U.S. Chopper Loaded With Troops Shotdown in E. Afghanistan

MSNBC Breaking Live

[Oldeconomybuyer]

ABC - 6+ US soldiers killed over the weekend in eastern Afghanistan IN ADDITION TO the 10+ feared dead in the Chinook helicopter...

[Oldeconomybuyer]

U.S. helicopter shot down over eastern Afghanistan; largest ground operation of war
PAULINE JELINEK, Associated Press Writer
Monday, March 4, 2002
©2002 Associated Press

URL: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2002/03/04/national0830EST0512.DTL

(03-04) 05:30 PST WASHINGTON (AP) -- An American helicopter was shot down over eastern Afghanistan, Pentagon sources said Monday, raising casualties in the largest ground operation of the 5-month-old war.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

(03-04) 05:32 PST (AP) -- The Army helicopter was taking part in an assault on suspected al-Qaida and Taliban fighters the Pentagon says were regrouping south of Gardez.

[Wolfhound1969]

I hope the people stand by our troops. This war against terrorism will cost much more than money. We will lose people in our efforts to castrate the terrorist and our solders know that more than we do.

I hate to hear when one of or people are killed, but I will support them till the end. Please pray for our troops.

[Dog Gone]

I hope we don't plan to take a single prisoner.

Eliminate them to the last man.

[Quilla]

Could you please tell that to Tom Daschle?

I'm saying prayers as we speak for all our servicemen and their families.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

U.S. helicopter with troops downed
Sources tell NBC that several soldiers have been killed
The U.S. assault around Gardez, Afghanistan, includes the use of helicopters for transport and strikes.

NBC, MSNBC AND NEWS SERVICES

March 4 —  A U.S. Army helicopter loaded with combat troops was shot down early Monday in eastern Afghanistan and several soldiers have been killed in the attack, U.S. defense officials told NBC News. The sources did not have an exact number of soldiers killed or injured, but said that fewer than 10 were believed to have died, and that the helicopter was a CH-47 Chinook. The helicopter was part of the largest U.S. operation of the war, an assault on al-Qaida holdouts believed to be hunkered down in caves.

THE CH-47, which can carry up to 35 people, is the first U.S. aircraft shot down in the war against al-Qaida and Taliban fighters loyal to Osama bin Laden. The U.S.-led offensive included carpet bombing overnight and into Monday of the Shah-e-Kot mountain range of Paktia province, where Taliban and al-Qaida forces are believed to be hiding out in caves. Fierce resistance from those forces repulsed a U.S.-led offensive on Saturday, forcing Afghan and U.S. troops to withdraw close to the village of Gardez, about 95 miles from Kabul. One Afghan commander, Abdul Matin Hassan Kheil, who led 50 fighters at a front-line position, said coalition forces were dug in about one mile from al-Qaida bases in the Shah-e-Kot mountains. He estimated it would take a month to push the fighters from their mountain strongholds. Reuters cameraman Taras Protsiuk said he saw two F-16 fighters drop bombs Monday on Gardez. Villagers reported continued bombing raids and thick, black plumes of smoke could be seen above the snowcapped mountains not far from the Pakistan border. “In one minute I counted 15 bombs,” Rehmahe Shah, a security guard at the intelligence unit in the provincial capital Gardez, said Monday. Advertisement

On Sunday, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command in Tampa, Fla., said that the the U.S.-led forces were engaged in “heavy” fighting against “several hundred” opposition fighters. Maj. Ralph Mills said that as of Sunday night, U.S. jets had dropped more than 270 bombs since the start of the offensive. He said targets included troop concentrations, vehicles, mortar positions, caves and anti-aircraft sites. Mills would not estimate how much longer the fighting would go on. U.S. Chinook helicopters have been carrying ammunition and food to the troops in the hills. He said no U.S. aircraft had been shot down but some Army Apache attack helicopters had sustained damage from ground fire. None were put out of action, he said.

[Jennifer in Florida]

God Bless our soldiers. My friend's husband is part of a Chinook crew in Afghanistan right now. I've been praying every day.

[section9]

Have no fear. The American people will stand by our men. They understand, as does Bush and his staff, that there is no compromise with these terrorists. They must be exterminated. Understand what the American people know in their bones.

We already have three thousand KIA.

This is no Vietnam. This is like Iwo Jima or Okinawa, a tough battle on forbidding terrain, against a death-enamored enemy who has nowhere to go but straight to hell.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[elfman2]

"the first helicopter brought down by enemy gunfire in Afghanistan VERY doubtfull "

Sure thing newbie. Sucking up too much leftist tinfoil propaganda will do that to you. Great thread to promote that crap. Good judgement on your part! I expect you'll have a real long life here…

[elwoodp]

I'm with you, and I think the American people will stand by the President -- unless he pulls the old LBJ "limited warfare" idiocy. As Gen. MacArthur said, "In war, there is no substitute for victory." Which is why I say, pull back American troops and radiate the bastards. If they hide in the caves, keep nuking them until those caves are their graves. Period.

[goldstategop]

God bless our troops. It was inevitable some would die fighting the enemy. They gave their lives for their country and they're American heroes.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Chopper shot down, U.S. fatalities

A U.S. helicopter was brought down by enemy fire today in eastern Afghanistan, causing multiple fatalities, U.S. military sources said. The circumstances of the attack were unknown, but it occured in an area which has been under constant bombardment, as U.S., Afghan and Allied forces battle what U.S. Central Command describes as "several hundred" fighters.
DEVELOPING STORY  »

[LouD]

Eliminate them to the last man.

Instead of ferrying them to Gitmo, we ought to be giving them one-way Chinook rides to around 3000 feet or so. let them re-enact the WTC by falling to their death.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

W A S H I N G T O N, March 4 — An American helicopter was shot down over eastern Afghanistan, Pentagon sources said Monday, raising casualties in the largest ground operation of the 5-month-old war.

The Army helicopter was taking part in an assault on suspected al-Qaida and Taliban fighters the Pentagon says were regrouping south of Gardez.

It would be the first American aircraft taken down by enemy fire in the war, following accidental crashes of other craft since the anti-terror campaign opened in October.

[livius]

"I hope we don't take a single prisoner."

Agreed. I think it was a mistake to turn over the first round of prisoners. The warlords released them and they obviously ran right back out to rejoin their al Qaida buddies and strike again.

[concerned about politics]

I hope the people stand by our troops.

The hell with political correctness. It's no way to take out terrorism. These people have publically spoken out about their plans to wipe out the U.S.
Bush should go after them with everything he's got, and screw the left wing politicians and their anti-American minions.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

(03-04) 05:40 PST (AP) -- Defense officials declined to give details, indicating they were unsure whether a search-and-rescue mission for the troops had been completed.

[xzins]

My guess is that this is a Chinook out of either 10th Mountain or 101 Airborne. Why?

They have far fewer flying hours and flying experience than do the pilots of the SpecOps, 160th SOAR. I will guess that they were less experienced at flying on the deck, and that subsequently, they were flying at a higher elevation which made them a bigger target.

Since the 101st really is the helicopter division, then I'll guess it's the 101st over the 10th Mountain.

There are only 3 possibilities: 101 AirAsslt, 10th Mtn, and 160th Soar. I choose 101. I used to be in both the 101 and the 160th.