U.S.: No Enemy Fire in Afghanistan Crash

[maddezmom]

KABUL, Afghanistan - U.S. commanders on Sunday "ruled out" hostile fire as the cause of a military helicopter crash that killed 10 American soldiers during a combat operation in the rugged mountains of eastern Afghanistan.

The CH-47 Chinook crashed Friday night in a remote ravine inaccessible by road, but troops had been able to recover all the bodies, the military said

The craft was operating from a mountaintop landing zone as part of a U.S. military offensive seeking al-Qaida and Taliban militants near Afghanistan's border with Pakistan. But a U.S. military statement said that "enemy action was ruled out as a possible cause" of the crash.

Authorities said the dead were from Fort Drum, N.Y., home base of the Army's 10th Mountain Division. Their units and identities were being withheld pending notification of relatives, said Lt. Col. Paul M. Fitzpatrick, the division's chief public affairs officer.

~snip~

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060507/ap_on_re_as/afghanistan;_

So if enemy action was ruled out, what was ruled in as a possible cause?

[daleo]

1. Last year it took a week or so before they admitted it was enemy fire

"Last June, all 16 soldiers on board a Chinook died in Kunar when it was hit by a militant's rocket-propelled grenade — the deadliest attack against American forces in Afghanistan."

So, there is ample precedent that they are lying about this.

[wakeme2008]

2. Old age

Some of the Chinooks are from the Vietnam War age.

[bluestateguy]

3. becuase the Pentagon said so

and many people will just believe it. The corporate media tends to ignore stories of multiple casualties if the Pentagram, er, Pentagon, says that it was an "accident".

[WePurrsevere]

4. We're about an hour from Fort Drum & go to and/or through Watertown a few

times a year. Every where you go there are folks in uniform and I always can't help but wonder how many will live long enough to be senior citizens... now I know at least 10 more from there won't.... and my heart breaks for those loved ones they leave behind... especially any children.:(

There's a bit more here from the local news... http://news10now.com/shared/print/default.asp?ArID=65793
According to this report:

<snip>
The 10 soldiers were inside a Chinook CH-47 helicopter when, for a reason that has still not been released. The helicopter fell off the mountain-top landing zone, and rolled down the mountain, killing everyone inside.
<snip>
The soldiers were conducting operations on an isolated mountain-top landing zone in the Kunar Province of Afghanistan about 40 miles from a U.S military base.
After rolling down the mountain, it crashed into a ravine. A region so mountainous, the 40 miles takes up to a full day to get to by ground.
<snip>
"Again a training type mission, or accidental event and there again you think of all the people directly or indirectly involved from those and remember the 10 or 12 that died then. It affects hundreds. For every person that dies, dozens of people are affected," Captain John Havens added.

[sweetheart]

5. NO enemy fire in the economic crash either

Its a serious challenge to see if you can crash a bird at over twice the speed of sound...

Don't dismiss the seriousness of a bush-test-pilot.

[DavidDvorkin]

6. At least the Brits were honest about their downed helicopter

And fairly quickly, too.

[TexasLawyer]

7. In a city with lots of witnesses

deniability is pretty difficult.

[DavidDvorkin]

10. The US denies enemy fire even under those conditions

For as long as it can. We have a government of liars.

[TexasLawyer]

8. Here's a thread I started on this topic in GD

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=1127135&mesg_id=1127135

[cantstandbush]

9. So, does this mean the dead will not get KIA status?

My brother said this was the case. If an active duty soldier is killed in an "accident" not killed by the enemy, they are not eligible for KIA benefits. I don't trust my brother's knowledge on this. Anyone out there know for sure?