Chinook down

[expat]

I have placed this in "General" and not "real aviation" because the story has the potential to be about more than an aircraft crash.

It will most probably, no WILL be the food of thought on every conspiricy website on the WWW, but it would appear that Seal Team Six of Bin Laden fame or members of the team have been killed in said crash/shoot down. Now some would say that ties up all loose ends in the Bin Laden story for those who believe that he is still at large or such  

Matt

[1olehippy]

HOORAY for the CIA  too bad we can't elect them

[ozzy72]

I just feel for the families who have lost loved ones in this terrible tragedy

[BigTruck]

  Some gave all.

[Webb]

[quote] Now some would say that ties up all loose ends in the Bin Laden story for those who believe that he is still at large or such

[expat]

I just feel for the families who have lost loved ones in this terrible tragedy

You are quite right, but some will always try and make a profit from such a tragedy.


[quote][quote] Now some would say that ties up all loose ends in the Bin Laden story for those who believe that he is still at large or such

[hyperpep111]

Sad . Conspiracy theorists really annoy me . But I wonder what caused the accident

Officials, witnesses and the Taliban have said the Chinook was shot down by insurgents during a combat mission.

The helicopter went down in a district of Wardak province, west of Kabul, early on Saturday.

The presence of at least 17 of the Seals has led to speculation that they were involved in a highly significant operation, such as targeting a high-ranking figure in the insurgency.

Read more (BBC  . Oh boy.

[Webb]

Airstrike Kills Taliban Militants Who Shot Down Helicopter

[quote]The commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan says an airstrike has killed the militants responsible for last week's helicopter crash that killed 38 Americans and Afghans ...

General John Allen told reporters at the Pentagon via videoconference Wednesday that a coalition air raid killed the Taliban insurgents responsible for bringing down the helicopter in Wardak.

In a separate statement, NATO said the precision airstrike Tuesday killed Taliban leader Mullah Mohibullah and the insurgent who "fired the shot associated with" the downing of the CH-47 helicopter in the Tangi Valley.

[expat]

I bet the conspiracy nuts are wetting themselves at this. The only one left alive is the guy who keeps being airbrushed out of the White House pictures, and then appears back again, Mr "Yellow Tie" 

Matt

[TacitBlue]

I've heard some people say that this was a calculated strike by the Taliban and that they did it to get the team who killed Bin Laden. My question is, how would they know who was on the helicopter? Even if they knew, then they must have known that the SEAL "Team Six" members aboard were not the same people who were involved in the Bin Laden raid. More than likely the Taliban guys pointed to the horizon ans said "Hey, here comes an American helicopter. Quick, get the rocket launcher!"

[BigTruck]

They knew the route that American choppers would take into the battle zone and out of the battle zone.  It was orchestrated so that the initial firefight would have the rangers calling in for backup (the chopper) and while the backup was helping secure the first scene, the taliban were setting up the ambush knowing that the chopper would be returning through that valley.

They had no way of knowing who was on the chopper, they just knew it was American.

[Webb]

So the US military has learned nothing since Mogadishu, 1983 (Black Hawk Down)?

Don't fly predictable routes!

Especially helicopters!

[BigTruck]

Not much choice in much of those areas of high terrain in Afghan.  Those combat loaded choppers don't fly that high, especially in high altitude terrain.  They have to utilize valleys.

[Webb]

Good strategy, then.  The same way Ho Chi Minh won his war.

What do you think they will rename Kabul - Osama bin Laden City?

[Club508]

[quote]Not much choice in much of those areas of high terrain in Afghan.