Deja Vu?

I recall a helicopter crashing after hitting a military transport plane in Iran in 1980. Many people saw it as a turning point in Carter's presidency, supposedly reflecting a lack of competence and deepening the sense of American frustration over the Iran hostage crisis. What will the tipping point be in Iraq?

MOSUL, Iraq (AP) - Two Black Hawk helicopters collided and crashed Saturday night, killing 17 American soldiers in the U.S. military's worst single loss of life since the Iraq war began.

Five soldiers were injured and one was missing, the military said. One helicopter smashed into the roof of a house, witnesses said, and there were reports one of the aircraft was shot down.

As the U.S. death toll in Iraq passed the 400 mark, the Iraqi Governing Council endorsed a U.S. plan Saturday that would create a provisional government by June. The transfer of power would provide Washington with an "exit strategy" in the face of escalating guerrilla warfare.