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Subscribe to RSSA Syrian military helicopter that crashed near the capital Damascus on Thursday hit the tail of a commercial airliner but the 200 passengers on board escaped unharmed, according to media reports citing Syria's information ministry.
"The helicopter struck the tail of the plane ... The control tower at Damascus airport confirmed that the plane landed safely at Damascus airport and all 200 passengers are in good health," a statement published on the state news channel Suriya said, Reuters reported.
Rebel fighters in Syria claim to have seized another border crossing into Turkey, from the control of President Assad's government forces. But around the capital Damascus, the rebels are losing ground. Three southern suburbs have been retaken by the president's forces. ITV's Bill Neely reports from Damascus.
Regional television channel Al-Arabiya carried a similar report, also citing Suriya.
Reuters reported that an unidentified activist in Damascus said rebels had shot down the helicopter. However, no rebel group has claimed the attack yet.
Claims made by either side in Syria's ongoing civil war are almost impossible to verify, and it was not immediately clear if any of the reports about the helicopter were correct.
Suriya earlier told Reuters that a helicopter had crashed in the town of Douma east of the Syrian capital.
Al-Arabiya said rebel fighters seeking to overthrow President Bashar Assad have increasingly attacked planes and helicopters which the Syrian president has used to crush opposition strongholds, bringing down a helicopter on the outskirts of Damascus on Aug. 27.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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I bet the loss of one chopper can hurt the military somewhat. I am beginning to think that the reason the UN is not helping overthrow Assad is they see that lunatics have come into power in Libya and Egypt. They have evil dictators for a reason. The religious fanatics will quickly destroy any new freedom they get.
If these people are not careful someone is going to get hurt.
This is a sure sign of a deteriorating infrastructure.ie (lack of communication between Military and "civilian" entities) This could have been a much more tragic event.
What irony that the notion for Democracy is furthering Islamist ideals and philosophies in the ME. This is Democracy turned on its head. The choices the people are making in these Arab spring countries will surely not benefit their Democracy in the future.
Without rule of law being implemented or allowing a secular factors into these governments, they will surely create theocracies which will bring them right back to square one.This is the point most there are missing, because they are blinded by their religous faiths, which will keep them in a constant circle of being controlled by higher entities rather than controlling themselves, and keeping their freedom of choice,or how they want to live and worship.
He's a bad guy but less of a problem than what could follow.
I hated the headline as it was unclear whose helicopter and whose airliner were involved. I'm glad no one was killled and our particularly glad to no from the U.S. was involved.
Coral Taxi #1.2
It sounds as if you're perfectly describing the Southeast U.S. "Christians". They are definitely hellbent on destroying our democracy and replacing it with an Evangelistic or Mormon theocracy.
OBAMA/BIDEN 2012 CERTAINLY!
Here's the Call for all you Right Winger Republican War-Mongers When are we Sending Troops?
ranknfile,
Well if it's not that, it's the nut job lefties handing out billions in aid! So where is the aid for this mis-hap lefty?
I can't decide which comment is more inane: ranknfile's or CBurroughs'. They both show an amazing degree of idiocy.
So it's the Republican's fault for not sending troops, but then the Republican's are "war-mongers" if we do send troops? Sounds like the typical Liberal stance.
mhemjay,
Well, I see we just 'Can't Fix Stupid'! What Party is in office right now? What Party is Still Sending Aid to Countries that are Killing Our Troops? Thanks for playing the Game though! I'm not saying the Repub's wouldn't do the same thing but, they are not in office right now!
Not a good time to visit friends and family in Syria. I hope the rebels succeed. Only fear is, the world might get something worse.
What is worse than Asaad and his father who together are responsible for over 100,000 civilian deaths in Syria?
Please, you tell me NOW what is worse than that.
OMFG
Living in Chicago?
I will tell you what is worse than that. A radical Islamic zealot as the leader of a country with the weapons that Syria has. What will the world do when Syria,Egypt and Libya join together. The radicals in charge are still living in the 7th century and want everybody else to join them. They are very willing to die for their cause because they really think that they will be in paradise and have all the virgins they can handle. They are 100% nuts and they are savages to their core.
Don't forget Iran
Chicago t: You are absolutely right. How can anybody be worried about Al Quida or radical Islamists? What would you call a leader who is committing genocide against his own people and doing it by completely destroying his country? A moderate? A leader we can trust? A nation builder? A leader of a stable country? C'mon. The man IS a radical. He will kill eveyone and anyone before going down. Why would anybody worry about what comes after? Ask the people getting killed. The ONLY people who should worry are ASSAD' BUDDIES. THEY ARE IN BIG TROUBLE.
How about rebels using civilian neighborhoods to wage attacks then cry "foul" and point their fingers at the military when they shoot back and civilians get caught in the crossfire.
A history professor once told me "I don't support his views but when Hitler ran Germany the trains were on time."
We all want the best for these people but selfishly want what is best for our selves even more. Sad but true that keeping the old regime would be easier on all but those living there.
Your history professor was an idiot. It was Mussolini who kept the trains running on time.
"Your history professor was an idiot. It was Mussolini who kept the trains running on time."
Or so goes the trope. More accurately, see:
"The myth of Mussolini's punctual trains lives on, albeit with a different slant: rather than serving as a fictitious symbol of the benefits of fascism, it is now offered as a sardonic example that something good can result even from the worst of circumstances."
Boy listen to all the scared little girls who believed everything Bush said. ROFLMAO
Bin Laden was in his backyard picking daisies for 10 years. Yeah, how scary.
The fear that has been instilled in you ignorant people will hold you back and not allow you to live your life.
Nothing is WORSE than a DICTATOR like Asaad, everyone is entitled to Democracy and freedom EVEN if you don't like their religion.
Bigots.
To Bipolar Wookie:
Please go take your medication....you bipolars are straight up scary without it.
As for Chicago, I am priviliged to live in the 4th largest City ECONOMY in the world. One of the most beautiful cities as well.
Wouldn't trade it for the world.
commercial jet liners fly at around what 500mph? Assuming they were preparing to land, what 300?
How on earth do you get your heli that close to a speeding jetliner?
Why not just carpet bomb the country, good for the economy and no loss of American lives.
Come to think of it, we should do that to all those third world he!! holes in the middle east
What gives the US the right to interfere in ANY other country??? The US should COMPLETELY leave those people to their own devices. They have been fighting for thousands of and they will continue to fight for thousands more.
sounds like you are trying to defend Assad's right to slaughter thousands upon thousands, never again should the world allow a mass murdering dictator to slaughter tens of thousands of citizens seeking freedom, b/c the dictator is thinking only of himself, Assad will likely end up like Gadhafi or Saddam and rightly so. Walt227, genocide by a evil mass murdering dictator is the proper reason to help those seeking freedom and rights, maybe this guy here supports hitler b/c he is supporting a hitler like dictator
What? Do you insane warmongers want the U.S. in another war? Aren't you tired of the fraudulent-style BUSH/CHENEY warring mentality? Weren't the murdering of tens or hundreds of thousands of people including our own military recruits enough for you? The U.S. is already on the verge of financial collapse and you want to go to war some more? Then go over there, get on the front lines, and put your own azzes at risk--don't support the killing and maiming of our young men and women to satisfy your freaky ideals. Only an insane one would advocate "carpet bombing" peoples of this earth for whatever reason.
Did they have Cheech and Chong flying a 1964 Russian piece of crap helicopter? The war machine is rusted and old and why these insuregents will win. Like the posts above be careful what you ask for, you might the anitchrist himself........
Syrian kamikaze. What will they think of next?
Bill
Is a Syrian Kamikaze a different drink than the standard kmaikaze (vodka, triple sec & lime juice)?
If so, maybe it has something like ouzo rather than vodka? Perhaps the Syrian helo pilot was drinking both?
I thought those poor rebels were fighting with rocks and sticks? Isn't that why the bleeding hearts are calling for us to aid them? If the rebels are better armed than the government, just how exactly did that happen, hmm?
Commmonsensedude-108--- Before we do that , we should send you along with Hillary , McCain , Lieberman , Graham and all of you war monger ass holes to Syria and get the Christians Syrians and lots of good people there , what in the hell did any Syrian ever do to you or any of us American ?? our politicians keep Fing with these people lives , they killing their kids and destroying their Churches and every thing they have in Syria , and you want these people to thank you and kiss you , and now they are sending their Alqaida troops along with their Masters money ( the Saudis and Qataris ) to destroy Syria . I hope Assad and the Christians in Syria bury every SOB Alqaida and Muslims brother hood and all Hillary's and McCain and the rest of our paid off senators army of Afghans and Chechnyaand Tunisians and Libyans and Saudis send all to hell . you all want to bomb Iran and Syria and kiss the Saudis and Qataris ass's , the ones that attacked here on 9/11 . you all must be the damn traitors and you all the ones are responsible for the lose of our heroes , some body needs to look in to all these no good senators of ours .
We should stay out of this Middle East mess entirely.
Has anybody realized, Assad might be killing our future Muslim religious fanatic enemy for us.
let them kill eachother muslims against muslims, at least they cant blame us for nothing, they populate like crazy anyway, they have 10 to 20 kids per family and they teach there kids to hate all christains
that was just "plane "stupid to hit the tail of a plane with a helicopter !
joe slov Man all what I hear , let them them Muslims kill each other , Do you know how many Christians in that part of the world , where in the Hell you think Christianity came from ??? Last time I looked Chief Geronimo and the Fing Roman Emperor were not Christians , what so sad is , we are helping in killing all the Christians in that part of the world , Ask Hillary , McCain , Lieberman , Graham and Obama for that matter if they really care about all these Christians that getting murdered in Syria , Iraq , Libya and hell in Saudi too , by none other than the same people that attacked here on 9/11 , but the deference now , we are arming these thugs because our good good good friends the Saudis and Qataris ( Alqaida's Masters ) want us to . so when our heroes fall in Libya every body goes crazy and the American people raise hell , and on this site thousands of comments against these Alqaida and Muslims brother hood thugs , but they do not care if we arm them in Syria and out them in power in Libya , as long they do not bother us , we are giving them a safe way to Turkey from Yemen , so they can go kill the Christians in Syria and Fight Assad , we arm them and train them , BUT THAT'S OK THERE ??? WHAT A BUNCH OF FING HYPOCRITES .
@my turn........Easy luke! Joe was just making a broad stroke comment, he and most others on here aren't wishing christians harm.
Even if the rebels succeed, power will be filled with another islamo-fascist extremest group, high on 7th century scriptures & disguised as moderate muslims, (Libya, Egypt), in order to legitimize their principal hidden agenda to destroy the West. The current appeasing administration will buy their friendship with billions in aid & they will gladly accept! The cycle never ends!
Islam has no place in modern & forward thinking society. They do not know what to do with democracy. It's like having a bird live in a cage their whole existence, then suddenly you open the cage door. The bird doesn't leave the cage because it doesn't know how to fly!
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless and keep watch over the peace loving Mulsim peoples!
Barring that, may Iran f up with one of their nuke experiments and make them all glow in the dark!
I'm not much into mythology, but...
One thing that kind of bothers me. People seem to lump a countries people into the same bucket as a countries government. That is not quite fair. Their government is run by religious fanatics. Just imagine if the LDS ever came in control of our government. Or maybe the Scientologists or Catholics. Or even Halliburton. All it takes is enough money and time (and a cable TV channel (Hi Fox! wave wave)).
Thing is, I have absolutely no problems with the people from Iran I have met and worked with over my lifetime. Smart, hard working, loyal, fun to drink with. But then again, back home, they had no job, they couldn't drink, and it'd been a long time since they'd been laid. Irritable much? And due to western meddling, they ended up with religious fanatics assuming absolute control of their government. Yeah, there is a bit of hard feelings there on that one. They are not stupid.
It's like this latest "uprising". Percentage wise, how much of their countries?? We let that many die every day from lack of health coverage.
Guess my conclusion is... don't judge people by their governments, and don't judge governments by it's people. Separate entities.
They might not actually be in good health, but at least they are unhurt.
I'm guessing the commercial airplane must of been full of hard core Taliban jihadists.
Was that plane coming from Iran?
Did it contain 200 heavily armed soldiers?
Inquiring minds want to know...
Hey. Forget flying on anything that ends up in Syria, It's worse than Afghanistan,. You risk your like flying there. Send a message to Assad. Nobody's coming to visit anymore.
i'll let you all know up front, i did NOT read this article. but, i'll bet you anything that airliner wasn't an airbus...
you can't fly one of those things through a cirrus cloud without risking an airframe break up.
Syrian Airforce......you're doing it wrong.