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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Helicopter shot down in Najaf fighting |
| 2004-08-05 |
| Insurgents loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr downed a U.S. helicopter during fierce clashes Thursday in the holy city of Najaf, and the wounded crew was evacuated. The fighting in Najaf began early in the morning when al-Sadr's Mahdi Army attacked a police station on Revolution of 1920 Square with mortars, rocket-propelled grenades and Kalashnikov rifles. Najaf's governor, Adnan al-Zurufi, told the Al-Jazeera satellite channel that the U.S. Marines intervened "to help the policemen protect the police stations and the city." Al-Zurufi said armed militias attacked the police station at about 1:50 a.m. and two people had been killed so far. During the battle, a UH-1 helicopter was hit and crashed. The crew was hurt and evacuated to safety. The Najaf fighting, the fiercest in weeks, threatens a fragile cease-fire between the Mahdi Army and Iraqi and U.S. authorities. Al-Zurufi warned of "very bad consequences" if the militiamen did not disarm and leave the holy city. |
| Posted by:Paul Moloney |
| #8 Too bad we can't rig a drone controlled helo to do a flyover, take a hit, and then dive into one of their shrines. It would be a nice cause and effect lesson for the Shi'ites and place the blame squarely on Sadr. This maggot has been depleting the world's oxygen supply for waaaaay too long. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-08-05 8:52:21 PM |
| #7 smn - Why don't you go troll DUmmyLand, dickhead. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-08-05 1:39:36 PM |
| #6 "W" wants to do something about this quagmire, but he also wants to be re-elected; thus the 'hand tied' approach. We all will have to wait until the elections, when the American people will bring clarity to these issues. Until then, the Pentagon's actions are considered "expendable" in the field! |
| Posted by: smn 2004-08-05 1:27:40 PM |
| #5 Time to fry us up some taters! Enough of this shit, send in the Marines and wipe them out. We can’t let this @$$#01& continue to draw breath and hope he will play nice. He was given enough chances to disarm and live peaceable. Burn in hell tater! |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge (VRWC CA Chapter) 2004-08-05 11:14:48 AM |
| #4 i'm with you mike. This bullshit has gone on long enough. We need too stop this playing too their religion based shit of hurting their holy shrines and such.blow it up i have yet too see a middle easter n city that is not a holy site. |
| Posted by: smokeysinse 2004-08-05 10:43:44 AM |
| #3 The Najaf fighting, the fiercest in weeks, threatens a fragile cease-fire between the Mahdi Army and Iraqi and U.S. authorities. Are we back to the Fallujah definition of "cease-fire"? I find it surprising when "fierce fighting" only *threatens* a cease-fire ... I would think that would *end* a cease-fire ... |
| Posted by: ExtremeModerate 2004-08-05 10:43:25 AM |
| #2 i think thats what the "bad consequences" may involve. clashes with Mahdi army also reported in Sadr City, Amara, and Basra. Good news - Iraqi forces are fighting this time, at least in Najaf. In Sadr city only US troops reported fighting Mahdi army, and in Basra Brits. |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2004-08-05 9:46:21 AM |
| #1 Can we stop the BS and kill Tater now please? |
| Posted by: JerseyMike 2004-08-05 8:36:05 AM |
