A VIDEO showing a masked militant firing the missile that hit a DHL civilian cargo jet over Baghdad, setting its engine ablaze in
the first successful hit on a plane of the seven-month-old
insurgency, has been delivered to a French journalist.
The shoulder-launched missile is seen shooting up into the sky
after being fired by one of the cell and then homing in on the
Airbus-300 freighter.
The vapour trail makes a sharp U-turn as the missile homes in on
the infra-red or radio signals from the scheduled Baghdad to Dubai
courier flight.
The militants are then seen making their get-away in a car. The
11th militant who presumably shot the footage films his own lap in
his haste to get into the vehicle.
After a break, the video resumes with footage of the stricken
airliner diving back down to Baghdad airport, in clearly amateur
footage shot through electricity lines.
The men, clad in flowing black abayas or camouflage fatigues,
carry rocket-propelled grenade launchers or Kalashnikovs as well as
two portable missile launchers.
Only one missile is seen fired.
Before the firing, a US army helicopter is seen hovering in the
middle distance, but the militants have clearly chosen their target
and leave the military aircraft alone.
Tall grass partially obstructs the view of the chopper. It is
unclear whether it is the undergrowth that prevents the soldiers
aboard from spotting the militants, or the
three cars they have parked on a dusty path, as they ready
their strike.
The missile launcher is an SA-14 Gremlin, not an SA-7 Grail as
initially reported by the US military.
Both are made by Russian firm Strela but the Gremlin is heavier,
weighing in at 16kg, compared with the 9.15kg of the Grail.
The SA-14 has a range of 2000m when used against an approaching
jet, although this is extended to 4500m when used against a
helicopter or propeller-driven aircraft.
Ms Daniel said the video had been left at her hotel Sunday. She
said had no idea why she had been chosen among the hundreds of other
journalists covering the
persistent insurgency that has dogged the US-led occupation.
"I have been working on a feature on the various resistance
groups for several weeks. I've no idea who these people are who
carried out this attack but maybe they had heard of me through the
others I have met while researching my piece," she said.
