BREAKING: CNN confirms that a U.S. Marine helicopter made an emergency landing ..

[DemoTex]

BREAKING NEWS BANNER: CNN

CNN confirms that a U.S. Marine helicopter made an emergency landing in a lake west of Baghdad, killing one Marine and leaving three Marines missing.

http://www.cnn.com/

[leftchick]

1. AP Link....

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A Marine helicopter carrying 16 people made an emergency landing in a lake in a volatile province west of Baghdad, killing one and leaving three missing, the military said Monday.

Twelve passengers survived the crash Sunday in Anbar province, according to a statement. The military said a Marine was pulled from the water but attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful, while three other service members were listed as "duty status unknown."

The military said the incident did not appear to be due to enemy action but was still being investigated.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061204/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_helicopter_down

[Binka]

2. God Fucking NO! NO! NO!

How many more Bush? How many? :cry:

[Divernan]

3. Sounds like they were shot down; helicopters don't "land" in lakes!

This sounds like a prime example of the military categorizing an event as an "accident" to avoid recognizing the dead as having been killed in battle. First of all, what forced the helicopter down - whether over land or water? Reasonable to think it was either damaged by enemy fire, or trying to avoid enemy fire? Second, the term "emergency landing" implies the pilot still had some control of the aircraft. If that were the case, he/she wouldn't have crashed it in a lake.

Reminds me of early news out of Iraq where soldiers drowned when their vehicle was under fire and ended up tipping over into a river. The official reports listed them as dying from "accidental" drownings.

[leftchick]

4. two Aircraft downed in a week?

I imagine the SAMs are coming out in force now much like what happened in Afghanistan to the Russians. Indeed the pentagon spin on what is actually happening will escalate.

[pushycat]

9. Classifying deaths into something other than combat-related

helps keep costs down.

http://www.military.com/NewContent/0,13190,Philpott_052005,00.html


Edited to correct spelling

[Porcupine]

24. Overused gear in Iraq is failing all over....

and killing soldiers. Helicopters are hugely complicated and finicky machines and have very low tolerance for neglected maintenance cycles. Civilian helicopters in the US crash all the time due to parts failure. In Iraq such a thing will be increasingly common.

[Stella_Artois]

5. Another accident ?

Sure seems to be an accident prone place that Iraq.

Actually, mechanical failure is as likely as some form of insurgent action. You could however argue that years of uexpectedly heavy use in Iraq is wearing out equipment and making mechanical failure more common. So indirectly the insurgency is the cause.

[TheLastMohican]

6. Exactly

There is that nasty sand that cloggs all the parts, especially in such a vulnerable piece of equipment like helicopter. I don't trust the Pentagon spinners, but the mechanical failure (including helicopters) is quite high in Iraq.

[lpbk2713]

7. It could have happened due to hostile fire, or ...

it could have happened because the chopper had maintenance performed on it by Halliburton or some other RNC contributing no-bid contractor. :shrug:

[rodeodance]

8. Back in 2003, the 'insurgents' said they would say the best missles

[superconnected]

10. Helicopter crash in Iraq kills 4 Marines

Front of Yahoo now.

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A Sea Knight helicopter carrying 16 Marines went down in a lake west of the Iraqi capital in Anbar, killing four of them in the volatile province where an Air Force fighter jet crashed last week, the military said Monday.

The twin-rotor CH-46 helicopter from 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing made the emergency landing Sunday near the shore of Lake Qadisiyah "in which the pilots maintained control of the aircraft the entire time," the military said.

It said the helicopter had experienced mechanical problems and was not hit by gunfire.

Twelve passengers survived; a Marine was pulled from the water but attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful. The bodies of three missing Marines were found in a subsequent search, the military said.

More...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061204/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

[superconnected]

11. Since we hit 2900 yesterday, that puts us at 2904 military deaths

in iraq.

13 US soldier deaths for December and it's only Dec 4th.
30 US soldier deaths since Thanksgiving.

Only 70 left to die to give 100 American familys the news that their son or daughter died over the holidays this year - between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

And only 96 left to hit the 3000 dead US military soldiers, in Iraq, marker. Bush should hit it by Jan 15th. At this rate, maybe sooner.

[0007]

14. Pile 'em higher and throw the scrap airplane parts away!

Grass Bush

Pile the bodies high in Austerlitz and Waterloo Iraq
Shovel them under and let me work--
I am the grass; bush; I cover all.

And pile them high in Gettyburg Baghdad
And pile them high in Ypres and Vedum Mossoul and Al Fallaujah

Two years, ten years, and passengers ask the conductor:
What place is this?

I am the grass bush.
Let me work.

Carl Sandburg


Support the war - Donate a Son a Daughter
The GOP working for a better America
God Bless America

[daleo]

16. He maintained control, but "landed" in a lake

That seems like a strange kind of control. If he really had "control of the aircraft the entire time" he would not have "landed" in the water.

[wtmusic]

12. WAR CRIMES FOR BUSH nt

[Guaranteed]

13. No flames please, but I have to take exception to recommending threads like this.

Yes, it is important that the media get these ideas out there. It is important that Americans understand exactly what is going on in Iraq. And it is important that DUers are notified of news such as this, so it is good to get this on the "Greatest" page.

But, folks, recommending threads reporting news of our troops getting killed is really tacky. It makes me cringe.

[karlrschneider]

15. There is a small percentage of nutters who will accuse us of reveling at

troop deaths anyway...nothing will ever change that. The fact we hate every one of these losses is too complex for their addled brains; they will continue to conveniently forget we tried like hell to prevent our troops from being sent into harm's way on false pretenses. Piss on 'em - we mention
(and recommend) these reports because we DO support them, and honor their service.

[VegasWolf]

17. EXACTLY!! Well said! nt

[Pacifist Patriot]

20. Keep in mind that some of us are severely restricted with regard

to our access to DU. Often all I have time for is to browse the Greatest page every few days. I do not watch television and cannot rely on my newspaper to cover these incidents and deaths. This may be the only opportunity I have to learn of these tragic sacrifices. I'm grateful these announcements make the Greatest page or I'd have no clue what was transpiring in Afghanistan and Iraq.

[Jack Rabbit]

23. I understand your point; I'm glad you brought it up, but I don't agree

This is the LBN forum and this is latest breaking news. It is important news.

If it makes you feel any better, I cringe, too. And sometimes I wonder why some people recommend something like this. But most, I trust, are recommending it for the right reason: it's news and important news, even if it is bad news.

When Zarquawi was killed, that, too, was posted here and well discussed. I'm not going to look it up, but I suppose that received a few dozens recommendations. That was imporatnt news, too.

[TheWraith]

18. You don't make an emergency landing in a lake.

You make an emergency landing in a parking lot, or a field. When your helicopter ends up in a lake, you fucking well crashed.

[rocktivity]

19. DING DING DING! Wraith, you're our grand prize winner!

...When your helicopter ends up in a lake, you fucking well crashed.

Don't they realize how riduculous they sound when they say things like "emergency landing on a lake"--especially if there no survivors?

:headbang:
rocknation

[tom_paine]

21. God, no more tragedy. So goddamned sad.

At least if they had died FOR SOMETHING, it would still be terrible, but not so bad.

But this pointless fraud of a war drags on and on, and the soldiers keeping dying, keep becoming cripples.

Horror personified.

[BeHereNow]

22. Happy Holidays to their families from the KKKabal, eh?

WHEN are the American people going to say, "ENOUGH"
of this madness.
Oh, the suffering and pain their families must be feeling- and for WHAT?
FOR WHAT?
FOR WHAT???
Meanwhile... the Bush Twins are living it up in Argentina.
I'm sure the families who lose loved ones this holiday season
appreciate that.

BHN
:mad: :cry: :cry: