US helicopters fire in Baghdad, heavy clashes

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.khaleejtimes.ae/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/focusoniraq/2006/December/focusoniraq_December2.xml§ion=focusoniraq&col=

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

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.

The fighting came a day after Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki said his forces could take over from the Americans in June. His comments followed talks with US President George W. Bush, who strongly backed him as the “right guy” for Iraq.

Maliki has been under growing pressure to contain sectarian death squads roaming the capital’s streets and accused of killing hundreds of people.

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

[Botany]

1. We just keep digging are own graves.

[MrSlayer]

2. If these death squads are openly roaming the streets...

shouldn't they be fairly easy to take out?

[progressive_realist]

3. Sure.

But then we'd have to start all over with training the new Iraqi army and police.

[KoKo]

4. I wonder if Plan 3...which was to Secure Baghdad as the Final Push

is now in force in Iraq. :shrug: