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| Iraq |
| US Senators Shot at Leaving Iraq |
| 2007-08-31 |
| (CNN) -- A U.S. military plane carrying three U.S. senators and one member of the House of Representatives came under rocket fire Thursday night and had to make evasive maneuvers as it left Baghdad for Amman, Jordan. "Our plane leaving Iraq was fired upon, and it was a close call, but this is something that our men and women in combat face every day," Rep. Bud Cramer, D-Alabama, said in a statement. "The flight crew was outstanding, and I credit them for the way they handled the situation." Sens. Mel Martinez, R-Florida; Richard Shelby, R-Alabama; and James Inhofe, R-Oklahoma, were also on the flight. Three Republicans and a Blue Dog Democrat; we may have a motive. Or maybe it's just because it's an American plane. Shelby told CNN affiliate WVTM in Birmingham, Alabama, that the rockets were "near misses." "I was looking out the window, a little small window, and I saw a shell or something," Shelby said in a phone interview from Amman, where the plane landed safely. "And then I see a flare. Our plane started maneuvering and changing directions and shaking all around." The flares are part of the missile avoidance system aboard the lawmakers' C-130 aircraft. Heat from the flares distract rockets that have heat-seeking guidance systems. Where were the RPGs fired from? I didn't think those generally had the range to reach a C-130 using the twisty-turny landing and takeoff program at BIA unless the grenades were fired from inside the airport grounds. If they were, then someone let their guard down. |
| Posted by:Glenmore |
| #15 Missed, dammit. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2007-08-31 21:54 |
| #14 So how smart would it be to leave an armed terrorist state in Iraq? About as smart as allowing them to incorporate shari'a law into their constitution and just as dangerous. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-08-31 19:37 |
| #13 And then I see a flare. Our plane started maneuvering and changing directions and shaking all around Relax, it was just doing the hokey-pokey! |
| Posted by: gorb 2007-08-31 19:13 |
| #12 So how smart would it be to leave an armed terrorist state in Iraq? |
| Posted by: Ulomoth Squank7617 2007-08-31 18:44 |
| #11 Hah hah! [/Nelson Muntz] |
| Posted by: Zenster 2007-08-31 17:32 |
| #10 why do the Iraqis get to have all the fun? |
| Posted by: Spaviling Gonque2499 2007-08-31 13:12 |
| #9 "And then I see a flare. Our plane started maneuvering and changing directions and shaking all around." I hope they remembered to wear their Depends that day. |
| Posted by: xbalanke 2007-08-31 12:19 |
| #8 If Harry and Nancy were on that plane, it probably would've looked like Fourth of July on the Esplanade... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2007-08-31 11:41 |
| #7 OldSpook Whats the matter, one of them offend someone in the men's room? I hope it's the new way of outing all the fag congress-critters. AND THEN LEAVING THEM IN IRAQ. LOL! ************************** Jack is Back, so what is a "Iranian Red Dog"? anyway? /Jack don't leave your self on yer back now, LOL! |
| Posted by: Red Dawg 2007-08-31 10:47 |
| #6 The inflight meal probably posed a greater danger to the congressmen than the rockets. |
| Posted by: darrylq 2007-08-31 10:31 |
| #5 At 10k feet there wasn't much chance of an RPG hitting it. Me thinks it was something else. We are still missing a bunch of Stingers from the first Gulf war plus Iranian Red Dogs could do the math. |
| Posted by: Jack is Back! 2007-08-31 10:30 |
| #4 Andy by the way, Congresscritters, welcome to just another groundhog day for our military professionals over there. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2007-08-31 10:09 |
| #3 Mel Martinez? Borderline for being a Republican. |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2007-08-31 10:08 |
| #2 Whats the matter, one of them offend someone in the men's room? /grin-duck-and-run |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2007-08-31 10:07 |
| #1 Maybe it was put on for show. Give the bigwigs a little thrill? |
| Posted by: BrerRabbit 2007-08-31 09:30 |