January 18, 2006

Iraq Chopper Video


(google vid copy added below)

Several choppers have been shot down in Iraq of late. Infovlad has the new video of a chopper being shot down released by the terrorists. There are conflicting reports as to how these choppers go down. Mujahedin Army and Salahudin al-Ayoubi Brigade have both claimed responsibility. The Mujahedin Army released the video. The enemy can be heard in the background repeating “God is Great� in Arabic.

NPR’s ATC : Three helicopters operated by the U.S. military have gone down in Iraq in the past 10 days, resulting in 16 deaths. Some experts believe insurgents are using a new weapon: an airborne cousin of the roadside bombs used to blow up trucks and tanks.
So that would lead you to believe that some or all of the shoot downs are dumb luck. However after viewing the new video on infovlad the AP version reported in the Indy Star seems accurate.
AP Via Indy Star : Ashid Khalifa, 27, who has a food and drink stand in the area, said he saw the attack. "I saw the smoke trail left by the missile," he said. "I heard a hissing sound, looked around and saw the helicopter losing control before crashing down."

The U.S. command questioned the credibility of a video purportedly showing an attack on a helicopter that was posted on the Internet by one of the militant groups, the Mujahedeen Army.

This is being questioned by the US Military.
"A review of the footage on television of a missile being fired does not appear to show this incident today, which remains under investigation," said Lt. Col. Barry Johnson, a U.S. spokesman.

"This appears to be another case of terrorists attempting to manipulate a tragic incident," he added.

Well maybe there is some sort of primitive roadside bomb but the video does match the description of the AP’s witness. This suggests that the enemy does have at least some rocket fired missiles. If this is the actual video this device traveled quite a bit more than the “couple hundred feet� reported in the NPR story.

Updated: ABCNEWS : Reports this was a Russian missile..

Pentagon officials tell ABC News they believe Iraqi insurgents used a Russian-made SA-7 surface-to-air missile to shoot down a U.S. military helicopter on Monday... ...It's a troubling new development because there are hundreds — and by some estimates thousands — of SA-7 missiles that are unaccounted for in Iraq... ...The weapons had been part of Saddam Hussein's arsenal, much of which was looted after the invasion. But until now, insurgents had never successfully used them against an American aircraft.

Updated 020807: Copy of original video added to Google vid.

Also posted at Howie's Moisture Farm

By Howie at 10:12 AM | |