U.S. airstrike kills 5 Kurdish allies in Iraq; "Not a good sign for Bush's New Way Forward"

[Bluebear]

BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. helicopters targeting insurgents mistakenly killed at least five allied Kurdish militiamen in the northern city of Mosul early Friday. The military also reported three more American soldiers killed in combat, pushing the U.S. death toll to 33 in the first eight days of the month.

Officials said the Kurds were killed about midnight as they guarded a branch of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, a political party led by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, a key supporter of U.S. efforts in
Iraq.

The U.S. military said the strike was launched after American ground forces spotted armed men in a bunker near a building they thought was being used to make bombs for al-Qaida in Iraq. The troops called out in Arabic and Kurdish telling the men to put down their weapons and also fired warning shots before the helicopters opened fire, the military said...

Kurdish lawmaker Mahmoud Othman denounced the airstrike. "This is not a good sign for the new security plan that they (U.S. forces) have started," he said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070209/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

[PLF]

1. at the rate stated I calculate the monthly death toll for U.S. forces to

be over 120 this month.

If the kurds start shooting at us that number will go up accordingly.

Our relationship with the Kurds is one of convenience at best.

[scarface2004]

2. american ground forces are pathetic!

thought they were al kayda???!!!

[ScreamingMeemie]

3. Seriously, I've gotten to the point of what's it going to take.

I just sent off a ton of angry emails to my congresspeople.