Missile Is Fired at Copter Over Baghdad, U.S. Says

[sabra]

Source: NY Times

BAGHDAD — A surface-to-air missile was fired on Saturday at an American Apache helicopter flying over the Sadr City section of Baghdad, American military officials said on Monday. The attack, which had not been disclosed previously, represents the first time that a helicopter has come under missile attack in Sadr City since fighting erupted in the Shiite enclave in March.

The missile missed the aircraft. But the attack was sufficiently worrisome that the American military changed the route of an aerial tour of Baghdad it had arranged for a group of reporters, television cameramen and photographers on Monday. Two helicopters were to fly over or near Sadr City, but an official said the route had been changed because of the missile threat.

The United States military has made extensive use of Apache helicopters to try to stop militias from firing rockets at the Green Zone and to protect American and Iraqi troops in Sadr City from Shiite fighters armed with small arms, rocket-propelled grenades, mortars and roadside bombs.

The helicopters have taken a heavy toll on the militia fighters. In an effort to blunt the American advantage in airpower, the militias have waited until dust storms have grounded the Apaches to unleash heavy rocket attacks on the Green Zone.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/13/world/middleeast/13weapon.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper&oref=slogin

[angstlessk]

1. so, the military said nothing till the photogs noticed they were NOT over Sadr City

and then they came up with this excuse to protect the media?? Wonder if they will re-invent the idea that they were Iranian surface to air?

[Tempest]

2. Blaming it on Iran comes in 3...2...1 n/t

[gratuitous]

3. Firing missiles and dropping bombs is the American prerogative!

Don't those ignorant savages know that it's only Americans who get to fire missiles and drop bombs? And attacking a poor, defenseless Apache helicopter! Just a bunch of bloodthirsty killers, that's what the coalition is up against.

[tctctctc]

4. Isn't this good for the military industrial complex?

Don't those copters cost US a few million dollars to replace?

[defendandprotect]

5. misplaced

misplaced

[Winterblues]

6. The main reason most all helicopters flew at tree top level in Vietnam

Contour flying as it was called was essential for survival in vietnam because of the risk of getting shot down by small arms or Sams..It would seem to me to be an even easier chore (flying low level)over desert than over jungle..