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I'm not going to say this is factual as of yet but if it is it's quite a stroke of luck for the Taliban.

From the AP.

‪31 American Troops Killed in Afghanistan‬‏ - YouTube

Interesting that AP is the only news agency that says anything about who might have been on the chopper.

Every one else seems to be waiting for "official report"

Here you go.

31 spec ops troops dead in Afghanistan crash - Army News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Army Times

There is also a rumor going around that the Taliban had a warning and that a Soviet Igla MANPAD was used. Another bit of info I found said the operation was complete and the chopper was taking off. It was shot down as it tried to gain altitude. People are saying an RPG can take down a chopper but it would be an incredible stroke of luck to get close enough to hit one in the air. The US troops involved apparently surprised no one on this raid and they had to deal with a prepared resistance.

If the Taliban knew they were coming who told them? I can't think of any reason we need to be there.

Americans might like to ponder on the unholy tribal glee with which they used to read of Stinger attacks by the Mujaheddin. Perhaps someone might like to differentiate such events from this.

That was all about stopping the godless commies and bringing freedom to the Afghan people if memory serves me correctly. Wasn't it about religious freedom also? :yh_rotfl

It's a pity the godless commies were stopped, they were doing a pretty good job of socializing and secularizing Afghanistan. And now the wreckers are getting wrecked by the identical same forces they unleashed: nationalist Afghans intent on liberating their country from foreign occupiers.

Bringing freedom to the Afghan people sounds a bit too dependent on who defines "freedom". I'd say having only Afghans in charge of Afghanistan's foreign and financial policy is fairly core-central to any adequate definition.

I don't think you'll get much resistance to the idea that American troops should not be in Afghanistan, Spot.

An update from CNN. I'd bet the Taliban guessed correctly on the exit route of the chopper and put some heavy weapons in its path. A heavy machine gun in the rocks will do it every time.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/0 ... index.html

This is a video of a Muslim fighter taking out a Serb chopper with a stinger. The soundtrack is quite appropriate.

‪Russian Helicopter shot down by missille‬‏ - YouTube

RPGs are meant to be used on bunkers and slow moving large targets on the ground. it's a one in a million shot to hit an aircraft with one.

Ahso!;1364130 wrote: I don't think you'll get much resistance to the idea that American troops should not be in Afghanistan, Spot.


Certainly not from me and my family. We were objecting before they started, but were told to sit down and shut up.

Ahso!;1364130 wrote: I don't think you'll get much resistance to the idea that American troops should not be in Afghanistan, Spot.


definitely not from myself and others in Canada.

Y' know I really don't feel bad that these guys died. They wanted to be there, it was their calling. We do have a volunteer military for the most part if you exclude those who are there for financial reasons. This is just a war with the purpose of preventing China and others from gaining influence in the region, to keep Americas interests and legitimacy in the region alive.

This isn't a war to protect me or the American people, it's more about politics and business interests. Why should anyone regret the deaths of people who have made such choices?

Scrat;1364218 wrote: Y' know I really don't feel bad that these guys died. They wanted to be there, it was their calling. We do have a volunteer military for the most part if you exclude those who are there for financial reasons. This is just a war with the purpose of preventing China and others from gaining influence in the region, to keep Americas interests and legitimacy in the region alive.

This isn't a war to protect me or the American people, it's more about politics and business interests. Why should anyone regret the deaths of people who have made such choices?


Well, I regret the death of everyone involved is such activities, willingly or otherwise.

I guess the best one can say is that they died doing what they wanted to do. The shame of it is that it's too bad they were convinced that fighting is what they wanted to do with their short lives.