U.S. chopper shot down, 16 killed...(Update - Canuk version)

[ConcernedCanuk]

. .

Troops were leaving Iraq for vacation

Deadliest single attack on Americans

Nov. 3, 2003. 07:58 AM

VIVIENNE WALT
SPECIAL TO THE STAR

BAGHDAD—The carcass of a U.S. Army Chinook helicopter lay smouldering in fields near Falluja yesterday as troops counted at least 16 dead American soldiers — the biggest single attack against coalition forces since they invaded Iraq in March.

/snip/

With the bodies not yet airlifted to loved ones in the United States, questions emerged last night about whether a lack of communication between U.S. and Iraqi officials or a lack of intelligence co-ordination by U.S officials, had placed American soldiers in more lethal danger than necessary.

"There are no co-ordinated channels through which intelligence is sent or converged," Samir Shaker al-Sumaidy, a member of Iraq's Governing Council who sits on its crucial security committees, said by telephone last night.

"Intelligence is ad hoc, regionalized, with too many different authorities, and too many people involved," he said. "

/snip/



Silly Canuk question,

Why were they flying troop carriers over one of the most violent and dangerous parts of Iraq in the first place?


on edit - long article; worth the read - raises some disturbing questions

[Noordam]

1. Because they are dumb

and do not understand the enemy.

[number six]

3. maybe they have no alternative. Maybe the roads are worse

[Nlighten1]

2. So this is what a cakewalk looks like.`

[matcom]

4. Bush Killed Another 16

seems to be the ONE thing he IS good at :eyes:

[Mattforclark]

5. Flying V. Driving

Because flying in a Chinook was supposed to be safer than driving in a convoy. All those roadside bomb type things, I guess. It didn't work out that way. :(

Thank you for your concern, Canuk. I appreciate it greatly.

[Pocho]

6. THE SCORE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE FIRST

Before their war was won = 138, After their mission accomplished = 263 more, Total young land of the free and home of the brave heroes just following orders = 401 (not counting dying wounded.). Iraqi men, women, and children evil doers massacred = Nobody is saying. Those seeking vengeance for sake of family and invaded homeland honor = most. Years for Viet Cong to come together = several. Time for Iraqi resistance to build = damned near immediate. Have a nice day. :)

[izzie]

7. I read that the roads to air port are now safe,

They cut down all the palm trees on inside strip and both sides of roads so no one would hide be hind them. These could not be those tall types as not many could hide behind those. I am sure that the troops are just sent around like this as it is the fast and easy way.

[4dsc]

8. My father, a republicans is so pissed off

that he could hardly talk about Iraq to me yesterday. He stated we had no business being Iraq to begin with and he's saddened with every death. But the 16 that were killed yesterday really made him mad..

He mentioned he would be voting for Dean. now that's a surprise..

[alfredo]

9. CNN.com is still calling it a crash

I guess they got their call from Rove.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

10. Isn't a crash just as bad. They're still all dead.

Either the soldiers are dying in combat or they're incompetent. Which will it be, Karl?

[Holly]

11. Calling it a crash

hides the fact that they were shot down. A "crash" is an accident. It's another attempt by the good-news Bush team to convince American's that Iraq is a success, and all is well.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

12. They can't hide the coffins forever.

The time is coming. I wouldn't be surprised if it was within the month.

[flamingyouth]

13. Welcome

I love your username.

And props for your message too.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

15. Why thank you. (bows)

[smirkymonkey]

14. Interesting that they were leaving

for "Vacation". I don't put anything past this gang of hoods.

[Karenina]

16. "Dead men tell no tales."

.

[dArKeR]

17. Another S.C. soldier dies in Iraq; Hollings assails Bush's policies

Orangeburg County has lost its third son in the Iraq war.

The name of Spec. Darius T. Jennings, 22, is the latest addition to the growing list of casualties.

Jennings, whose hometown was listed as Cordova, a rural community of about 180 people, was one of 16 soldiers killed Sunday when the helicopter he was riding in was shot down in the deadliest single strike at the U.S. forces since the war began March 20.

Twenty others were injured when shoulder-fired missiles launched by Iraqi insurgents struck the transport helicopter near Fallujah, Iraq, the Defense Department said.

http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/7176321.htm

[bobbieinok]

18. link, please

can't find the article

[jmcgowanjm]

19. Curiouser-no more deaths-from-crashwounded

But, judging from press reports, none of these
wounded ever dies. Maybe I don't know where t
o look, but I haven't been able to find one single
report of a soldier who died later of his or her
injuries.

Not one. Isn't that curious?

An injured GI, therefore, has a 100 percent
chance of survival.

Our military doctors are miracle workers.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=%2Fgate%2Farchive%2F2003%2F11%2F03%2Fhsorensen.DTL

[wabeewoman]

20. I've seen several reports

that 16 of the 20 wounded were taken to hospitals in Germany. None has said anything about the other 4. I wondered if they were not hurt badly enough to be hospitalized (but then they wouldn't be wounded) or if they were killed. Sad, sad thing and sad that you can't believe what the government says.