Quote:
A US armoured vehicle caught fire and its four crew members were evacuated with minor injuries.
An American helicopter gunship opened fire with missiles and machine-guns at a crowd swarming around the vehicle who were cheering and throwing stones.
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I assume you've seen or read Blackhawk Down, in it (in Somalia) a similar situation occured a downed military vehicle (in that case a Blackhawk Helicopter) was disabled, and the crew and soldiers within were slaughtered, dismembered and dragged through the streets as a "celebration". (with the exception on one pilot who was taken captive, and later released; CW3 (maybe CW4) Durant IIRC)
There is a procedure for destroying sensitive equipment to keep it from falling into foreign hands, but if the vehicle was on fire as described then time was likely not avaiable to follow procedure. I'd rather see a dead mob than let soldiers of any nationality get torn apart by a mob hiding behind women and children in an attempt to use political correctness as a weapon against US sensitivities to such things.