US helicopter shot down in Iraq – at least 20 "casualties"

[pruner]

U.S. Helicopter Shot Down in Iraq

By REUTERS
Published: November 2, 2003

BAGHDAD, Nov.2 — A U.S. Chinook helicopter flying towards Baghdad airport was shot down on Sunday and there were at least 20 casualties, the U.S. Army said.

A military spokesman said the downed helicopter had been carrying 32 to 35 people. He said rescue teams were in the area where the helicopter came down.

<snip>

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/02/international/middleeast/02WIRE-IRAQ.html?hp

[Minstrel Boy]

1. no death count yet, just word of "20 casualties" N/T

[fabius]

2. OMG this is horrible.

Don't know what to say.

[Paschall]

3. Troops returning from R&R

:-(

[dobak]

4. damn...

Hopefully it is not as bad as it sounds....

Or, maybe the 20 casualties will only mean wounded...

damn Bush!

[tedoll78]

5. I don't know what to say.

I can only cry for their families. God, this is awful.

[Renew Deal]

6. CNN international Breaking news, 1 dead

[wtmusic]

7. My niece just went to Baghdad

She's in the Air Force, stationed at the airport. Shit like this drives me nuts

[Stone Cold]

8. this is just awful...

...I feel bad for the families of the soldiers. I don't know what else to say. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the soldiers. I blame this on Bush. The blood is on his hands.

[newyawker99]

18. Hi Stone Cold!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[pruner]

9. more info:

Residents in Falluja said two surface-to-air missiles had been fired at the helicopter and that one had hit its target.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A51557-2003Nov2?language=printer

[fizzana]

10. They must really be getting desparate now.

n/t

[ChoralScholar]

11. dear God...

can somebody just get us the hell out of Iraq?!?

We're over there just putzing around, letting people get killed, and we don't even know what a victory would look like if we attained it. Anyone remember Vietnam? 20 here, 10 there, 5 here... leads to a big black wall with 58,000 names on it.

[Mairead]

12. Vote for Dennis Kucinich. He's the only one who'll get us out

Phone him with your support.

[wtmusic]

13. DK looks better every day

it's just such a shame it has to come to this

[economic justice]

14. Unfortunately

I agree with Kucinich all most all the issues - but not this one. We cannot leave Iraq now without looking like we created CHAOS and took off! We have a responsibility to REBUILD that country as WE are the ones who destroyed it! Unfortunately, this shows Kucinich at his worst: Naivety. I love him on issues at home, but he is completely unrealistic when it comes to foreign policy.

[Mairead]

17. Possibly you misunderstand his position

Which is: turn everything over to the UN, not just the scut work (which is what Bush keeps trying to do).

That's a highly responsible idea and I can't see why it's at all naive. The really naive idea (and I'm not suggesting this is your position) is that other nations are going to sacrifice their young people to maintain Smirky McCokespoon in office.

[Mountainman]

21. We have a responsibility to REBUILD that country as WE are the ones who de

BULLSHIT!

What do you mean we whiteman?

I did not support the war and I don't now. I have no responcibility to rebuild it. Let the UN and the Iraqis make the country they want.

We have our own domestic issues to take care of.

[Rabrrrrrr]

15. It's 1 killed, 20 injured; not 20 killed

though I'm sure the casualty count will go up,a nd it's still damn terrible, but one likes to be accurate when one can so one doesn't look like a spinmeister.

And the article says we don't know if the one killed was a soldier or a passenger.

Dammit, why does this shit keep going on?

[ryharrin]

16. If I'm not mistaken, the definition of casualty

included wounded and dead. Its just that since bush has taken over, they've decided that that would just make them look bad, so now according to the bushies, casualties are only wounded. In this report though, I believe they're using the classical definition.

[nostamj]

19. update: 13 dead, 20 wounded in the heliocopter

5 others dead in separate attacks

soldiers were on their way TO R&R not from.

18 total Dead and counting (some likely to die from wounds)

"bring 'em on" george?

[nostamj]

20. BBC reporting 15 killed/20+ injured

An American military helicopter has been shot down in Iraq, leaving 15 soldiers killed and more than 20 wounded. The aircraft was one of two Chinook helicopters flying about 60 troops from a US military base to Baghdad International Airport. Caroline Hawley reports from Baghdad.

VIDEO:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/narrowband/static/audio_video/avconsole/ukfs/f_news_console.stm

[ShaneGR]

22. CNN reports 15 dead, 21 wounded

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/11/02/sprj.irq.main/index.html

(snip)

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A U.S. military transport helicopter crashed Sunday near Fallujah, Iraq, killing 15 U.S. troops and wounding 21 others, the U.S. military said.

Spokesman Col. William Darley said witnesses reported that the CH-47 Chinook had been hit by a missile, but he said the cause has not been determined.