Plan seen behind downings of US copters: Report

New York, Feb 18:Documents captured from Iraqi insurgents indicate some of therecent deadly attacks against U.S. helicopters stemmed from a strategicplan to down coalition aircraft, The New York Times reported in itsSunday edition.

The documents, which according to the Times were said to have beendrafted by al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, showed the militants were preparingto ''concentrate on the air force.'' The contents of the documentsseized near Baghdad were described in a US intelligence report that wasreviewed by The New York Times, and reflected the insurgents' militarypreparations from late last year, including plans for attackingaircraft using a variety of weapons, the Times said.

US officials say the attacks on coalition aircraft have beencarried out by mounting coordinated assaults with machine guns, rocketsand surface-to-air missiles.

''Attacks on coalition aircraft probably will increase ifhelicopter missions expand during the latest phase of the BaghdadSecurity Plan, or if insurgents seek to emulate their recentsuccesses,'' the newspaper quoted the intelligence report as saying.Seven helicopters have been shot down since January 20, according tothe report, more than all the coalition aircraft shot down last year.

The intelligence report supported concerns that militants hadadapted their tactics to step up attacks against helicopters, the Timessaid.

According to the intelligence report, insurgents plan theirattacks by studying flight patterns near US bases and along supplyroutes. Attackers recently used weapons, including shoulder-firedsurface-to-air missiles, heavy machine guns, rocket-propelled grenadesand unguided rockets, that cannot be diverted by the flares helicoptersdisperse to fool heat-seeking systems, the newspaper said.

The intelligence report said al Qaeda in Mesopotamia led theinsurgent group known as the Islamic State of Iraq, and had claimedresponsibility for shooting down three helicopters near Taji, Karma andin Diyala Province.

The documents did not make clear whether the new tacticsrepresented an effort by militants in those areas or a nationwidestrategy by the group, the Times said.

Reuters
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