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January 26, 2007

Autopsy Confirms Downed Blackwater Helicopter Crews In Iraq Were Not Killed By 'Shot To The Head'

Topics: Iraq

On January 24 Rusty Schackleford at Jawa Report offered up an informative post on the downing of a Blackwater, USA helicopter. At the time, Rusty posted the "then known" information that four of the five men on the plane were murdered, shot execution style in the back of the heads.

We offer the following updated information, obtained from what we believe to be a very reliable source in Iraq:

1. Two "Little Birds flew into what was described as a "hailstorm" of fire in response to a call for help from a "venue" team. The first bird went down in an open area, repaired itself, then was able to return to base to the hospital and for a quick change of rotors - 1 person was shot and died later.

2. The second bird came in, received extremely heavy fire, and crashed into a house located in the middle of the action. Autopsy shows that three of the four personnel in the second bird died on impact. The men were NOT stripped of their clothes, but their gear had been taken. Autopsy showed that they had been shot in the head AFTER death.

3. The recovery teams sent to the assistance of the venue team and to find the downed bird "fought for hours" returning to base only to get more ammunition. The action was described as just like in Blackhawk Down, being fired on from every door, window, and rooftop from street to street. None of the recovery team members were wounded, although their vehicles were "shot to hell," some with shot out tires, and bullet holes where men should have been killed but weren't.

4. The fourth man to die in the second bird survived the hard landing, and fought to the death.

5. The venue team that had called for help, the responding birds, and the responding Tactical Support Teams, "happened" to have been caught between al-Sadr forces and Sunnis. The original action was not (believed to be) initially directed at the Blackwater teams.

No further information is available for release at this time.

Update: We're trying to get more confirmation on the autopsy info and will try to have more than just a verbal sometime tomorrow.

Posted by Richard at January 26, 2007 8:48 PM

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