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Subject: 3 or 4 helicopters down in 2 weeks - whats up?
reefdiver    2/4/2007 12:59:51 AM
3 or 4 helicopters "shot" down in 2 weeks. I've not seen any news detailing exactly what shot them down. Has anyone heard? My own off the cuff speculation would be that Iran is supplying missiles (through channels twice removed) but then I just off the cuff tend to blame them for half of whats happenng in Iraq.
 
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PaulG       2/4/2007 1:43:35 AM
I've heard it was heavy machine gun fire.
 
 
 
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FJV       2/4/2007 6:31:15 AM
Going more actively after enemies (the surge, the Iranians, some Al Sadr creeps) means that you get shot at more.




 
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HYPOCENTER    Wasn't simple gunfire, they have new weapons   2/6/2007 7:01:43 PM
A recent terrorist video (can be seen on liveleak.com) it shows one of the recent attacks that brought down a heilo. It shows them firing a SAM-like weapon. The terrorists have also said that "allah has given us new ways to bring down american heilos" which probably means its something other than gunfire.

So, someone is supplying them with new toys (I wonder who that would be -cough- IRAN -cough-).
 
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shek       2/6/2007 8:52:21 PM
 
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shek       2/6/2007 8:52:47 PM
 
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Herc the Merc    Hypo its not Iran   2/6/2007 10:21:44 PM

A recent terrorist video (can be seen on liveleak.com) it shows one of the recent attacks that brought down a heilo. It shows them firing a SAM-like weapon. The terrorists have also said that "allah has given us new ways to bring down american heilos" which probably means its something other than gunfire.

So, someone is supplying them with new toys (I wonder who that would be -cough- IRAN -cough-).

Iran is not really doing anyhting to attack US troops -its the Sunni groups who we overthrew. Actually Iran is pleased with US>
 
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HYPOCENTER    ANOTHER one got shot down today   2/7/2007 2:33:27 PM
http://www.iraqslogger.com/fullimage.php?img=GoogleEarth_Image_2_.jpg','img',625,620)">http://www.iraqslogger.com/images_full_column/GoogleEarth_Image_2_.jpg" alt="Locations of us helicopter crashes over past 18 days" valign="middle" border="1" height="490" width="525">

Now, when the terrorists have boasted that "God has granted new ways to threaten U.S. aircraft" and you see the above map.... it's clear to me that they have some sort of new SAM weapon. The only logical place that could come from is either Iran or Syria.
http://www.iraqslogger.com/fullimage.php?img=GoogleEarth_Image_2_.jpg','img',625,620)">
 
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HYPOCENTER    IRAN is behind this   2/7/2007 2:49:31 PM
by the way, this is very serious problem. It's apparent that Iran has noticed we have been using heilocoptors more and more in order to avoid IEDs. Also, the WARLOCK system has proven itself very useful. Insurgents now have to have to use physical wires just to get their roadside bombs to work, insurgents don't like this because they have to be close and sometimes the convoys spot the wires... it's not inaccurate to say that IED's are becoming less effective against US personnel than they used to.

Pretend you're IRAN, and you see that IED's are being less effective on US personnel because of 1) WARLOCK and 2) Bypassing convoys all together using a heilocoptor. The next logical step is to smuggle as MANY SAM systems into the country as possible. It doesn't matter who gets them, because the objective is to kill US personnel and cause havoc within the country. Iran is behind this one.

 
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Herc the Merc    Hypo--u have some sources??   2/7/2007 2:52:10 PM
I could be wrong, but I would be very very surprised. Why face the wrath of the USN a stones throw away from their favorite golf course--we could put some divots in Ayatlooahs greens.
 
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Plutarch       2/7/2007 3:04:14 PM
It's possible that the insurgents have new SAM weapons, or we are changing tactics to gear up for the surge (being more aggressive etc.) or the insurgents have changed their tactics.
 
The number of US helicopters lost in Iraq stands at 58 now according to Brookings (57 + the 1 today) in four yearrs
 
Compare that with the Soviet losses in Afghanistan: 333 helicopters in 12 years.
 
The mujhadeen in Afghanistan used the Stinger missile, but the Stinger is also part of Iran's inventory as well as other SAMs.  If Iran were giving the insurgents SAMs we would probably see a gretaer number of helicopters being shot down given the number of US helios in Iraq, and the general absence of other air traffic over Iraq.  Perhaps Iran is giving the insurgents SAMs, but I think it is too soon to jump to that conclusion just because 5 helios in 3 weeks have been shot down. 
 
 
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