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General: Enemy fire might have downed U.S. copter

POSTED: 3:23 p.m. EST, February 21, 2007

Story Highlights

• Enemy fire might have caused U.S. chopper's 'hard landing'

• A car bomb laced with poisonous gas killed two civilians

 

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A U.S. helicopter that had a " hard landing "

Wednesday might have been brought down by enemy fire, according to

military spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, and an insurgent group

has claimed responsibility.

 

" The indications are now that it was brought down by small-arms fire

and RPGs -- rocket-propelled grenades, " Caldwell said, noting that

these are preliminary indications.

 

The Mujahedeen Army posted a message online, saying it was responsible

for downing the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.

 

CNN cannot confirm the authenticity of the claim or its source.

 

A portion of the statement, dated Wednesday, said, " With God's

blessing, at 10 o'clock this morning, Sheik Al-Islam bin Taimiya

Brigade of the Mujahedeen Army was able to down a Black Hawk

helicopter that belongs to the crusader occupying forces in the Taji

area, north of Baghdad. "

 

The chopper went down northwest of Baghdad.

 

All nine people on board were safe.

 

This is the seventh U.S. chopper that has crashed or made a hard

landing since January 20. (Full story)

 

 

SAMVA , " cosmologer " <cosmologer wrote:

>

> 8 U.S. troops die in Afghan 'copter crash

> POSTED: 9:06 a.m. EST, February 18, 2007

>

> Story Highlights

> • Eight coalition troops killed and 14 injured in helicopter crash

> • Crew reported an engine failure before going down in southeastern

> • CH-47 helicopter was carrying 22 people at time of crash

>

>

> KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Eight coalition members were killed and 14

> others wounded when their helicopter had a " sudden, unexplained loss

> of power and control " and crashed in southeastern Afghanistan on

> Sunday, military officials said.

>

> All eight were U.S. personnel, according to news wire reports.

>

> The CH-47 Chinook was transporting 22 people, including crew, at the

> time of the crash.

>

> Rescuers found the 14 injured passengers after launching a search

> operation and transported them to the hospital.

>

> U.S. Marine Maj. William Mitchell told CNN that the severity of the

> helicopter crash was compounded by the harsh terrain.

>

> " This area of eastern Afghanistan does have some severe terrain and,

> of course, that does not help in making that controlled landing, "

> Mitchell said.

>

> " There was a catastrophic event on the ground, resulting a lot of

> injuries, and unfortunately those eight members of our team were lost

> today. "

>

> On Saturday, NATO troops in southern Afghanistan shot and killed a man

> they mistakenly thought was a suicide bomber, according to NATO's

> International Security Assistance Force.

>

> The incident occurred near Kandahar Airfield, in Kandahar province,

> and involved ISAF personnel.

>

> ISAF said a man had been running " between the vehicles of a stopped

> convoy. "

>

> ISAF troops " believing he might be a suicide bomber, attempted to stop

> him. A gunner on one of the vehicles flashed a light at the individual

> after he kept moving toward the convoy, then fired warning shots. When

> the individual failed to stop, ISAF forces fired upon him. "

>

> They later determined the man -- who died at a medical facility at

> Kandahar Airfield -- was not carrying explosives.

>

> " ISAF deeply regrets this loss of life " ISAF spokesperson Lt. Col.

> Angela Billings said in the statement.

>

> " ISAF forces attempted to warn the individual away from the convoy,

> but he did not respond. Local nationals are encouraged to keep clear

> of all convoys, whether they are moving or stopped, to avoid further

> incidents, " the statement said.

>

> On Thursday, President Bush warned that U.S. and NATO forces can

> expect a heating up of the Taliban offensive as the snow melts in the

> mountains of eastern Afghanistan.

>

> In comments to the American Enterprise Institute, Bush said " fierce

> fighting " will continue in the Afghan-Pakistani frontier region, but

> he vowed that international forces are ready.

>

> " Taliban and al Qaeda are preparing to launch new attacks, " Bush said.

> " Our strategy is not to be on the defensive but to go on the offense.

> This spring there's going to be a new offensive in Afghanistan and

> it's going to be a NATO offensive, and that's part of our strategy. "

>

> Bush described the resurgence of Taliban and their attacks in 2006 as

> the " most violent year in Afghanistan since the liberation of the

> country. "

>