Officials: Video Posted On Website 'Very Convincing'

ANN REALTIME REPORTING 02.13.07 08:30 EST: A video posted last Friday on a web forum popular with Islamic militants depicting the downing of a helicopter by a missile likely holds the clues to the fate of a US CH-46 Sea Knight (file photo below). The helicopter crashed last week claiming the lives of all seven aboard.

The group claiming responsibility for the video calls itself the Islamic State in Iraq, an umbrella group of insurgent groups in the country including al-Qaida.

At a news conference Monday US Lieutenant General Douglas Lute, chief operations officer for the Joint Staff said, "This enemy is very astute in the use of the media. He has in the past had a pattern of posting things on the Web sites and claiming responsibility for attacks that did or did not occur. I'd be very cautious about drawing conclusions from things that are posted on the Internet."

Now, it appears the US military has changed its mind on that. On the strength of the video, officials told CNN it's likely the chopper was brought down by some sort of surface-to-air-missile.

Previously, military leaders in Iraq had said the helicopter experienced a mechanical failure based in part on statements from soldiers first on the crash scene.

But, further examination of the wreckage was made impossible by the soldiers who, unable to transport them back to base, destroyed the undamaged components of the chopper to deny their use by insurgents.

The jumpy, approximately two minute-long video shows what appears to be a twin-rotor helicopter resembling a Sea Knight flying overhead. A few moments into the video, an object trailing smoke and fire rapidly approaches the helicopter from below and behind.

Although the video isn't clear enough to show the object striking the aircraft, just after the object appears in view, an explosion is seen aboard the chopper, and debris is seen falling from it.

The craft continues flying for a few moments, but eventually, with a growing smoke trail, it drops behind a line of trees before bursting into flame and hitting the ground.

Tuesday, after reviewing the video, officials have told CNN they found it "very convincing," and now say the chopper -- said to be transporting medical supplies -- was likely downed by hostile fire.

This brings to six the number of helicopters -- two of them civilian craft operated by private security firms -- downed by enemy fire since January 20.

The military has said it's reviewing and modifying tactics for the use of choppers in the country.

FMI: www.pentagon.mil