PM Maliki orders investigation into helicopter crash

[k98nights]

PM Maliki orders investigation into helicopter crash

Thursday, July 29th 2010 7:24 PM

Baghdad, July 29 (AKnews) – Iraq’s outgoing Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki ordered an urgent investigation on Thursday into a helicopter crash that occurred the day before near the southern city of Karbala, a former member of the parliamentary Security and Defense Committee told AKnews.

The military helicopter crashed on Wednesday night after facing trouble during a sand storm, killing all five passengers onboard.

"The committee will investigate if weather conditions were the main cause behind the crash,” said Adel Berwari, a former Kurdish parliamentarian in the Iraqi parliament. There are suspicions about the decision to allow the helicopter to fly at night under severe weather conditions, Berwari said.

“The committee will include investigators from the military intelligence, the air force command and Maliki’s office as the commander of armed forces.”

The helicopter was ordered to fly after pilgrims who were in Karbala for the commemoration of the birth of Shia Islam’s twelfth Imam came under the attack of Katyushas rockets. Six civilians were killed and 30 others were injured as a result of the rocket attacks.

Karbala, 108 km southwest of the capital Baghdad, is home to several holy sites to the Shia Muslims.

Rn/Ms/Sm/AKnews

http://www.aknews.co...knews/4/168908/

[Doc31]

So he wants to play nice with the Kurds ... he didn't want an investigation into the four assassination attempts of Iraqiya MP's of which two were successfull ... then again wasn't he responsible for that?

Peace

Thanks for the post

[NSDQ]

So he wants to play nice with the Kurds ... he didn't want an investigation into the four assassination attempts of Iraqiya MP's of which two were successfull ... then again wasn't he responsible for that?

Peace

Thanks for the post

As far as Maliki playing nice with the Kurds, dont see how this sarticle says that at all. The Kurds, Shia and Sunni will be involved in this investigation. They all have members of their sects in the military. This Aircraft went down and they need to know why. 100 Percent certain what happened. They have upwards of 20 more of the same aircraft and if it is a part failure, that can be corrected before more lives are lost. They also need to reveall if a lack of training for inciment weather was a factor. If that was the case, again that can be corrected. Was it shot down? Not at all IMO. Were lives lost needlessly, yes. Were these guys friends of mine, yes. Is the US airforce pushing for the investigation, yes. Is anyne making nice with Kurds, nope. They are just doing what needs to be done to protect further country men from suffering the same fate as the 5 on Wensday. Those 5 men were great people. Large hearts and had nothing but love for the USA. They will be missed for sure by many. And that mission for the "Karbala Pilgrims" had been ongoing for several days before this. Nothing new.