Meanwhile...

While the Senate continues to squabble over a non-binding resolution that only criticizes Bush's plan to escalate the Iraq War:

An American CH-46 Sea Knight military helicopter crashed about 20 miles northwest of Baghdad on Tuesday, the American military said today. It is the fifth American helicopter to crash or be shot down in less than three weeks, and military officials have grown increasingly concerned that Iraqi insurgents have adapted their tactics to be much more effective against American aircraft.

By late afternoon in Baghdad, the military had not released any information about casualties or the cause of the crash. The helicopter — a large transport model easily distinguished by its twin rotors, one mounted near the cockpit and the other on a tall structure at the tail — can carry as many as 25 combat troops, according to GlobalSecurity.org.

New York Times

Update: Seven believed dead.