U.S. army helicopter crashes in Iraq as troops gather in capital: Knowledge Driven Revolution

Two U.S. soldiers were missing Wednesday after an army helicopter went down west of Baghdad, as nearly 12,000 Iraqi and U.S. troops were moving into the capital in a desperate bid to stem sectarian violence that is threatening to ignite a civil war.

In Baqouba, 55 kilometres northeast of Baghdad, four people were killed and 16 wounded in a U.S. air strike late Tuesday, police said.

There was no immediate comment from U.S. officials, but a mosque and nearby houses in the city were heavily damaged in the blast.

Four U.S. service members were injured when the UH60 Blackhawk helicopter crashed Tuesday in Anbar province with six people on board during an area familiarization flight, the U.S. command said. The four injured troops were in stable condition, and it did not appear the crash was because of hostile fire, the U.S. said.

In Baghdad, a roadside bomb exploded Wednesday near a U.S. patrol in eastern Baghdad's Shiite neighbourhood of Habibiya, killing one bystander and injuring one U.S. soldier, said police Lieut. Bilal Ali.

The ongoing violence in Baghdad has prompted U.S. commanders to reinforce troop strength in the city. Over the past weeks, a force expected to number nearly 12,000 has been assembling here to try to take the streets back from Sunni and Shiite extremists.

A U.S. statement Tuesday said about 6,000 additional Iraqi troops were being sent to the Baghdad area, along with 3,500 soldiers of 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team and 2,000 troops from the U.S. 1st Armored Division, which has served as the theatre reserve force since November.

"We must dramatically reduce the level of violence in Baghdad that is fuelling sectarianism," said Maj.-Gen. J.D. Thurman, commander of the coalition forces in Baghdad, where sectarian strife between Shiites and Sunnis runs the highest.

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Campaign stepped up

"Iraqi and U.S. forces will help the citizens of Baghdad by reducing the violence that has plagued this city since the Samarra bombing," Thurman said. "Iraqi and Multinational Division-Baghdad soldiers will not fail the Iraqi people."

Much of the violence has been blamed on sectarian militias that have stepped up a campaign of tit-for-tat killings since the Feb. 22 bombing of a Shiite shrine in Samarra, 95 kilometres north of Baghdad.

Some of the reinforcements have already been seen patrolling a mostly Sunni neighbourhood in western Baghdad, scene of armed confrontations between Sunni and Shiite gunmen.

On Wednesday, gunmen on two motorcycles assassinated Col. Qassim Abdel-Qadir, the head of administration of an Iraqi army division in the southern city of Basra, said a police official who did not want to be named for security reasons.

Police also found Wednesday the bodies of three men who were shot in the head and dumped in two locations in southwestern Baghdad, said police Lieut. Maitham Abdul-Razzaq.

A police officer was killed and another wounded when they were trying to defuse a roadside bomb late Tuesday in Samarra, 95 kilometres north of Baghdad, police Capt. Laith Mohammed said.

Many of the militias responsible for sectarian violence are linked to political parties that are part of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's national unity government and they are reluctant to disband their armed wings unless others do the same.

The U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, said there were talks underway between various Sunni and Shiite groups to reach agreements and sign pledges to end sectarian fighting.

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HOME V for Vendetta - R for Reality Canadian Bird Flu Pandemic Looming ? Shill of the Week: Stephan Harper Aspartame: The Sweetest Killer Chicken Little Terrorist of the Week: Creating Fake Terrorists Shill of the Week: Paul Martin The Number 1 Reason YOU became a Slave	U.S. army helicopter crashes in Iraq as troops gather in capital AP August 11, 2006 Two U.S. soldiers were missing Wednesday after an army helicopter went down west of Baghdad, as nearly 12,000 Iraqi and U.S. troops were moving into the capital in a desperate bid to stem sectarian violence that is threatening to ignite a civil war. In Baqouba, 55 kilometres northeast of Baghdad, four people were killed and 16 wounded in a U.S. air strike late Tuesday, police said. There was no immediate comment from U.S. officials, but a mosque and nearby houses in the city were heavily damaged in the blast. Four U.S. service members were injured when the UH60 Blackhawk helicopter crashed Tuesday in Anbar province with six people on board during an area familiarization flight, the U.S. command said. The four injured troops were in stable condition, and it did not appear the crash was because of hostile fire, the U.S. said. In Baghdad, a roadside bomb exploded Wednesday near a U.S. patrol in eastern Baghdad's Shiite neighbourhood of Habibiya, killing one bystander and injuring one U.S. soldier, said police Lieut. Bilal Ali. The ongoing violence in Baghdad has prompted U.S. commanders to reinforce troop strength in the city. Over the past weeks, a force expected to number nearly 12,000 has been assembling here to try to take the streets back from Sunni and Shiite extremists. A U.S. statement Tuesday said about 6,000 additional Iraqi troops were being sent to the Baghdad area, along with 3,500 soldiers of 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team and 2,000 troops from the U.S. 1st Armored Division, which has served as the theatre reserve force since November. "We must dramatically reduce the level of violence in Baghdad that is fuelling sectarianism," said Maj.-Gen. J.D. Thurman, commander of the coalition forces in Baghdad, where sectarian strife between Shiites and Sunnis runs the highest. Read the full article here Article Continued... Campaign stepped up "Iraqi and U.S. forces will help the citizens of Baghdad by reducing the violence that has plagued this city since the Samarra bombing," Thurman said. "Iraqi and Multinational Division-Baghdad soldiers will not fail the Iraqi people." Much of the violence has been blamed on sectarian militias that have stepped up a campaign of tit-for-tat killings since the Feb. 22 bombing of a Shiite shrine in Samarra, 95 kilometres north of Baghdad. Some of the reinforcements have already been seen patrolling a mostly Sunni neighbourhood in western Baghdad, scene of armed confrontations between Sunni and Shiite gunmen. On Wednesday, gunmen on two motorcycles assassinated Col. Qassim Abdel-Qadir, the head of administration of an Iraqi army division in the southern city of Basra, said a police official who did not want to be named for security reasons. Police also found Wednesday the bodies of three men who were shot in the head and dumped in two locations in southwestern Baghdad, said police Lieut. Maitham Abdul-Razzaq. A police officer was killed and another wounded when they were trying to defuse a roadside bomb late Tuesday in Samarra, 95 kilometres north of Baghdad, police Capt. Laith Mohammed said. Many of the militias responsible for sectarian violence are linked to political parties that are part of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's national unity government and they are reluctant to disband their armed wings unless others do the same. The U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, said there were talks underway between various Sunni and Shiite groups to reach agreements and sign pledges to end sectarian fighting. Broken Link? If the link to the original article is broken or has been altered you can view the article by clicking the "Expand/Collapse" button below. About KDR \| \| Home \| \| Weekly Features Archive	Weekly Features Archive
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