Russian ’copter shot down in Chechnya, 17 dead (Update 20 Russia soldiers killed)

[jmc247]

Source: International News

At least seventeen people died when a military helicopter with troops on board was shot down in Chechnya on Friday, Russian news agencies and the military said.

A spokesman for the military prosecutor’s office told Reuters: According to our information, a helicopter came down as a result of which all those on board were killed, that was four crew and 13 passengers.

The Mi-8 transport helicopter was shot down by Chechen rebels when Russian troops were carrying out an operation near the town of Shatoi in southern Chechnya, RIA quoted a source in Russian troops in the Caucasus.

RIA said the downed helicopter was one of three taking part in the operation. It said a gunfight was raging at the scene of the crash between insurgents and Russian forces.

Read more: http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=53335

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Update 20 Russians dead, heavy fighting continues with insurgents.

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20070427/64568530.html

[jmc247]

1. Can an Islamic insurgency be broken by force of arms

Hafez al-Assad was able to as was Saddam, but Pootie Poot and Bush aren't having a good time of it.

[Igel]

8. Yes.

But the Russians aren't brutal enough to do it. They can't even stop the importation of weapons up through the Caucasus or through Central Asia. (Gee, where do *those* routes lead to?) To be honest, some probably come across Ukraine.

The French were able to put down an insurgency, but they experienced a wave of angst over it. The Americans managed to put down an insurgency, but that was a century ago; we're above enforcing order or protecting civilians from anybody else but ourselves these days. Otherwise, you're right, mostly it's Arab rulers that can best put down insurgencies.

[Strelnikov_]

10. The citizens of Grozny may beg to differ

City in Ruins: Russian soldiers rest in downtown Grozny. Russia's bombing of the Chechen capital took such a heavy toll on the city's buildings that Russian troops struggled to find an intact office for their commandant.

[Amused Musings]

2. I wonder what

the implications of this is considering Putin's policy of media whitewash of the brutal Chechen war?

[jmc247]

3. Interesting point

We will see

[Forkboy]

4. probably see pretty quickly

Vlad can't be a happy man right now.

Maybe he just needs a belly to kiss!

[TheLastMohican]

6. In Russia nobody finds this gesture offensive

Russian people are much more open-hearted.
It is only in the US of A where pedophiles run rampant, that this gesture is drawing so much attention. So lighten up!

[Forkboy]

7. Geez...you lighten up.

The thought of pedophilia wasn't even close to mind when I wrote that.I took it as just that,kissing a belly,not pedophilia. :eyes:

[ProudDad]

5. Iraq is Arabic for Vietnam

Chechnya is Russian for Vietnam...

[Igel]

9. No, actually.

Afghanistan was Russia's Vietnam.

In the case of Chechnya, that are (and nearby areas) were annexed in the early 1800s. Read some of Lermontov's Caucasus poems. Not widely pointed out in the Western media, the "pious Muslim" in charge of the 'insurgency' in the early 2000s had the same name as the guy in the early 1800s. Then, however, it was mostly a matter of warlords bearing Muslim names and a mild Muslim faith. Since then the Sa'udis have managed to produce a lot of innovations.

[Amused Musings]

11. Tolstoy's

Hadji Murat is one of his lesser known novels(compared to War and Peace and Anna Karenina) and is a superb story of a Chechen fighter about the Russian wars in Chechnya (and vengeance- of course).