[jimbo123]

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/special_packages/iraq/16567343.htm

U.S. helicopter shot down near Najaf
By Rich Mauer
McClatchy Newspapers
BAGHDAD, Jan. 28 - A U.S. helicopter was shot down early Sunday afternoon near the provincial capital Najaf during a pitched battle with fighters described as religious fanatics.

A McClatchy Newspapers correspondent from Najaf, Qasim Zen, observed the helicopter lose control and crash to the ground in flames after it appeared to have been struck by rocket fired from the ground. The correspondent had been observing the battle from a safe position about half a mile away from the fight in the village of al Zarga. Al Zarga is about 5 miles from Najaf and about 80 miles south of Baghdad.

No information on U.S. casualties was available. Military public affairs officials in Baghdad said Sunday afternoon they were unaware of the helicopter downing.

The correspondent observed the helicopter shot down about 1:35 p.m. Iraqi time Sunday (5:35 a.m. EST).

The battle is being fought against alleged religious fanatics. Iraqi intelligence had received several reports that this group of fighters planned to attack the religious shrine in Karbala Wednesday, the holy day of Ashura, and to kill all the clerics.

The Iraqi officials told the correspondent that the fighters, whom he described as Saddamists and Afghanis, infiltrated the area as Ashura pilgrims commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed.

The battle began with U.S. aerial bombardments Saturday night. Iraqi forces ground forces sealed off the area around 3 a.m. Sunday and begin an assault, assisted by U.S. helicopters and F-16 fighter jets. Maj. Hussain Muhammed of the Iraqi Army confimed the helicopter was down. "We do not know any other details yet, but there are flames raising," he said.

[AliVeritas]

What the hell is an alleged religious fanatic?

[cgk]

Thanks! Found this one too, with some hidden good news behind the initial report on the downed chopper!:

Also Sunday, U.S. troops captured 21 suspected terrorists including an al-Qaida courier in a series of raids in Baghdad and Sunni areas north and west of the capital, the U.S. command said. Three of the suspects were believed to have close ties to the leadership of al-Qaida in Iraq, the military said.

[bnelson44]

Going against Sadr?

[ArmstedFragg]

fighters described as religious fanatics.

As distinguished from.....?

[Billthedrill]

Thanks for posting the helicopter story - still trying to get a focus on what this is really about.

250 dead is a lot of terrorists, and my guess is that the helicopter was a trigger event for an operation against a full clan-based militia that may have been in the offing for some time. I am concerned about the sudden popularity of surface-to-air missiles. This parallels what we did against the Soviets in Afghanistan some thirty years ago now, and it would be good to know where these weapons came from. I have a very short list of suspects.

[OldArmy52]

Sounds like various clerics each have their own private, terrorist armies.

A corresponding situation would be if each major church in the USA had it's own private army, that in the best Christian traditions, murdered and tortured any and all the chruch boss had the whim to do such to.

What a hurricane of condemnation that would provoke from the MSM and the DNC.

Fortunately, the terrorist, private armies are moslem, not Christian. Thus getting a pass from the ACLU, MSM, DNC, Communist Party USA and other supporters of the enemies of civilization.