Groundhog Day again…

Sigh. And Cheney speaking about honor? He doesn’t know the meaning of the word. “Honor” isn’t making a quarter million a year while over 3,000 troops die for your profits. Or is he going to renounce his Halliburton earnings? Didn’t think so.

U.S. helicopter shot down; insurgents launch second chlorine attack – USATODAY.com

BAGHDAD (AP) — A U.S. helicopter was shot down and crashed north of Baghdad on Wednesday, the military said after initially stating that the chopper made a “hard landing.” All aboard were safely evacuated by a second helicopter.

At least seven U.S. helicopters have crashed or been forced down under hostile fire since Jan. 20. Military officials have said that militants are increasingly targeting helicopters amid the buildup of U.S. troops in Baghdad, firing simultaneously with an assortment of weapons from different directions.

The military has also detected another deadly insurgent tactic in recent weeks — the spreading of toxic chlorine gas by combining it with explosives.

In Washington, two Pentagon officials said the tactic has been used at least three times since Jan. 28, when a truck carrying explosives and a chlorine tank blew up in Anbar province west of Baghdad. More than a dozen people were reported killed.

On Tuesday, a tanker filled with chlorine exploded and noxious plumes covered homes and schools north of Baghdad. Nine people were killed and 150 people were wounded, said one of the officials. A day later, a pickup exploded near a diesel fuel station in southwestern Baghdad, the official said.

A third defense official said the U.S. has been concerned about militants’ ability to acquire weapons like chlorine bombs. But so far, the official said, bomb makers in Iraq haven’t been able to disperse a chemical such as chlorine in an effective way.

All three officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the information.

Meanwhile, Britain outlined its plan to withdraw around 1,600 troops from Iraq in the coming months and Denmark said it will withdraw its 460-member contingent by August. Lithuania also said it may pull back its 53 troops from the country.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that despite the announced withdrawals, “the coalition remains intact.” In Japan, Vice President Dick Cheney said the U.S. wants to finish its mission in Iraq, then “come home with honor.”