British chopper crashes in Iraq (Basra)

[muriel_volestrangler]

Local police told news agencies the aircraft had crashed into a house after being hit by a rocket.

There are no confirmed casualties, but Iraqi firefighters told Reuters news agency there were four bodies at the crash scene.
...
British troops were seen running through the streets, firing shots into the air.

The footage also showed hundreds of Iraqis near the scene of the crash waving their arms in the air and throwing stones.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4979950.stm

[maddezmom]

1. AP: British Helicopter Crashes in Iraq

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/world/3845135.html

[maddezmom]

2. BBC is running the video now

:(

[saigon68]

3. THEY DIED FOR NOTHING

Well maybe a few more Halliburton Profits?

[leftchick]

6. A LOT More....

[bennywhale]

4. poor sods

Just scene some footage of the crash site on beeb. Don't think anyone would've survived that.

[YDogg]

5. What a waste.

Thanks, bush and blair.

[sweetheart]

16. a tragic waste

hope blair apologizes to each for lying the bush junta in to iraq.

[sg_]

7. On Sky news...

they asking about the possibility of 'Iranian involvement'.

[saigon68]

8. Prelude to the Attack

[leftchick]

10. LOL!

of course they are.

[bahrbearian]

14. Fox reported that Iran sent a mob to Basra to Demonstrate

[daleo]

44. If so, it would indicate that U.S./U.K. can't actually control the borders

Not that I believe the report. Just pointing out what the logical consequence of the claim would be.

[bahrbearian]

45. Ya I was just joking ,kind of like the Dade County Mob

[daleo]

51. Good allusion

I guess it just went by me.

[Barrett808]

36. Of course, because Iraqis actually love the occupation forces...

:eyes:

[leftchick]

9. "Peaceful Basra"

remember that?

[maddezmom]

11. the footage they are running on BBC reminds me of Fallujah

tanks burning, large crowds of protestors

[leftchick]

13. If there is any retaliation in Basra by the occupiers....

all hell will break loose. The helicopers in the GZ roof tops comes to mind.

[cal04]

12. Iraqis torch British military vehicles

TWO British military tanks and a Land Rover were set on fire by angry Iraqis today as troops came to recover the crew from a British helicopter that crashed in the southern city of Basra, a correspondent reported. He said there was shooting between armed Iraqi civilians and British troops and a mob fired rockets at the military vehicles in which the three vehicles were hit. One soldier was wounded by a shrapnel, he added.


U.K. Copter Crashes in Iraq; Iraqis Cheer

A British military helicopter crashed in the southern city of Basra on Saturday, and a crowd of Iraqis cheered and threw stones at British forces who raced to the scene to seal off the area. Police Capt. Mushtaq Khazim said the helicopter crashed into a two-story house in a residential area of the city, apparently after being hit by a missile or a rocket. He said the four-member crew had died but that no Iraqis were hurt on the ground.

The British military confirmed the crash, and said that casualties had resulted, but it provided no other details.
As British forces and armored vehicles arrived at the scene, some people in the crowd threw stones, jumped up and down and raised their fists. The chaotic scene was widely shown on state-run al-Iraqiya TV.

``We can confirm that there has been a helicopter crash in Basra,'' said Scott Green, spokesman at the British military center in Basra. He said no other information was available, including the type of aircraft, the number of crew members aboard or the cause of the crash. In London, Britain's defense ministry issued a brief statement confirming the helicopter crash and saying it had caused casualties. But the ministry would provide no other details, including whether the casualties were British or Iraqi.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-5803861,00.html

[rodeodance]

15. there are casualties but Military not saying anything more.

[leftchick]

17. Three British military vehicles set on fire by angry Iraqis

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060506/wl_afp/iraqbritainmilitary_060506131936

BASRA, Iraq (AFP) - Two British military tanks and a Land Rover have been set on fire by angry Iraqis as troops came to recover the crew of a British helicopter that crashed in the southern city of Basra, an AFP correspondent reported.

Gunfire broke out between armed Iraqi civilians and British troops and a mob fired rockets at the military vehicles, he said Saturday.

Three vehicles were hit, one soldier was wounded by a shrapnel and an AFP photographer at the site was also hit in the leg by a rubber-coated bullet, he said.

A British military spokesman confirmed the clashes.

"There were clashes between our guys and the people there and one of our tanks did take a petrol bomb thrown at it, but I have no other details," he said.




TV grab from Sky News shows a British soldier standing in front of British Warrior armoured fighting vehicles set on fire following the crash of a British helicopter in central Basra. At least two British servicemen were killed when their helicopter crashed into the centre of Iraq's second city of Basra.(AFP/SkyNews)

[0007]

18. Holy living jumping fuck, this is real proof that Democracy is

on the march and all is going well in Iraq. Meanwhile back at the Ranch Negroponte has come up with a great man to replace Goss. A man name Hayden. One of Negroponte's buds.

[br />

[One Honest Guy]

19. A minor dispute.

All is good in the world. Let's talk about immigration, or birth control, or even Darfur. Yeah! That's a good one, Darfur! What about Darfur? Eh? :sarcasm:

Democrats and Republicans, a beast with two heads.

[rodeodance]

20. to say the least, the Brits are not welcome.

[0007]

21. There may be something to what you're saying?

[MattNC]

22. not a good week for tony n/t

[IndianaGreen]

23. The real headline: 4 British crewmen are killed in chopper shootdown

I notice that in this story and in another story from Afghanistan on another chopper crash, that there is a trend in the media to not put the number of casualties in the headline. It is almost as if they only want to discuss the equipment being lost rather than the lives being wasted by Bush and Blair's foolish military adventures.

[One Honest Guy]

25. People value equipment more than foot soldiers.

If 9/11 taught us anything it is exactly that. You wouldn't believe how many people I saw crying that day, for the towers. And I mean crying FOR the towers, and NOT the people in em. Twin towers going down was like a castration of a bull. Many Americans felt that day like somebody castrated em, and it wasn't because people were jumping sixty stories down with their bodies on fire. Two really, REALLY, tall buildings were demolished and taken down. Two symbols of American power. That's some powerful imagery.

[ECH1969]

24. I just heard on the news that the British Army is fighting

running gun battles with the Madhi Army in Basra. This looks very much like an organized attempt by them to kick the Brits out of Basra.

[ECH1969]

26. Sadr is sending a message to the Brtis: GET OUT

Shooting broke out between the British and armed militiamen and at least two people, one of them a child, were killed Khazim said.

Crowds chanted "we are all soldiers of al-Sayed," a reference to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, an ardent foe of the presence of U.S., British and other international troops in Iraq.

http://cbs4.com/topstories/topstories_story_126110335.html

[One Honest Guy]

28. "we are all soldiers of al-Sayed,"

Yeah, and I bet they yelled out their home addresses and full names too, right? :sarcasm:

California Chronicle: Military Admits Planting Stories In Iraq
http://www.californiachronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=4092

Military Admits Planting News in Iraq - New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/03/politics/03propaganda.html?ex=1291266000&en=893fe6c660f31a40&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

BBC News | AMERICAS | Pentagon plans propaganda war
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/1830500.stm

Pentagon quizzed on Iraq propaganda program - MSNBC -
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10272171

[ECH1969]

35. Civilians don't sport RPGs

You do know the Madhi Army basically runs Basra?

Tony knows it was likely the Madhi boys who shot down the helicoper as well. It will be interesting to see what he does as he doesn't have the support in Britian to try to fight Sadr and everyone knows it.

[One Honest Guy]

37. Civilians do in fact sport RPGs.

And have been since the invasion took place. It's just that they have been given nifty names, such as "insurgents", "terrorists", and now to quote you, "Madhi boys", as well. Everything except civilians. What do you call a person who grabs an RPG launcher, gets out of his home to shoot at a foreign tank parked on the road in front of said house?

[wherewingstakedream]

27. Bring em on cried the AWOL Chimp!

and all hell breaks loose in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our soldiers ,Iraqis and Afghanis keep dying because of this monsters greed ,hatred and insanity. When will it end?

[truthpusher]

29. Iraqis Cheer Crash of British Helicopter

http://www.nwitimes.com/articles/2006/05/06/ap/headlines/d8hebl7o0.txt



Iraqis Cheer Crash of British Helicopter

By BUSHRA JUHI

This story ran on nwitimes.com on Saturday, May 6, 2006 10:47 AM CDT

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A British military helicopter crashed in Basra on Saturday, and Iraqis hurled stones at British troops and set fire to three armored vehicles that rushed to the scene. Clashes broke out between British troops and Shiite militias, police and witnesses said.

Police Capt. Mushtaq Khazim said the helicopter was apparently shot down in a residential district. He said the four-member crew was killed, but British officials would say only that there were "casualties."

British forces backed by armored vehicles rushed to the area but were met by a hail of stones from the crowd of at least 250 people, who jumped for joy and raised their fists as a plume of thick smoke rose into the air from the crash site.

(snip)

The crowd chanted "we are all soldiers of al-Sayed," a reference to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, an ardent foe of the presence of foreign troops in Iraq.

Later the crowd scattered after hearing explosion, but groups of men set fire to tires in the streets and the situation remained tense. The chaotic scene was widely shown on Iraqi state television and on the Al-Jazeera satellite station.

(snip)

link: http://www.nwitimes.com/articles/2006/05/06/ap/headlines/d8hebl7o0.txt

[Harper_is_Bush]

30. OH YES! OH YES! NAUGHTY LITTLE BOYS, NOW YOU'RE...

gunna get it.

[Barrett808]

31. Time to go... n/t

[Radical Activist]

32. I wonder how much of the media will report this

Since they're only giving us the bad news without the "good" news, supposedly.

[IndianaGreen]

38. I think the DU mods have done us a favor in lumping all these stories

into one thread. There are at least 4 news sources, each of which with a misleading headline as to what actually happened in Basra. This is not the first time that Shias in Basra have danced in the streets as British vehicles burned with troops inside of them.

Check this related BBC story about Basra:

Basra is a 'safe zone' no more

Last Updated: Saturday, 6 May 2006, 15:55 GMT 16:55 UK

'Hearts and minds'

I had last been in Basra in March 2004 when the "battle for hearts and minds" was at its height.

Patrols in armoured Land Rovers were welcomed with waves from children and soldiers walked through market places fully armed, but wearing their soft berets.

Now they cannot go to the toilet on their bases without carrying their helmet and flak jacket.

Once seen as the "safe zone" in Iraq, violence has escalated to such a point that a US Embassy report said Basra city is as dangerous now as any of the troubled northern cities.

In April the alarming development of a suicide car bomber getting in among a British patrol outside the Shaibah base has made the use of helicopters even more pertinent.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4980686.stm

[aden_nak]

33. Well, that's not exactly rose petals, is it?

[0007]

34. junior thought he was gonna walk right in Iraq and scare 'em

and that would be that. Cheap oil and Iraq love was gonna be the outcome.

Christ this is lingering longer than WW II

[rodeodance]

49. waiting for the big Victory.

[onager]

39. Maybe something like this will work...

Our...armies do not come into your cities and lands as conquerors or enemies, but as liberators...

Your citizens have been subject to the tyranny of strangers...and your fathers and yourselves have groaned in bondage. Your sons have been carried off to wars not of your seeking, your wealth has been stripped from you by unjust men and squandered in different places...

But you, people of Baghdad...are not to understand that it is (our) wish...to impose upon you alien institutions...

Therefore I am commanded to invite you, through your Nobles and Elders and Representatives, to participate in the management of your civil affairs in collaboration with the Political Representative of Great Britain...so that you may unite with your kinsmen in the North, East, South and West, in realising the aspirations of your Race.

(signed) F.S. Maude, Lieutenant-General, Commanding the British Forces in Iraq.

March 1917

[One Honest Guy]

40. Yeah, that's it!

I bet Army's PR goons on the ground in Iraq carry printouts of that speech word by word, in arabic of course.

It probably goes something like this:

Army PR goon: Here ya go Akmaaad, read this. Now get your greasy monkey ass on the ground mother$&%$@#!

[Terran1212]

41. But they need us occupying them FOR DEMOCRACY!

It's too bad news like this pretty much only gets reported on the bbc or cbc and the American Media doesn't give two shits what the Iraqis think. Liberal media my ass.

[Hissyspit]

42. kick

[Harper_is_Bush]

43. VIDEO HERE:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1119320&mesg_id=1119320

[rodeodance]

46. AP update: Iraqis, British Troops Spar After Crash

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/iraq;_ylt=Ahrlb0x08gRLM1Bf7J2r.6.s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ--

Iraqis, British Troops Spar After Crash

By ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 7 minutes ago

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A British military helicopter apparently was hit by a missile Saturday and crashed in Basra, triggering a confrontation in which jubilant Iraqis pelted British troops with stones, hurled firebombs and shouted slogans in support of a radical Shiite Muslim cleric.


Iraqi police said four British crew members died in the crash in the southern city, and four Iraqi adults and a child were reported killed during the ensuing melee when Shiite gunmen exchanged fire with British soldiers who hurried to the scene. About 30 civilians were injured.

Reminiscent of other outbursts of Iraqis cheering the deaths of foreigners, the chaotic scene was widely shown on Iraqi state television and on the Al-Jazeera satellite station.

The violence underscored that discontent over the presence of foreign soldiers has been growing among
Iraq's majority Shiites even though they have generally steered clear of the Sunni Arab-dominated insurgency.

[rodeodance]

47. Three Polish soldiers were wounded by a bomb

Three Polish soldiers were wounded by a bomb Saturday in the mostly Shiite city of Diwaniyah. On April 27, a roadside bomb killed three Italian soldiers and one Romanian near Nasiriyah, another Shiite city in the south.

Trouble in the largely Shiite region is due in part to the growing influence of al-Sadr, who led two armed uprisings against U.S.-led forces in 2004 and who has been an outspoken critic of the U.S.-led foreign military mission.

Last September, British troops battled Shiite gunmen in Basra after two British undercover soldiers were seized by police, whose ranks have been infiltrated by Shiite militiamen. British forces staged a raid that freed the men.

Tensions boiled again in February when the London new

[rodeodance]

48. 4 brits killed and 5 Iraqi killed including one child.

[Amonester]

50. And The Hague Prison Still Awaits - eom

[tedzbear]

52. Tony's in deep doo-doo.

Better hope his new foreign secretary can dig him out.

[rodeodance]

53. AP Update: another: Iraqis Erupt After British Copter Crash

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060507/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq;_ylt=AmkgJOSU06CpKm3OqJ.ZXf6s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ--

Iraqis Erupt After British Copter Crash

By ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 28 minutes ago

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A British military helicopter apparently was hit by a missile Saturday and crashed in Basra, triggering a confrontation in which jubilant Iraqis pelted British troops with stones, hurled firebombs and shouted slogans in support of a radical Shiite Muslim cleric.


Iraqi police said four British crew members died in the crash in the southern city, and four Iraqi adults and a child were reported killed during the ensuing melee when Shiite gunmen exchanged fire with British soldiers who hurried to the scene. About 30 civilians were injured.

Reminiscent of other outbursts of Iraqis cheering the deaths of foreigners, the chaotic scene was widely shown on Iraqi state television and on the Al-Jazeera satellite station.

.......

• Police in Baghdad found the bodies of 18 Iraqi men who had been kidnapped and brutally killed by sectarian death squads. Meanwhile, seven Iraqis, including three paramilitary policemen, were kidnapped south of Baghdad.