U.S. Helicopter Crashes Near Tikrit, Iraq

[smallprint]

TIKRIT, Iraq - A U.S. helicopter crashed Friday near the north-central city of Tikrit, soldiers and witnesses said.

Information on possible casualties or on whether the chopper had been brought down by ground fire was not immediately available.

The helicopter went down on a riverbank about a half mile from the U.S. base in Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s former palace.

White smoke was seen rising from the wreckage and three other choppers were hovering overhead.

link: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=721&e=7&u=/ap/20031107/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_helicopter

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

1. And they don't even bother to interrupt the coverage of

Scott Peterson or the "starving kids" story on any of the "news" networks.

Christ, have they all been bought off by the neocons?

[smallprint]

2. No kidding.

Not a word yet on the cable news channels. Not even a "crawl" sentence on the bottom of the screen. Guess they are keeping a tight lid on this one. Since it's in Tikrit, not Baghdad, that may work for them for a little while...

But they can't ignore it forever. I'm guessing 20 minutes, max.

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

3. Reuters finally got it:

U.S. helicopter crashes in Iraq
Fri 7 November, 2003 07:30

TIKRIT, Iraq (Reuters) - A U.S. helicopter has crashed near the northern Iraqi town of Tikrit, the U.S. Army says, adding that the cause of the crash and the number of casualties is not yet known.

Two other helicopters hovered above the downed craft near Tikrit, which is Saddam Hussein's hometown and a hotbed of anti-U.S. sentiment.
<snip>
That's all the relevant info. Guess Centcom wants it quiet.

on edit: AP has it now as well:
A U.S. helicopter crashed Friday near the north-central city of Tikrit, soldiers and witnesses said. The crash came a day after Poland suffered its first combat death since the aftermath of World War II and two American soldiers died in attacks near Baghdad and along the Syrian border.

Information on possible casualties or on whether the chopper had been brought down by ground fire was not immediately available.

The helicopter went down on a riverbank about a half mile from the U.S. base in Saddam Hussein's former palace.

White smoke was seen rising from the wreckage and three other choppers were hovering overhead.
<snip>

[smallprint]

4. Now they are saying it was a Black Hawk

helicopter.
http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20031107_154.html

That's it. No other new info. No bulletin at the top of the hour.

Move along, move along. Nothing to see here.

[neuvocat]

5. Second one this week, huh?

How depressing.

[Nlighten1]

6. No mention of how many soldiers on board?

Wounded or dead?

[smallprint]

7. No, but Black Hawks are much smaller than

the Chinook that crashed last Sunday. That means fewer casualties, hopefully.

on edit: here's a description from globalsecurity.org--

The Black Hawk is the Army’s front-line utility helicopter used for air assault, air cavalry, and aeromedical evacuation units. It is designed to carry 11 combat- loaded, air assault troops, and it is capable of moving a 105-millimeter howitzer and 30 rounds of ammunition.

...

The Black Hawk is a light transport helicopter that performs many missions in the Army. The Black Hawk is the primary helicopter for air assault, air cavalry, and aeromedical evacuation units. Modified Black Hawks also fulfill command and control, electronic warfare, and special operations roles.

end article

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/h-60.htm

[TheReligiousLeft]

36. 6 killed

Six soldiers killed

[Aidoneus]

8. al-J picked it up and expanded on their 'breaking news' bar

using information off the wire services, it seems--no new details yet on casualties or cause, no witnesses talked to yet/etc.

looks like the occupation authorities themselves will have to confirm/deny it, emphasis on the latter, for more to be known.

[Zhade]

11. More from Al-Jaz

A US Black Hawk helicopter has been "forced down" near the northern Iraqi town of Tikrit, the US Army said, adding that the number of casualties was not immediately known.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/9ACA9A0A-EDBE-4356-A163-1B7A6C61C094.htm

[Syrinx]

9. msnbc says four dead

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

10. Four Dead, Two injured

Per MSNBC

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

12. Took over an hour from the first wire reports until MSNBC

finally broke in and gave it a whole 20 seconds. As far as I know, the other two are either understaffed right now or have decided to lead the morning news with it.

[AnnitaR]

13. How many more?

How many more will have to die before this sleeping country wakes up and holds Chimp accountable for the blood on his hands??!?!!??
:mad: :mad: :grr: :mad: :mad:

[grasswire]

14. the link on Drudge says...

....a military officer reports six dead.

[Syrinx]

15. direct link

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20031107/D7ULLKF01.html

[JeebusH]

23. Drudge got it right ...

all 6 dead

[RummyTheDummy]

16. Hooray! (sarcastic)

There's four more shattered lives and about 15 million of your tax dollars into the old meat grinder.

But yeah, mission accomplished.

[saigon68]

24. The mothers and fathers will be told

They died for freedom </sarcasm>

[Aidoneus]

17. Four killed in Black Hawk crash

Four killed in Black Hawk crash
Friday 07 November 2003

At least four American soliders have been killed and two injured as a helicopter is "forced down" near the northern Iraqi town of Tikrit, the US Army has said.

The helicopter went down on Friday on a riverbank about 1km (half a mile) from the US base in Saddam Hussein's former palace near Tikrit, which is Saddam's hometown and a hotbed of anti-US sentiment.

White smoke was seen rising from the wreckage and three other choppers were hovering overhead.

The cause of the crash has not yet been confirmed - but resistance attacks on US helicopters have recently been more effective.

--snip--

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/9ACA9A0A-EDBE-4356-A163-1B7A6C61C094.htm

[dArKeR]

18. U.S. helicopter crashes near Tikrit - MSGOP

At least four U.S. soldiers died in the crash Friday of an Army Black Hawk helicopter near the north-central city of Tikrit, the military in Baghdad said. Also, an ambush on a convoy in Mosul killed one American soldier and wounded six others.

http://msnbc.com/news/870749.asp?0cv=CA00

Sorry, I have no interest in weapons: I thought a Black H. was a small 1-2 person machine?

[smallprint]

19. kick

[Newsjock]

20. Death toll now 6; all aboard killed

AP-ME GEN APNEWSALERT

TIKRIT, Iraq (AP) - Six killed in helicopter crash, 4th Infantry Division spokeswoman Maj. Jossyln Aberle says. All were from the 101st Airborne Division.

[soup]

25. From the Wire

FROM THE WIRE
Six Killed in Helicopter Crash in Iraq
TIKRIT, Iraq (AP) -- An Army Black Hawk helicopter crashed Friday into a riverbank near Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit, killing six U.S. soldiers, the military said. It probably was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade, an officer said....
http://www.sptimes.com/

Wow - first time I've noticed this happening on the St. Petersburg Times site. This lead story is a separate box at the top of the page.

From the article:
It was not immediately clear whether the chopper was brought down by hostile fire or a mechanical failure, a spokeswoman said. But an officer who asked not to be identified said it was probably hit by a rocket-propelled grenade.
>snip

[Capt_Nemo]

21. You can bet that if there are no survivors (i. e. witnesses),

the crash will be atributed to a mechanical problem, regardless
of what happened.

[saigon68]

22. ACCIDENTAL DEATHS

These won't count, for anything, nothing to see "Move Along"

[Beetwasher]

26. Blackhawk down in Iraq, six US soldiers killed (Yahoo Link)

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1514&e=2&u=/afp/iraq_us

[Eloriel]

37. Yeah, probably sand in the propelles or something

Couldn't be Iraqi Resistance Fighters.

Eloriel

[Ripley]

27. Weren't there also 2 soldiers killed in separate attacks?

Tha would be 8 dead today. RIP.

How in the hell can they keep saying it's not escalating?

[0007]

28. It appears the Iraqis have a system ......

that we can't figure out yet.

Are the assailants just disappearing after the attack into the country side?

[saigon68]

29. I'VE SEEN THIS HAPPEN BEFORE

The Viet-Cong blend back into the population.

The French Resistance in WW2 did the same thing.

[pfitz59]

32. Hiding in the wide open!

No need to disappear. We would have to kill 20 million poeple to eliminate every potential 'insurgent'! BTW - Insurgent is a BS word. these folks are more akin to 'resistance fighters' than any sort of insurgents! The US invaded and occupies a sovereign nation. Under international law the citizens have the right to resisist!

[ConcernedCanuk]

33. "International Law", is about as important to GeeDumbya as the UN

. . or common decency.

. . Junior only recognizes ONE law, his own perverted desires.

Just My Canadian Opinion

[0007]

34. .....and your Canadian opinion is important!

and junior is one perverted son of a bitch (barbara) - and junior's daddy (pooper) is no better than a pimp to have his son front for the ruthless Carlyle gang, and the Halliburton retiree called our vice president.

junior is no better than a moron that hasn't the slighted idea of what's going on.

[ConcernedCanuk]

30. Here's a Canuck version from CTV.ca

. . mostly the same info, but also disturbing is the following -

"The latest confirmed U.S. military fatalities bring to at least 30 the number of American soldiers killed action in the first week of November.

Two American civilian contractors working for the US army Corps of Engineers and a Polish officer also died in attacks over the past seven days."



Feckadee, I seem to remember when we thot it was bad whe ONE a DAY was dyin' over there, -

LONG past those numbers now, as Junior prrepares to sent another 128,000 over there

- ya - ya, I heard they are "relieving" the troops that are there

- we'll see, someone might get the idea,

Hey while we got 250,000 plus - let's DO something ??

Nothing suprizes me anymore about Geedubya and his evil gang

(sigh)

[Ripley]

31. Well, if they try that shit...

The families of the soldiers who are set to come home will be protesting in the streets.

[TheReligiousLeft]

35. Another source

<http://apnews.myway.com/article/20031107/D7ULSHNO0.html>

TIKRIT, Iraq (AP) - An Army Black Hawk helicopter crashed Friday into a riverbank near Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit, killing six U.S. soldiers, the military said. It probably was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade, several officers said.

Two Americans also were killed in separate attacks Thursday and Friday in the northern city of Mosul, raising concerns that the insurgency was spreading north. The deaths brought the toll among U.S. soldiers to 31 killed in the first week of November - the Americans' deadliest week since the fall of Baghdad in April.

It was not immediately clear whether the chopper was brought down by hostile fire or a mechanical failure, a spokeswoman said. But several officers who asked not to be identified said it was probably hit by a rocket-propelled grenade.

[Barrett808]

38. Today's graph: US Military Deaths in the Conquest of Iraq

http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~stephan/USfatalities.html

[markses]

39. That's a dishonest graph

And I am teeth-grinding furious against this war, but that visual is just wrong. You do not use a line graph like that when the only variable is time on the x-axis. The plotting on the y-axis can only increase or level off - it cannot decrease. Big nono. I understand the intent, but that's just unethical visual communication, you ask me.

[TahitiNut]

40. kick

It seems this thread has been hard for some to find. :shrug: