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: 2198
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
Comments (1-81) not displayed.
.
.
.
#82. To: Lod (#80)
That was the initial report as well. It was 23 SEALs (I think), five of the special ops aircrew assigned to the SEALs (but not actual SEALs themselves), three "air controllers" (not otherwise specified as to their branch but they are associated with elite forces as they were during the Bin Laden killing), and a dog handler and his dog, and 7 Afghan troops which were probably their version of elite troops.
Yes, puh-leeze. The credibility of "our statist historians and libmedia" and those to the right of them, indeed the credibility of all of the establishment media in this country is close to zero. When this country gets the comeupance it is so desperately working to achieve, these folks will no longer be writing history. Whenever a robot killer plows into a Pashtun neighborhood in order to blow up one or two Islamist crazies and blows off the arms and legs of folks who are by any stretch non-combatants, it's not only those who direct those weapons who are guilty of crimes, it is also you and me. At least the Waffen SS believed that it was defending Europe from an order to the East that established itself through the murder of tens of millions of its own. These elite troops were engaged in a losing war in which their homeland was surrounded and outnumbered. Still, what that organization did in the prosecution that war was criminal. What is our excuse??
It is a violation of Natural Law to use this document in a manner inconsistent with its labeling. Yeah, right. Ping me when that happens. American historians and libmedia have been propagandists for the state ever since the organized effort during WW I to bring this about. They experienced real failure following WW I when a few diehard historians exposed the real facts about WW I to the public in several outstanding books that shaped American understanding about that war. With WW II and ever since, the establishment has worked steadily to prevent any repeat of honest history about our wars being influential in public opinion. And this is a bipartisan effort. Both parties work to suppress the truth. No, it is not. We are in no position to control these excesses and massacres routinely staged by the District of Criminals and the military-industrial complex.
I ping you as it's happening. Don't look now, but the world no longer gives a shit what the Kalbs and the Krauthammers and all the other scrbblers and so-called historians that went to grad school with their like have to say.
It is a violation of Natural Law to use this document in a manner inconsistent with its labeling. The loser is the one that runs out of money first, not men.
I told ya, they'd be whacked If true, they have some very deeply planted assets inside our military, which should come to no surprise to anyone who possesses a handful of still active brain cells. This ISN'T our father's military, a fact unfortunately lost on so many.
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".
Inside Scoop: Shot Down Black-Op Seals Won't Be Talking Now | Before It's News
Of course, the official credibility is just about zero.
Start with the CIC, then work your way on down.
"You'll just sing about Jesus and drink wine all day. It's great to be an American" - Sail Away by Randy Newman
Tell that to the Chinese-made American flag wavers. Spit.
A brief message from our Líder. It is a violation of Natural Law to use this document in a manner inconsistent with its labeling. Hope you got a quiet, out of the way place in Montana to repair to. You're right. And, many analysts agree with you that Israel may be the first place to take it in the shorts. I suppose I had locked into the assumption that if the only "anti-Semitic pogrom" at the time was conducted by Justice and the "innocent targets" were seeking sanctuary from indictments, well, you know the rest. Of course if the whole world simultaneously heaves in the attempt to regurgitate their last feeding of jooshit then Israel may be hit with everything from Molotovs from the 2nd class non humans in residence to nukes from Pakistan. Which is why I'm confident that at least on Israeli trustee is charged with the responsibility of carrying the panic button, perhaps on a "help, I've fallen and I can't get up" pendant around his neck. That way, no matter how sudden Armageddon comes home to them it is their earnest hope that someone will be able to launch and kill multi-millions of those damned European and Arab Gentiles.
LoL. How dare you diss the disadvantaged hero grunts who are being taken advantage of by the sneaky elites? Without the grunts, you wouldn't even have the freedom to post here!!! /C
"Even to the death fight for truth, and the LORD your God will battle for you". Sirach 4:28
Well, randge and JT may graciously let you off the hook but I'm not gonna! You're a goddam commie peacenik traitor for changing your mind and withdrawing your support of the troops who provide the umbrella of freedom under which you sleep each night! If it wasn't for those brave souls we'd be up to our asses in Afghans firing howitzers and leveling our neighborhoods and elementary schools! Wake up and join the Republican Party before it's too late! (This message was paid for by The Log Cabin Republicans and the Conservos for a Drug Free America. Remember, if you get caught with a joint in your mouth it better have two nuts attached!)
Damn.
It is a violation of Natural Law to use this document in a manner inconsistent with its labeling. Another Chinook helicopter crash lands in Afghanistan days after Taliban kills 38 | Mail Online * NATO reports no casualties * Taliban claim responsibility for 'hard landing' * Demonstrations after claims civilians were killed in night raids * Incidents come barely two weeks after foreign troops began first phases of withdrawal from Afghanistan By Daily Mail Reporter Last updated at 1:37 PM on 8th August 2011
IMO, the Russians have given the Taliban the equivalent of our Stinger missile. What goes around, comes around. Let enough of our "hero grunts" come home in pine boxes and the MIC will have less tools to play with. I have *zero* sympathy for these AmeriKan invaders. They knew the deal going in.
IMO, the Russians have given the Taliban the equivalent of our Stinger missile. What goes around, comes around. Let enough of our "hero grunts" come home in pine boxes and the MIC will have less tools to play with. I have *zero* sympathy for these AmeriKan invaders. They knew the deal going in. Aaron Carson Vaughn - Photos of the Fallen: Americans shot down in Afghanistan - Pictures | WJLA.com
The media always plays on people's emotions.
Hee, hee. I was searching through some of my back postings and saw that big juicy plum sitting there and I just had to pick it. ;-)
"The American soldiers actually have more in common with the people they are killing than with the billionaires who are sending them to war."
Same is true of any military. It is part of their purpose. Other than true warrior nations like ancient Greece's city-states or maybe Prussia under the Junkers, it remains almost universally true. So I'm not objecting to your observation, merely pointing out that this is the norm, not anything exceptional.
Might be. US officers oppose releasing names of dead troops - Yahoo! News The chief of the secretive US special operations command has lobbied against the release of names of American commandos killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan, officials said Tuesday. The remains of the 30 US service members killed in the helicopter crash were returned to the United States on Tuesday at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. But despite requests from news organizations, a solemn transfer ceremony at Dover attended by President Barack Obama and other top officials was closed to the media. The military said the fallen troops could not be identified "due to the catastrophic nature of the crash," and that next-of-kin were not in a position to grant approval for media access to the transfer ceremony.
for some reason, i can't see your post 100. what is it?
"Even to the death fight for truth, and the LORD your God will battle for you". Sirach 4:28
Even Prussians didn't like getting their asses shot up. In the Seven Year's War. Frederick II's troop ran off on him in a battle with the Austrians. Frederick hollered after them, "Hunde, wollt ihr ewig leben?" - "Dogs, do you want to live forever?"
It is a violation of Natural Law to use this document in a manner inconsistent with its labeling. 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.
Break the Conventions - Keep the Commandments - G.K.Chesterson 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.
Oh, it was just one word: "Hunnert!
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.
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. It will be interesting what the future historical text books have to say about this. Most likely just a continuation of the 911 fairy tale.
It will be one of two ways. If the good people end up coming back from the precipice it will be regarded as the darkest period of our history. Otherwise it will be buried with the bodies.
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 don't believe/trust anything the government and/or the main street media tells us. They have both been exposed as liars.
Comments (122 - 134) not displayed.
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/LatestToday's news reports 38 (and one dog) as fatalities.
#83. To: TooConservative (#79)
Puh-leeze. Even you don't believe that our statist historians and libmedia will ever describe "da toops" in those terms.
______________________________________________________
"It's a absurd insinuation."
#84. To: randge (#83)
(Edited)
When this country gets the comeupance it is so desperately working to achieve, these folks will no longer be writing history.
Whenever a robot killer plows into a Pashtun neighborhood in order to blow up one or two Islamist crazies and blows off the arms and legs of folks who are by any stretch non-combatants, it's not only those who direct those weapons who are guilty of crimes, it is also you and me.
#85. To: TooConservative (#84)
Yeah, right. Ping me when that happens.
______________________________________________________
"It's a absurd insinuation."
#86. To: Turtle, Ferret (#72)
(Edited)
It takes hundreds of thousands of dollars to produce a Green Beret or Navy Seal and a 10 cent bullet to kill one.
#87. To: Flintlock (#62)
Rumor control says YES
#88. To: tom007 (#57)
#89. To: Jethro Tull (#88)
"Satan / Cheney in "08" 
#90. To: tom007 (#89)
#91. To: tom007, Jethro Tull (#89)
Official word is that they were not the OBL team, but were Team Six seals.
#92. To: tom007, Jethro Tull (#89)
#93. To: Original_Intent (#90)
And the "offishul" word is to be granted credibility why?
"Satan / Cheney in "08"
#94. To: Jethro Tull (#87)
they have some very deeply planted assets inside our military,
#95. To: Flintlock (#94)
#96. To: Flintlock (#94)
Start with the CIC
______________________________________________________
"It's a absurd insinuation."
#97. To: randge (#40)
That ain't outside the bounds of contemplation, HD. However, given demographic trends over there when TSHTF, it might first be curtains for the Occupation State of Zion and it'll be the west-bound flights that will be all booked up.
#98. To: Jethro Tull (#12)
fuck them and the Humvee they rode in on.
#99. To: Ferret, randge, Jethro tull (#41)
(Edited)
This is one of my least enjoyable sort of post to make, but in regard to our past argument concerning this war I made the wrong leap of faith on it, and deserve a good helping of crow for my support of it. Thanks for calling bullshit on me over it.
#100. To: Artisan (#98)
#101. To: Original_Intent (#100)
______________________________________________________
"It's a absurd insinuation."
#102. To: christine, F.A. Hayek Fan (#70)
#103. To: TwentyTwelve (#102)
* Taliban claim responsibility for 'hard landing'
#104. To: Jethro Tull (#103)
* Taliban claim responsibility for 'hard landing'
#105. To: Jethro Tull (#104)
Aaron Carson Vaughn - Photos of the Fallen: Americans shot down in Afghanistan - Pictures | WJLA.com
#106. To: randge (#101)
Damn.
#107. To: TooConservative, RickyJ (#14)
They are there to take orders and do or die.
#108. To: TwentyTwelve (#107)
"The American soldiers actually have more in common with the people they are killing than with the billionaires who are sending them to war."
#109. To: Ada (#68)
It looks like the US government is tying up loose ends in the Bin Laden saga.
#110. To: Original_Intent (#100)
?
#111. To: TooConservative (#108)
Other than true warrior nations like ancient Greece's city-states or maybe Prussia under the Junkers, it remains almost universally true.
______________________________________________________
"It's a absurd insinuation."
#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.
#115. To: Artisan (#110)
for some reason, i can't see your post 100. what is it?
#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.
#117. To: Original_Intent, Lod (#116)
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.
#118. To: Original_Intent (#116)
#119. To: TwentyTwelve (#117)
It will be interesting what the future historical text books have to say about this.
#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.
#121. To: HOUNDDAWG, Original_Intent (#120)
.
.
.
