5 US helicopters crash in Iraq over two weeks

WATCH VIDEO

Source: CCTV.com | 02-08-2007 13:50

A US Sea Knight helicopter has crashed northwest of Baghdad the fifth helicopter lost in Iraq in just over two weeks.

The disturbing trend of helicopter attacks is highlighting the growing difficulties facing US troops, as they try to quell sectarian violence in the war-torn country.

Witnesses say the helicopter went down Wednesday in a field in the Sheik Amir area northwest of Baghdad. The US military believes all seven people aboard the aircraft were killed. An investigation is still underway. But the US says there are indications that the crash appears to have been related to mechanical problems.

The string of helicopter crashes is raising skepticism over the new US security mission to contain spiraling sectarian violence in Iraq. The campaign is already the third attempt to curb violence in just nine months. Some regional observers say the campaign can do little to ease the sharp hostilities between US and Iraqi troops and insurgents. But even Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki admits that the campaign has been too slow to begin. The US military says success won't come soon.

William Caldwell, major general, US military spokesman, said, "We would hope to start seeing a different stage in the near future. It's not going to be a sudden immediate thing. It's going to take time, it's going to take patience, it's not going to occur over night, but it will be a gradual effort that's underway."

Other Iraqi politicians are also calling for as much support as possible for the campaign. The Parliament speaker is warning that without cooperation, the country will have to face more troubles.

Mahmoud Al-Mashhadana, Iraqi parliament speaker, said, "This campaign is the last-ditch effort by the U.S.administration and the new Iraqi political system. If the plan fails, the Iraqi project of the US administration would fail and the whole Iraqi political project would fall to pieces."

More Iraqi troops are being deployed to join the crack-down. Many have blamed the failure of a previous offensive last summer on the inadequacy of Iraqi troops involved.

Editor:Du Xiaodan