Chopper Losses Limit American Troop movement

Iraq Slogger

Iraqi Papers Saturday: Challenges to Plan Baghdad
Increasing Losses Of US Choppers Limit The Movement Of American Troops
By AMER MOHSEN  02/24/2007
Az-Zaman- Iraq
In Iraqi papers today, Az-Zaman (international) reports that American air support to the Baghdad security plan has diminished recently, due to the increased downing of US helicopters in the past weeks, which is placing added strain on the task of securing the Iraqi capital. Al-Mada reports on an American air raid in Ramadi that has left dozens of Iraqi civilians dead; and Az-Zaman (Iraq) headlines with a new U.N. financial scandal pertaining to the disbursement of “war compensation” funds following the Second Gulf War.

In the International edition of Az-Zaman, the newspaper relayed that two novel challenges are facing the troops charged with establishing order in the Iraqi capital.

On the one hand, Iraqi insurgents have been increasingly successful in shooting down US helicopters, which according to Az-Zaman’s report, hinders the efficacy of the American Army, which relies extensively on choppers to move its troops and supplies. Quoting American Military sources, Az-Zaman said that Iraqi fighters had been trying for years to perfect “ambushes” against American helicopters, but that, lately, “a cell seems to have found an effective way” to set up such ambushes. It is still unclear whether the recent rise in American air losses is due to the use of novel tactics by the Iraqi resistance, the insurgents’ obtaining advanced anti-aircraft weapons, or a mixture of both.

On the other hand, the use of trucks filled with chlorine gas and other chemicals to target the city’s neighborhoods is raising worries among the troops charged with executing the security plan. Az-Zaman quoted an American officer who said that the objective of such tactics is “to wage attacks in which the insurgents do not appear, but that are capable of inciting fear and division among Iraqis.”

In another front-page item, Az-Zaman wrote on the arrest of `Ammar al-Hakim, son of the powerful Shi`a leader `Abdul-`Aziz al-Hakim, head of the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI). According to Al-Hakim, he was arrested for 11 hours upon his return from a visit in Iran, during which time he was “roughly treated” by the American troops. Other reports said that his convoy was actually fired upon by the American Army, which led to the death and injury of some of his bodyguards, Az-Zaman said. “Security sources” told the newspaper that Al-Hakim’s cell phone will be closely examined to retrieve information on the phone calls that he may have made while in Iran.

 

Technorati tags: Iraq Civil War, Us Troops, Helicopters