Article

2007-05-19 Iraq

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Posted by Fred 2007-05-19 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11133 views ] Top

#1 was this near or at Al Asad Air base?

Posted by Jan 2007-05-19 00:21|| 2007-05-19 00:21|| Front Page Top

#2 my bad, I have to get my bearings better

Posted by Jan 2007-05-19 01:01|| 2007-05-19 01:01|| Front Page Top

#3 Jan,

Mostly North X Shade West of Baghdad. Taji Iraq and Taji Airbase

Posted by RD">RD 2007-05-19 02:39|| 2007-05-19 02:39|| Front Page Top

#4 I'm guessing mortars or rockets, and I'm seconding someone's astute guess here yesterday about Iranian training and ordnance.

Posted by Verlaine 2007-05-19 03:41|| 2007-05-19 03:41|| Front Page Top

#5 Ah, but the Al Arab headline was Militants Down Helicopter .. implying in flight, but what they really meant was from "on the ground" to "flat down on the ground".

Spin comes to the arab news...

Posted by Bobby 2007-05-19 07:03|| 2007-05-19 07:03|| Front Page Top

#6 RD:
That map is outdated, and doesn't even show the Green Zone. Most west Tigris Sunnis have crossed, although a US Army corps is building a Sunni protection wall, West of Sadr-City. Mortar attacks are hard to prevent, unless you target the supply source, which happens to be in foreign countries.

Posted by Sneaze 2007-05-19 08:40|| 2007-05-19 08:40|| Front Page Top

#7 I'm actually suprised something like this hasn't happened sooner. We've been there 4 years. Also I notice that no soldiers were killed in the incident, which is the reason they had to throw in the "19 more deaths" part. I'm curious what kind of helicopters were destroyed though.

Posted by Charles 2007-05-19 09:06|| 2007-05-19 09:06|| Front Page Top

#8 1 destroyed, 9 damaged, smells like a Mikey post.... but it's from DarthFred. We shall see.

Posted by Shipman">Shipman 2007-05-19 10:37|| 2007-05-19 10:37|| Front Page Top

#9 RD, thanks

Snease, any 'updated' maps/links?

Posted by Jan 2007-05-19 11:27|| 2007-05-19 11:27|| Front Page Top

#10 By 'artillery' I presume they mean mortar fire. Either the nine helicopters were not severely damaged, or they were parked way too close together, or the bad guys managed to get an unusually large number of well-targeted rounds off before scooting. A lucky shot can take out one bird but not ten. And these guys have not been noted for their ability to drop one down a chimney - or even land two in the same football field. And a base of significant size would normally have counter-battery capability (wouldn't it?) that should prevent a sustained barrage.

Posted by Glenmore">Glenmore 2007-05-19 11:41|| 2007-05-19 11:41|| Front Page Top

#11 Jan, There are Russian maps that show Taji but they are even older.

Google Earth is better, and the last time I looked Taji up [1 year ago] you could see this 'mysterious' patch on one of the aviation parking areas.

;-)
I currently do not have Google Earth loaded.

Posted by RD">RD 2007-05-19 15:35|| 2007-05-19 15:35|| Front Page Top

#12 thanks again RD. I liked how the areas were identified as Sunni etc. A kind of road map to help me follow some of the topics here.

Posted by Jan 2007-05-19 23:11|| 2007-05-19 23:11|| Front Page Top

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