See other War, War, War Articles
Title: NATO helicopter crashes in Afghanistan, killing 31 U.S. troops
Source:
reuters.com
URL Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011 ... violence-idUSTRE7750UW20110806
Published: Aug 6, 2011
Author: Michelle Nichols
Post Date: 2011-08-06 07:06:38 by Ferret
Keywords: None
Views: 2158
Comments: 134
(Reuters) - A NATO helicopter crashed in central Afghanistan overnight killing 31 U.S. soldiers and 7 Afghan troops, the Afghan president said on Saturday, a devastating death toll and easily the worst single incident for foreign troops in 10 years of war. A brief statement from the presidential palace said the helicopter had crashed in central Maidan Wardak province, just to the west of the capital, Kabul, and identified the Americans as special forces troops. Afghan President Hamid Karzai "shared his deep sorrow and sadness" with U.S. counterpart Barack Obama and the families of the U.S. and Afghan victims, the statement said. The Taliban claimed to have shot down the troop-carrying Chinook helicopter during a firefight and killed 38 soldiers. The Islamist group also said in a statement that eight insurgents had been killed in torrid fighting. The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) confirmed a helicopter had crashed but gave no further details. The high casualties come only two weeks after the start of a gradual process of handing security responsibility from foreign forces to Afghan troops and police, and at a time of growing unease about the increasingly unpopular and costly war. That process is due to end with all foreign combat troops leaving Afghanistan by the end of 2014, but some U.S. lawmakers have already questioned whether that handover is fast enough. Incidents with heavy death tolls are sure to raise even more questions about the transition process and how much longer foreign troops should stay. The crash was by far the worst incident of the war for foreign troops and easily surpassed the worst incidents of battlefield losses. In April 2005, another CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed, killing 15 U.S. servicemen and three civilian contractors. Another Chinook crash in June the same year killed 17 U.S. troops. WORRYING U.S. and other NATO commanders have claimed success in reversing the momentum of a growing insurgency in the Taliban heartland in the south, although insurgents have shown a worrying ability to adapt their tactics and mount major attacks in other areas. Those gains, however, have come at a price, with 711 foreign troops killed in Afghanistan in 2010, easily the deadliest year of the war for all concerned since the Taliban were toppled by U.S.-backed foreign troops in late 2001. The crash in Maidan Wardak means that at least 374 foreign troops have been killed so far in 2011, more than two-thirds of them American, according to independent monitor www.icasualties.com and figures kept by Reuters. Neither ISAF nor the U.S. military in Afghanistan confirmed whether there had been any casualties in the crash despite repeated telephone calls, much less any nationalities that might have been involved. The majority of foreign troops in Wardak, which comes under ISAF's eastern regional command, are American. Despite the alarming military toll, ordinary Afghan civilians have continued to bear the brunt of the war, with civilian casualties also hitting record levels in the first six months of this year, according to U.N. figures. Earlier on Saturday, Afghan police said a NATO air strike killed eight civilians in southern Helmand province on Friday. ISAF confirmed there had been an air strike in Helmand's Nad Ali district and said it was investigating whether civilians had been present at the time. Civilian casualties caused by foreign troops hunting Taliban fighters and other insurgents have long been a major source of friction between Kabul and its Western backers. Nad Ali district police chief Shidi Khan said the air strike was called in after insurgents attacked ISAF troops in the area. The victims of Friday's air strike in Helmand were members of a family that had fled fighting in neighboring Uruzgan province, police said. ISAF said the civilians may have been held hostage by the insurgents. The most contentious of the first seven areas to be handed over was the Helmand provincial capital of Lashkar Gah. Helmand province has been the site of some of the most vicious fighting of the war. Far more foreign troops have died there than in any other province and there are still several Helmand districts dominated by the Taliban. In the past month, insurgents have carried out a string of destabilizing assassinations of high-profile southern leaders, including president Karzai's half brother, and several large attacks killing police and civilians. A U.N. report last month said 1,462 civilians were killed in conflict-related incidents in the first six months of 2011, up 15 percent on the first half of 2010. It blamed insurgents for 80 percent of those deaths. (Additional reporting by Mustafa Andalib in GHAZNI and Mirwais Harooni and Haseeb Sadat in KABUL; Editing by Paul Tait and Ron Popeski) World
Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest
Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 132.
#3. To: Ferret (#0)
Seems 25 of them were Seals.
Damn, just damn. The SEAL's are about the only servicemen left that I have total respect for just because they ARE the best on the planet. This is a HUGE percentage of the total amount of SEAL's. I wonder if the jews in Israel give a flying-fuck that we sacrificed them upon their insane altar of Zionism?? I hope that this plants some seeds of doubt within the Navy and causes the chiefs to openly question our involvement "over there".
Were these the guys who killed OBL, and some of his assorted family members? If yes, why?
If yes, why? Seems to me to be possible. One of the crew was a dog, prolly a very special dog, similar to the one used in the OBL op.
Thanks, tom.
Official word is that they were not the OBL team, but were Team Six seals.
And the "offishul" word is to be granted credibility why? This is the same government that told us they whacked Osama Bin Dead Ten Years this year? That aircraft fuel can melt steel? There is no credible confirmation one way or another, but the psychotic murderers running our government are not beyond whacking witnesses who might have some "inconvenient truths".
That aircraft fuel can melt steel? There is no credible confirmation one way or another, but the psychotic murderers running our government are not beyond whacking witnesses who might have some "inconvenient truths". Obama pays respects, questions remain in Afghan crash | Reuters By Jeff Mason DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Delaware | Tue Aug 9, 2011 6:04pm EDT Three days after Taliban militants shot down a Chinook helicopter, killing all 38 people on board, many questions remain -- including whether protocol was followed as elite U.S. forces were sent to help comrades in a firefight. The deaths have resonated in the United States because of the sheer number of casualties and because many of them came from the same Navy SEAL unit that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. None of the dead men were involved in that raid in Pakistan in early May. While the number of casualties was a stark reminder of the costs of the Afghan war -- it was the single deadliest incident of the 10-year conflict -- the Pentagon strictly barred reporters from witnessing the ceremony. Because of the catastrophic nature of the crash, the military has been unable to individually identify the remains of the victims, including those of Afghans. Pentagon officials said that meant U.S. military families could not give their consent to reporters to cover the repatriations, consent that is required under U.S. government policy. Obama and top military officials joined families in witnessing what the Pentagon called the "dignified transfer" of remains at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, home of the largest U.S. military mortuary.
Seeking another term, the kenyan shows up, first time ever, for a funeral. What a coon-ass joke.
What a coon-ass joke. Because of the catastrophic nature of the crash, the military has been unable to individually identify the remains of the victims, including those of Afghans.
That is a puzzler. Not enough data to do more that speculate, but it suggests the possibility that the chopper was wired and somebody wanted to make damn sure that there were no survivors. It suggests an explosion more powerful that that of a shoulder launched anti-aircraft rocket. While that is speculation, clearly labeled as such, we can observe the apparent fact that the remains were so badly damaged they could not be separated.
A chinook falling like a stone from cruising altitude would as likely as not break any human remains into shovel and/or tweezer sized pieces. And, as with Ground Zero our govt won't be bothered trying to ID small pieces of those who are of no further use. They'll just break them into roughly equal piles and bag them up for the caskets. Your wild eyed speculations are just so much self aggrandizing bullshit. And those who don't call you on it are equally guilty of using this site for mutually flattering circle jerks. "....suggests the possibility that the chopper was wired..."? Do tell, Nostradamus. The Tenn sheriff who was on the scene of the crash that killed Patsy Cline said that there were no bodies, but only pieces of human remains. (a fixed wing plane in a heavily wooded area and no "explosives" were involved.) And, Aeroméxico Flight 498 (crashed on approach to LAX in Los Cerritos, CA in 1986) was featured in the film MANY FACES OF DEATH (1 or 2) and the video showed chunks of human remains on the streets but nothing that was readily recognizable as human. To imply that the helicopter was "wired" (as opposed to having exploded from the impact with the rocky ground after plummeting thousands of feet as well as a missile possibly detonating what was essentially a flying gas can) without viewing any evidence or reviewing a comprehensive accident reconstruction report can only be your lame attempt to make your suspicions "go viral" on the net, just as you hope to disadvantage me by feeding a rumor that I'm an alcoholic. (even though my total yearly consumption can be counted on one hand) The fact that you cannot address my criticism will eventually be juxtaposed with those posts where you do argue with folks and it will be obvious (even to you despite your frantic attempts at diversion) that you employ such a shabby tactic because you haven't a leg on which to perch. In other words, you believe that the lies you tell that aren't immediately revealed as such are the same as the truth. And the fact that you're seemingly unconcerned about the implications of the cumulative evidence is further proof that you are a stupid shit whose ego self portrait hinges on the silly things you write. (or copy) Even when you contradict yourself within the same post ("I agree and I disagree but I'M NOT AMBIVALENT!"- too funny, and I can't believe you were foolish enough to reveal for all to see your possible decaying dendrites and misfiring synapses) you bounce back secure in your belief that you're a "respected author of brilliant dissertations" that are brimming with uncredited quotes which I will begin to expose in your future plagiarisms. I may simply locate the source of the stolen material and post it with no accompanying commentary just to underscore your desperate attempts to deflect attention onto me. Hey, (your ego must be bruised so) now is a good time for one of your brilliant white papers, don't you think? Why don't you get started on it right away? ________________________________________ "That is a puzzler. Not enough data to do more that speculate, but it suggests the possibility that the chopper was wired and somebody wanted to make damn sure that there were no survivors. It suggests an explosion more powerful that(sic) that of a shoulder launched anti-aircraft rocket. While that is speculation, clearly labeled as such, we can "observe"(?) (try a dictionary shithead) the apparent fact that the remains were so badly damaged they could not be separated."" (And just where was this "apparent fact"? DNA analyses are costly and time consuming and the Pentagon has even been accused of burying remains in The Tomb Of The Unknown that could have been identified. Put that in your spekalaytur and smoke it) (The most important ***"apparent fact"*** is that Original_Intent has been on the scene of oodles of chopper crashes and this one is reelee suspicious so, heed his wirdz of wizdum!) Who among you buys this nonsense? Why would any adult of reasonable intelligence allow Original_Intent to read a news report and "extract hidden truths that we dummies must have missed" then feed it to you? Between your compliments for plagiarized work and your sympathetic silence when he uses your support to publicly jerk himself off you're creating a monster. He couldn't write a linear, logical and meaningful blog under his own byline and yet he comes here and bullshits and insults his way into a shared delusion of legendary (in mental health quarters) status. Some of you need to abandon who you believed yourselves to be at TOS then try to measure up to 4um standards. Or, better yet why don't you start another website for victims and survivors and take O_I with you as your tone setting spirit guide/gang attack leader? While that is speculation, clearly labeled as such, we can observe the apparent fact that such a bold, decisive move would raise the standards....there and here.
I am greatly amused. You become more strident and wild eyed as each and every one of your personal attacks just bounces and goes crashing to the ground in flames. Don't flatter yourself - other people are noticing how "over the top" you are becoming so there is no great need to waste a lot of my time countering your enthusiastic babbles.
U.S.: Taliban Who Downed Copter Killed.. - The New York Times
Gosh, now isn't that surprisingly convenient. Not only do we not have any more on site witnesses to the pseudosama whacking, but the people who supposedly whacked them got whacked. My, will wonders never cease.
Gosh, now isn't that surprisingly convenient. Not only do we not have any more on site witnesses to the pseudosama whacking, but the people who supposedly whacked them got whacked. Just a coincidence. Are you some kind of crazy conspiracy theorist? (just kidding)
Are you some kind of crazy conspiracy theorist? Yeah, coincidences like this happen every day - kind of like winning the lottery two weeks running. ;-)
Are you some kind of crazy conspiracy theorist? Yeah, coincidences like this happen every day - kind of like winning the lottery two weeks running. ;-) CNN said the Chinook helicopter PROBABLY crashed after it was PROBABLY shot down by the Taliban with a missile PROBABLY made in Iran.
One of AJ's sources said that those guys were Pat Tillmaned (my words, not his).
There are no replies to Comment # 132. End Trace Mode for Comment # 132.
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest
#22. To: tom007 (#3)
Seems 25 of them were Seals.
#25. To: X-15 (#22)
SEALS
#57. To: Jethro Tull (#25)
Were these the guys who killed OBL, and some of his assorted family members?
#88. To: tom007 (#57)
#89. To: Jethro Tull (#88)
#90. To: tom007 (#89)
#112. To: Original_Intent, tom007 (#90)
This is the same government that told us they whacked Osama Bin Dead Ten Years this year?
#113. To: TwentyTwelve (#112)
#114. To: Lod (#113)
Seeking another term, the kenyan shows up, first time ever, for a funeral.
#116. To: TwentyTwelve, Lod (#114)
Because of the catastrophic nature of the crash, the military has been unable to individually identify the remains of the victims, including those of Afghans.
#120. To: Original_Intent, (#116)
That is a puzzler. Not enough data to do more that speculate, but it suggests the possibility that the chopper was wired and somebody wanted to make damn sure that there were no survivors. It suggests an explosion more powerful that that of a shoulder launched anti-aircraft rocket. While that is speculation, clearly labeled as such, we can observe the apparent fact that the remains were so badly damaged they could not be separated.
#122. To: HOUNDDAWG (#120)
#123. To: Original_Intent, HOUNDDAWG (#122)
#126. To: TwentyTwelve (#123)
U.S.: Taliban Who Downed Copter Killed.. - The New York Times
#127. To: Original_Intent (#126)
U.S.: Taliban Who Downed Copter Killed.. - The New York Times
#129. To: TwentyTwelve (#127)
Just a coincidence.
#131. To: Original_Intent (#129)
Just a coincidence.
#132. To: TwentyTwelve (#131)
Replies to Comment # 132.