U.S. helicopters fire in Baghdad, heavy clashes

[maddezmom]

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Machinegun fire rained from U.S. helicopters in central Baghdad on Friday as U.S. and Iraqi troops clashed with gunmen during a raid to seize militants, police and witnesses said.

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The fighting erupted when the troops moved into the Fadhil area, a stronghold of Sunni insurgents, and were fired upon by militants hiding in houses, an Interior Ministry source told Reuters.


~snip~

Witnesses said two low-flying U.S. Apache helicopters were circling above the Fadhil area, firing their machineguns into the streets below and letting off flares to deflect missile attack.

Details of the operation were sketchy, but the Interior Ministry said one soldier had been killed and nine people wounded, including five soldiers. A Defense Ministry official said 28 suspects had been captured.

The U.S. military had no immediate comment.

more;http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061201/ts_nm/iraq_dc

[Massachusetts]

1. deja vu

[Warren Stupidity]

2. Winning hearts and minds: one devastated neighborhood

at a time. Yes I see that our army has finally realized they are fighting a counter insurgency war and that overbearing firepower and wanton destruction are how to lose such a war.

This is now just stupid. Bloody stupid. Can we go home now? Please?

[saigon68]

3. It's operation "Kill the Guys with Diapers on their Heads"

It's operation "Kill the Guys with Diapers on their Heads"

</sarcasm>