for war always look on the bad side

there is good news here. Replacing that Black Hawk will put $6 million in the pockets of SIkorsky, GE and United Technologies, just to name a few.

Like all DEMONrats, you dwell on the soldiers who sacrificed willingly that we might achieve glorious VICTORY! Soldiers DIE in times of war, but corporations don't get t make a helicopter every day.










oh. uh. :sarcasm:

we need to make these murdering repuke bastards pay.