Posted on 03/04/2002 4:12:08 AM PST by RCW2001
MSNBC reporting unknown casualties, CNN reporting multiple casualties... Developing...
But tell that to the left wing politicians come election time. They cut throats when they think there's a chance they may be out of power.
I don't think this is this newbie's first go-round at FR. The only thing left is to figure out what screenname he used before he was banned.
Not exactly true. Chinooks are used in deep artillery raids and the 160th (Nightstalkers) put them to good use in their ops. A good pilot can make that aircraft do amazing things, plus it is equipped with flare dispensers to throw heat-seekers off track, plus it also has other self-defense equipment. It's a good aircraft, but it also takes a good pilot.
(03-04) 05:49 PST (AP) -- The incident came as the largest coalition force assembled so far in the campaign -- some 1,500 from America, Afghanistan and at least six other nations -- engaged an estimated several hundred al-Qaida and Taliban in intense firefights backed by air strikes.
Before the downing of the helicopter, the casualty toll of the operation started Friday stood at one American and three Afghans killed and an undisclosed number injured.
That raised to 20 the number of American military personnel who have died since the campaign began. The most deadly incident came Jan. 9 when six Marines were killed in the crash of a tanker plane into a mountain in Pakistan.
In the latest fighting, U.S. Chinook helicopters were ferrying in supplies to American and other troops in the hills following the start of the coalition ground attack in the area. In addition to allied Afghan fighters and U.S. Special Forces, troops from Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany and Norway were participating.
The assault was believed to be the largest joint U.S.-Afghan military operation of the 5-month-old terrorism war. Pro-U.S. Afghan troops approached the hide-outs from three directions to isolate the fighters and prevent them from escaping.
Safi Ullah, a member of the Gardez town council, or shura, said the first stage of the offensive was designed to cut the road from Shah-e-Kot to trap al-Qaida and Taliban forces in the mountains. He said the plan also involved setting up checkpoints to prevent them from getting out.
Pakistan has closed its border with eastern Afghanistan and deployed extra army units and members of the Khasadar tribal militia to catch any who try to cross the frontier and filter into its Northwest Frontier Province.
The Afgan's CAN NOT BE TRUSTED. We were fooled once, thinking we could let them do our fighting for us and they LET Bin Ladden and Omar escape, because they were paid to do so.
We will NOT make the same mistake twice.
May God bless our troops as they gallantly fight in order to keep us safe.
Dr. S
I suppose that I'm biased in favor of the lighter Blackhawk platform. Of course, a Blackhawk can't tote around a decent-sized artillery piece, I suppose (of course, B's can haul around the small stuff).
But you're right. A good pilot can work wonders.
Chris
Can you imagine a headline like this?
Heavy Fighting on Guadalcanal
Marine Casualties Mounting; American Opinion Polls Call for Pullback and Reassessment - President Consults Senate Leader
SURMAD, Afghanistan — A U.S. Chinook troop transport helicopter was shot down by enemy fire Monday afternoon in eastern Afghanistan, incurring multiple fatalities, Pentagon sources said.
The helicopter was moving troops during the largest battle of the Afghan war, as 1,500 American, Afghan and allied Western troops continued their assault upon several hundred heavily armed Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters holed up in the caves of Paktia province.
Congressman Billybob
Yep. They did it to save us. "There is no greater love than for a man to give his life to save another."
Sadly, at Brooklyn College, the same appelation could be made...and it's not five mikes from ground zero. God Bless the fallen decendants of the Bastogne legacy and may he comfort the famlies of those who are, even now, getting the bad news.
For the rest of us, may it steel our resolve to see this through and make terrorism as dead as communism and facism before it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.