No militiamen survived to explain why they had fired at "Friendly Aircraft". A similar incident in Pakistan in late September resulted in two Pakistani soldiers very KIA and precipitated the border crossing closing at the Khyber Pass which the Taliban exploited to destroy millions of gallons of fuel and other supplies. In that case, the two soldiers fired at the Apache helicopter to "inform the aircrew of their presence near an enemy area".

It should be noted that the Apache helicopter gunship carries a mixed load of extremely accurate and lethal weapons. Apache aircrews are the cream of the crop of Army Aviators, and ALL U.S. military aviators are trained to instinctively react with deadly force to incoming ground fire.

The incident in Khost province sparked angry protests. Hundreds of villagers shouting "Death to America" and "Long live the Taliban" carried the bodies to the provincial governor's home to protest, Youqib Khan, the deputy provincial police chief, told The Associated Press.

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Intelligence recommends increased armed-reconnaissance in Khost province. Advise all aircrew be alert for ground fire, including "friendly areas. Recommend SEAD weapons load-out (suppression of enemy air defenses).

--BT--