Thursday, February 22, 2007
Report: Another U.S. Helicopter Shot Down In Iraq
Just one day after the U.S. military announced that a Black Hawk helicopter was shot down by insurgents north of Baghdad, Al Jazeera reports that another U.S. helicopter crashed north of Baquba City during a clash between the U.S. military and insurgents. The report, if confirmed, would make that helicopter the ninth to be either shot down or crash in Iraq since January 20.
Think about that stat for a minute. At least eight American helicopters have either been shot down or crashed in the last 34 days. If today's report is correct, the number is actually nine.
That would mean insurgents are shooting down American helicopters at the rate of one every four or so days.
That trend, if it continues unabated, doesn't bode too well for the future.
And yet the American news media is still covering the Iraq war debate in the Congress as if the preznut's surge policy is actually turning the security conditions around.
Between the increase in helicopter take-downs and the increased use of chemical bombs by the insurgency, it seems to me the insurgents have elevated their game just as the U.S. military tries to elevate its game with the troop surge.
That trend, if it continues unabated, also doesn't bode well for the future.
Think about that stat for a minute. At least eight American helicopters have either been shot down or crashed in the last 34 days. If today's report is correct, the number is actually nine.
That would mean insurgents are shooting down American helicopters at the rate of one every four or so days.
That trend, if it continues unabated, doesn't bode too well for the future.
And yet the American news media is still covering the Iraq war debate in the Congress as if the preznut's surge policy is actually turning the security conditions around.
Between the increase in helicopter take-downs and the increased use of chemical bombs by the insurgency, it seems to me the insurgents have elevated their game just as the U.S. military tries to elevate its game with the troop surge.
That trend, if it continues unabated, also doesn't bode well for the future.
