Dozens Killed as NATO Helicopter Shot Down in Afghanistan

[pettypace]

Source: New York Times

Insurgents shot down a NATO Chinook helicopter during an overnight operation in eastern Afghanistan, killing 37 people on board, a military official said on Saturday. It was one of the worst single-day losses of life for coalition troops in the nearly decade-long war and comes amid rising violence across the country.

The majority of those killed were NATO troops but Afghan soldiers were also among the dead, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the crash was still being investigated.

The nationality of the NATO soldiers killed was not immediately known, though Americans were known to be carrying out the majority of operations in the area.



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/07/world/asia/07afghanistan.html

---

Luckily it was just "NATO" troops and no Americans were harmed in this production.

And what the hell is an insurgent anyway? I thought this was a fight against a hostile enemy.

[Angry Dragon]

1. I thought when you invade a country the people defending it

are called patriots.........
I guess we just call them terrorists

[KG]

2. only americans can be 'patriots'.

seems you missed the memo...

[xchrom]

3. A very sad recommend. Nt

[Stuart G]

11. Very sad. Nt

[qanda]

4. Many families will be hearing the awful news that their loved one has died

My heart goes out to them.

[rabs]

5. U.S. soldiers appear involved

Al Jazeera English breaking news scrawler saying 31 U.S. soldiers killed in helicopter crash, according to Afghan president. More to come.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2011/08/20118662233672861.html

---------------

AJE just went from a breaking news scrawler to a headline (adding seven Afghan troops also dead.)

Afghan helicopter crash kills 31 US troops

Taliban claims hit as seven Afghan troops also killed after aircraft crashes during operation against fighters in east.


(edit to add latest)

[James48]

7. Very very sad news. Tragic.

Bring our soldiers home. Now. All of them.

[dipsydoodle]

6. They were US troops in a NATO 'copter

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44043847/ns/world_news-south_and_central_asia#.Tj0O-2H-tyU

And here : http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-14430735

unrecced for snide remark "Luckily it was just "NATO" troops and no Americans were harmed in this production."

[rabs]

8. Noticed that remark too

but assumed the poster had forgotten the :sarcasm: smilie


But if not, :shrug:


:hi:

[dipsydoodle]

9. Well lets see if he adds it now

:hi:

[pettypace]

10. I was looking for the smiles table

but it didn't show up when I tried to post on LBN.

I would hope ya'll would give me the benefit of the doubt.

[dipsydoodle]

13. Benefit given

:hi:

[rabs]

15. Figured that was the case ...

... so no problem.

Fyi over on GD there is a thread by seafan in which Obama is quoted as calling on supporters to not get "bogged down" in the details of the war.

Wonder if he would tell the families of the 31 dead soldiers that?

[coalition_unwilling]

30. Details are so 20th Century - n/t

[truth2power]

28. I took it as sarcasm right away. I don't know why the confusion. Geez!

:shrug:

[sendero]

22. Of course..

.. that was obvious sarcasm that even I could get.

[JDPriestly]

40. Why would you unrec an OP because of a remark by someone

responding to it? That makes no sense to me.

This is important news of a tragedy. Why unrec it?

[name not needed]

50. Actually, it was one of our helicopters.

If there were special forces onboard, it was one of ours. 160th SOAR probably. There's no way in hell the military would admit that one of the 160th's birds got shot down, let alone put SF operators in a helicopter piloted by foreign nationals

[Selatius]

12. When the Soviet Red Army suffered casualties like that, they would level the nearest town.

Often, after an ambush of that magnitude, they would go to the nearest town or village and bomb it to ruin, destroy everything and kill as many as possible. It was meant to send a message that there would be a terrible price to pay for attacking Soviet troops.

Yet, for ten years, the local tribesmen continued to attack, despite the atrocities visited upon them. They never gave up. That was the problem the Red Army encountered.

They just didn't give up. We are now facing an enemy with that kind of resolve in those mountains.

[pettypace]

14. Leveling entire towns

I would assume that meant every living being regardless of combatant status. That really is an amazing revelation simply because I didn't realize the pure malice the Red Army was capable of even in the 1980's.

Just goes to show you how much has changed in just a quarter century. Any action like that by any military force would be uniformly condemned by the UN and most likely lead to retaliation ...ahem Libya.

[Selatius]

16. The UN couldn't do much. The Soviet Union had veto power on the Security Council.

Any attempt to try to formally punish the Soviet Union would've simply been vetoed down by the Soviet Union. Libya doesn't have veto power, nor did it have much support from anybody that does have veto power (Russia and China, specifically).

Regardless, the Taliban are proving that they're not going to go down easily, as seen in this ABC news clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gup1QfZ6M0M&NR=1

[dixiegrrrrl]

72. Guess you missed this: 25 Tons of Bombs Wipe Afghan Town Off Map

There was a lot of talk about it when it happened a few months ago.


January 19, 2011

"An American-led military unit pulverized an Afghan village in Kandahar’s Arghandab River Valley in October, after it became overrun with Taliban insurgents. It’s hard to understand how turning an entire village into dust fits into America’s counterinsurgency strategy — which supposedly prizes the local people’s loyalty above all else"

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/01/25-tons-of-bombs-wipes-afghan-town-off-the-map/.

[Angry Dragon]

18. I saw a video within the last year showing the US leveling

a whole town because it would have taken too long
to search it all ......... was not a house left standing
I do believe they gave the people time to get out

[Hubert Flottz]

20. They learned that from the Germans who learned it from the Romans

War is not healthy for children, flowers and other living things. It never was, it never will be.

[coalition_unwilling]

29. See Vietnam, ca. 1945-74 - n/t

[mike3121]

51. Speaking of Viet Nam

Back in the Viet Nam war days often the news of a massive loss of US soldiers lives would be a time of joy for the left. There would be dancing in the streets at colleges. I'm not a Repug but a veteran and this is what is was like then. Things sure have changed when you see support for the troops and their families. "Hey hey LBJ, how many babies have you killed today. Hey hey LBJ the NLF is going to win!"

[pretzel4gore]

58. c'mon, the troops were our families

the draft was in effect in old days and since the draft descriminated against the poor and black hispanic etc, iow the 'left', to say the 'left' was happy to see its boys killed/ hurt by Vietnamese national resistance forces is not true....we should not have been there in 1st place! Vietnam belongs to the Vietnamese....

[coalition_unwilling]

77. This meme that the Left rejoiced during the Vietnam War when

there were large loss of US soldiers' lives has the whiff of an urban legend to it, the same smell that emanates from the urban legend that Vietnam Vets were spat upon and called "baby killers" by the public in general and the antiwar movement specifically when they returned to the U.S.

IOW, your comment is total 100% bullshit.

BTW, it was "Ho, Ho, Ho Chi Minh. The NLF is going to win."

[earcandle]

45. And who is giving them the weapons and bombs and equipment to fight us?

US? 

[pretzel4gore]

54. jeez, the USSR was destroyed...

why can't people see that saying the USSR committed horrible crimes against humanity- and using fooxnews or ABC (ie the CIA) as the info source, i betcha- just muddies water that already fulla mud!! FACT: the Soviet (WORKERS) Union lost 25 million people and about 1/3rd of its economy during the nazi fascist war carried out with approval of the rightwing ruling elites of the west democracies britain usa and france etc. The USSR never recovered. But despite these appalling details, the western fascistic media somehow demonised USSR so much that the USSR was blamed for Iron Curtain, Cold War and so the called arms/space races the Soviet Union couldn't afford even if Stalin was stupid (he wasn't stupid, believe me)! Obviously, the USSR wanted, NEEDED, by 1945 nothing so much as western allied friendship, or at least to be left alone, but, instead, the western media liars (such as CIA agent William Shirer of 'rise/fall of 3rd reich' fame) demonised Joseph Stalin, and thus the USSR, relentlessly and effectively so much we still assume they were the bad guys! They defeated hitler almost alone See winston Churchil, saying the USSR 'ripped guts outta nazis'). The bombing of Japanese cities in Aug/45 was to terrorise USSR into KEEPING TROOPS IN Europe (to prevent US from nuking the Red Army!) despite unable to afford it! The USSR never got nukes until 1949, 4 years AFTER WW2 ended. Fact: THe Red Army was 300 miles beyond Berlin at end of WW2, yet Stalin still gave 2/3rds of Berlin to allies (look in dictionary, East/West Germany as countries never EVEN EXISTED until 1970, 25 years after WW2 ended! Until then Germany was a allied 'control zone' shared by USSR and Britain, Us and France etc) The Berlin Wall was only built in 1961, when JFK was President (16 years AFTER the war was over!)
Fact, In early 70's Afghanistan was under Soviet umbrella, part of Soviet sphere, yet it was so free that a large western hippie community was living openly in Afghanistan, until the USA cia gave $ billions to Islamic terrorists who began war against USSR puppet government. The USSR 'invaded' when the 'mujahadeen' aka taliban using deadly US supplied weapons overthrew the Soviet backed regime....yet we say the USSR invaded Afghanistan! Afghanistan was a USSR client state, and it was cia that built the islamic terrorists al ciada who drove out the USSR (and fyi, Afghan women were freeer under USSR then ever in their history!)
oh nevermind...who cares. The USA today is being crusahed by same creeps who crushed USSR 20 years ago...
carry on

[go west young man]

74. Good post. All factual. Most Americans don't want to believe it sadly.

They would rather believe they single handedly won WW2. Roosevelt was great but there were
many pro nazi's in the US government making money building that German war machine.
Russia lost 26 to 28 million people.

[pettypace]

78. Really a puzzling post

A thorough advocation of Soviets. Impressive in the sheer ability of endorsing that side.

But the previous poster spoke of that country's army pulverizing entire towns as recently as the late 80's. Stories of the Reds terrorizing the civilian German population is well talked about in all WW2 histories.

Criticizing the US for playing reindeer games is understandable. But is it fair to paint the Soviet Union as the bastion of just and honorable actions? I don't believe it.

[pretzel4gore]

84. the revolution is over...the greatest generation knew the Soviet's

were the guys who beat hitler. They KNEW IT. The whelp george bush's grandpa was a hitler financier, forcrissakes! There's a story about general patton saying to a crowd of soldiers that 'we're fighting the wrong guys- we really should be marching on Moscow!' and the soldiers were horrified, telling patton he's 'didn't know wtf he was talking about' Fact: at end of WW2, the armies of US britain etc were PRO SOVIET, almost to a man. The USSR had survived by sheer courage, and almost super human effort; and constantly our secret agencies were helping the nazi/fascists; nudge wink! (that's why, after war, so many diplomats/scientists etc such as the Cambidge spies Philby, Mclean, Klaus Fuchs, George Blake, Robert Oppenheimer(?)- even Albert Einstein(?), were trying to help USSR get atomic weapons) Stalin was big part of the amazing organising of Soviet resources (this despite constant MI6/OSS fabricated leaks incriminating Soviet scholars/generals etc for 'contacting' west spy agencies) that saw USSR emerge from catastrophe as only serious counter to the capitalists. The american middle class that grew up in the 'golden age' after WW2 was almost entirely credited to the communist threat- in order to stop communism, the socialist New Deal, GI Bill, rural electrification plan, the interstate hiway program and even the civil rights movement were all allowed to go ahead. The end of Soviet Union in 1990 saw the end of the 'american dream' for US working people. Mcjobs is all there's to look forward to. Wage slavery, and debtors' prisons.
Someday, we're gonna wake up to the disaster that defeating the Revolution was for life on earth. Too late, needless to say...

[JVS]

55. I'm sure that there will be hell to pay at some Afghan wedding party in the near future

[Stuart G]

17. 31 U.S. Troops were killed...according to this reporot

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/06/31-american-troops-killed_n_920063.html


KABUL, Afghanistan -- A helicopter crash in Afghanistan's eastern Wardak province has killed 31 U.S. special operation troops and seven Afghan soldiers, the country's president said on Saturday. It was the highest number of casualties recorded in a single incident in the decade-long war.

President Hamid Karzai sent his condolences to President Barack Obama, according to a statement issued by his office.

"A NATO helicopter crashed last night in Wardak province," Karzai said in the statement, adding that 31 American special operations troops were killed. "President Karzai expressed his deep condolences because of this incident and expressed his sympathy to Barack Obama."

[Hubert Flottz]

21. Hamid Karzai and his brother are getting along great though.

[BumRushDaShow]

19. Condolences to the families...

:cry:

[smoochpooch]

23. NBC just said approx 30 Special Forces were killed.

No link, just tv report.

[MissDeeds]

24. Heartbreaking

What a horrible loss of life. My sympathy goes out to the families.

:cry: :patriot:

Edit to add: Thoughts and prayers also to their fellow service members who will be suffering their loss as well.

[western mass]

25. Obama's War

[Amonester]

26. ENOUGH.

[NikRik]

27. being an Americian I do feel a deeper hurt however ......

Americian or Nato troops from other countries they all had families that loved them and their lives are now forever changed due to this exprience. We are all human beings and any loss of life is great tragety. When will man stop being its own worst enemy.That includes the cruel things we do to other life on this planet! For the most intelligent species amoung life on this planet we sure do alot of stupid things! When will we let the compassion in our hearts take control of the hatered and greed? Its all such a waste of time,resources and the love we are capable of using to learn to live together.

[shireen]

31. this is just heartbreaking!

:cry:

[Javaman]

32. Why are we there again? nt

[GSLevel9]

39. because Obama PROMISED to continue BUSH's WARS. nt

[Javaman]

49. That's right, it was in all the papers.

it's getting down right murderously ridiculous.

[GSLevel9]

56. During the primary... he never backed off from wanting a fight in Afghanistnam. nt

[Javaman]

81. and again, we are there because?

oh that's right, we must continue to feed the MIC.

we go to war so the military has something to do. otherwise, what's the point? Peace???

[truth2power]

60. Talking about all 6 wars, and counting, here: Oil, gas pipelines,..

minerals, access to sea lanes, control of the drug trade so the CIA can better fund their predations around the world, access to any natural resources I haven't thought of, that belong to anyone other than the US of A, $$$$ for the MIC. (I guess "full spectrum dominance" would cover all of this.)

Why we're NOT there: To bring democracy, to win The War Against Terror (TWAT), to find Osama bin Laden (oops! done & done), to assure that any women and girls that we haven't blown to pieces already have the opportunity to go to school, to win hearts and minds, human rights, blah blah blah. :eyes:

[Javaman]

82. I think it was on Alternet last week...

that the US now has military of one kind or another involve in over 90 countries. They weren't talking about bases.

It's beyond stupid at this point.

[1776Forever]

33. I wanted to thank everyone who showed condolence for the families. I can only say "Bring

our troops who are left there home now alive!" I have a son in Iraq cleaning up to get ready for our troops to get out in Dec. I pray everyday for his safe return and can only say that these men who lost their lives left many behind here in the US who will find out today that their loved one is gone. This will include many young children who will never know their fathers. Very sad day....

[Desertrose]

34. My prayers for your son & all the gals & guys over there...

to come home safely and SOON!


Bring our troops home ..NOW!!!

[Solly Mack]

35. K&R

[perdita9]

36. Just get out troops out of there

The situation is completely FUBAR and has been for a while. America can no longer afford this war in either terms of blood or treasure.

[lovuian]

37. this is the REAL REASON why America is bankrupted

WAR
get our kids out of there

[wordpix]

59. +1000. Endless war, endless debt

We could have gotten bin Laden without starting two wars, now 3.

[dgibby]

38. Breaking on CNN:

Navy SEALS among the dead.

[RamboLiberal]

43. CBS reports website 25 SEALS Team 6

Wonder if any from team on bin Laden raid?

On edit: AP says 22. Did Taliban get revenge? Did they know to target this chopper? Were SEALS betrayed?

[Mz Pip]

44. We cannot fix what is wrong

with Afghanistan. It's time to get out and use what money we have left doing some nation building here at home.

My condolences to the families, all the families, who have lost loved ones over there.

[dgibby]

46. I'd be willing to bet most, if not all, of them.

This is so sad, and so unneccessary. I am so sick of these wars. We never learn.

[go west young man]

48. As a bit of a conspiracy theorist myself I have to say you couldn't

make this shit up. How many more coincidences are there going to be in the Bin Laden storyline?
It just so happens that the people who supposedly killed Bin Laden are now all dead themselves.
Another perfect coinki! Sad for all the families just the same.:-(

[dipsydoodle]

52. Same unit

Just breaking now.

Here for example

WASHINGTON -- The Associated Press has learned that more than 20 Navy SEALs from the unit that killed Osama bin Laden were among those lost in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/06/afghanistan-helicopter-crash-sources-navy-seals-killed_n_920147.html

[timtom]

64. I was gonna pose the same question...

Looks like 20 of those men were part of Team 6 (SEALS) that took out "bin Laden".

[KeepItReal]

71. They were a Quick Reaction Force sent in to help troops already under fire

The Taliban probably knew the coalition forces under fire would get some kind of support. All they had to do was wait and cover avenues of approach.

Damn.

[daleo]

75. I wondered about that too

It seems like a reasonable hunch.

[democrank]

41. This is so very sad.

Bring our troops home and replace them with the war cheerleaders who sent them there.

[JackDragna]

42. More grist for the mill.

This war is beyond disgusting.

[NOLALady]

47. Insurgents?

During the sixties, the civil rights protestors were "militants".

[dipsydoodle]

53. One of GWB's joke buzz words

In this instance read "the population of Afghanistan."

[Tx4obama]

57. More info

31 Americans, Including 25 Navy SEALs, Killed In Helicopter Crash In Afghanistan

ABC’s Martha Raddatz reports a helicopter crash in Afghanistan has killed 31 Americans, including as many as 25 Navy SEALs in one of the worst single-day U.S. losses of life since the war began. Raddatz says a senior military official told ABC News early this morning that a total of 38 people were on board the Chinook helicopter when it crashed overnight in the eastern Afghan province of Wardak. Initial reports indicate up to 25 Navy SEALs were on the aircraft at the time.

The helicopter was also carrying seven Afghan Special Forces troops, one interpreter, five member helicopter crew and one dog. Troops were apparently involved in a raid at the time. There are reports the Taliban has claimed responsibility for bringing down the chopper.

Update: A tragic update: according to the AP, more than 20 of the Navy SEALs killed in the helicopter crash are thought to be from SEAL Team 6, the group that captured and killed Osama bin Laden.

Watch the report here, from ABC News - VIDEO: http://www.mediaite.com/tv/31-americans-including-25-navy-seals-killed-in-helicopter-crash-in-afghanistan/

[mike_c]

61. hostile enemy?

You'd be "hostile" too if someone invaded and occupied your country.

[LibDemAlways]

66. +1000. If troops from a foreign nation showed up on

American shores they would hardly be greeted with flowers and parades. Why should we expect anything different?

[wordpix]

62. what is the strategic importance of this backwater, now that we got OBL?

:shrug: I don't get it

[Tx4obama]

65. They said earlier on the news that ...

they believe that the SEALS were going in to attack the folks that were manufacturing the IEDs that have been killing our soldiers.

I think that is a pretty important mission.

[Tx4obama]

63. UPDATE

Officials believe none killed in helicopter crash took part in bin Laden raid but were from same SEALs unit - @AP http://apne.ws/pAQm91

http://twitter.com/BreakingNews/status/99894025364045824

[RamboLiberal]

67. CBS now says not from SEAL team 6

Fog of war?

[thewiseguy]

68. CNN says they were from the Seal team 6

CBS is the loner on this one.

[Tx4obama]

69. CNN

SNIP

The Navy SEALs who died belonged to the same unit that conducted the raid that killed Osama bin Laden in May, though they were not the same men, the official said.

SNIP

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/08/06/afghanistan.nato.helicopter.crash/index.html

[RamboLiberal]

70. wondering if that is confusion at CBS

[RamboLiberal]

73. CBS now saying 6

[PoliticAverse]

76. CNN update to the story...

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/08/06/afghanistan.nato.helicopter.crash/index.html?iref=BN1&hpt=hp_t1

[Dystopian]

79. Obama

Reflecting on the sobering loss, President Barack Obama said the deaths were "a reminder of the extraordinary sacrifices made by the men and women of our military and their families, including all who have served in Afghanistan."

Blood on your hands, Mr. President.
Blood and more blood.
Sleep well.






peace~

[Snazzy]

80. yeah wtf with the PR speak

Not that I'm fucking surprised by anything any more....

Here's a clue Mr. Prez--it's not a "reminder of extraordinary sacrifices" when you got a pile of dead guys.

That is extraordinary sacrifice.

[PoliticAverse]

83. Another CNN followup story...

http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/08/07/afghanistan.fatality/index.html