"The Decider"

A U.S. military helicopter crashed Saturday northeast of Baghdad, killing all 13 people on board, a new blow to American efforts in Iraq as U.S. and Iraqi forces prepare for a major security operation to pacify the capital and surrounding areas.




The military said the crash was under investigation. The brief U.S. statement lacked the customary comment that the aircraft was not shot down, indicating it may have come under fire by insurgents.

After several hours, reporters were finally able to reach President George Bush for a statement on these tragic events. In light of this bad news, Bush now says he is going to reconsider his recent decision to increase American troop levels in Iraq by 20,000.




Instead, he has decided to send an additional 20,013 troops.