Wednesday, January 26, 2005
washingtonpost.com
More Than 30 Die in Marine Copter Crash in Iraq 5 More U.S. Troops Killed in Combat as Insurgent Attacks Flare in Advance of Election
By Fred Barbash and Cameron W. BarrWashington Post Staff WriterWednesday, January 26, 2005; 10:42 AM
A U.S. Marine helicopter crash in western Iraq early this morning killed more than 30 Marines, the Associated Press reported, quoting U.S. officials. Another five troops died in combat today as violence accelerated in advance of Sunday's election.
A military statement in Iraq said a search and rescue operation was under way after a transport helicopter went down near Ar Rutbah at about 1:20 a.m. Baghdad time. There was no official announcement of the toll, but military officials said earlier that 31 Marines were killed.
The CH-53 helicopter was being flown by members of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, who were transporting personnel of the 1st Marine Division. A senior administration official told the AP there was bad weather in the desert at the time of the crash but added, "I have not heard anybody attribute a cause."
President Bush, asked at a news conference about the incident, said the Defense Department was investigating. "Obviously, any time that we lose life it is a sad moment," Bush said.
Of the five troops who died elsewhere, four were Marines who were conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Anbar Province where the city of Fallujah is located. The military provided no detail.
The fifth was a soldier in the Army's 1st Infantry Division who died near Tikrit when insurgents attacked his combat patrol with rocket-propelled grenades about 11:20 a.m. Two other soldiers were wounded in the assault, one of whom was reported in serious condition, according to the U.S. military.
Earlier in the morning, a car bomb detonated on the eastbound lane of the notoriously dangerous Baghdad airport access road, wounding four soldiers, the military said.
To the north near Kirkuk wire services reported that three car bombs exploded in quick succession in an attack on Iraqi police, killing at least nine people, including four police officers, two Iraqi soldiers and at least three civilians. At least 12 others were wounded, the local police chief told the Reuters news agency.
The election Sunday is to elect members of an assembly which will draw up a permanent constitution and set of laws for the nation.
While the leadership of Iraqi's majority Shiite Muslim community is participating in the process, offering up slates of candidates to voters, many of their Sunni Muslim counterparts are shunning it or boycotting it.
On the extreme, some Iraqis are promising more violent disruptions in an attempt to discourage voters from going to the polls on election day.
At his news conference, Bush called on Iraqis to participate but declined to predict turnout.
"We anticipate a lot of Iraqis will vote. Clearly, there are some who are intimidated," Bush said. "I urge people to vote. I urge people to defy these terrorists."
To head off intimidation of voters, U.S. and Iraqi forces have stepped up raids across the country over the past few weeks.
One joint operation conducted last night near the Al Rasoul Mosque in eastern Baghdad netted 19 suspected insurgents and various weapons, the military said. Nineteen suspects were taken into custody along with 15 AK-47 assault rifles, four 9 mm pistols and four machine guns.
Another operation this morning uncovered six unexploded roadside bombs in Baghdad, the military said. One of the devices consisted of four gas cans daisy-chained together with a timing device. Another was a 155-millimeter artillery round with wires protruding from it, the military said.
"We've been very successful finding and destroying improvised explosive devices in Baghdad, limiting the insurgent's ability to kill or injure innocent Iraqis," Maj. Philip Smith, a spokesman for the 1st Cavalry Division, said in a written statement.
In the Mosul area, joint teams have detained 314 individuals and confiscated numerous weapons and munitions in the past two weeks, the military said, promising that the operations would continue through election day.
In another security development today, the interim government announced that it would ban travel between provinces and extend the hours of curfew as part of heightened security before the weekend national elections, wire services said.
Interior Minister Falah Naqib said the curfew would be extended from 7 p.m. until 6 a.m. starting Friday evening through Monday, the day after the balloting.
During that period, only vehicles with special permits would be allowed to travel between Iraq's 18 provinces.
The government has already announced plans to close Baghdad International Airport and seal the nation's borders during the election period. Weapons will be banned, and al-Naqib announced rewards for Iraqis who turn in "terrorists."
Barr reported from Baghdad. Wire services contributed to this story.
© 2005 The Washington Post Company
More Than 30 Die in Marine Copter Crash in Iraq 5 More U.S. Troops Killed in Combat as Insurgent Attacks Flare in Advance of Election
By Fred Barbash and Cameron W. BarrWashington Post Staff WriterWednesday, January 26, 2005; 10:42 AM
A U.S. Marine helicopter crash in western Iraq early this morning killed more than 30 Marines, the Associated Press reported, quoting U.S. officials. Another five troops died in combat today as violence accelerated in advance of Sunday's election.
A military statement in Iraq said a search and rescue operation was under way after a transport helicopter went down near Ar Rutbah at about 1:20 a.m. Baghdad time. There was no official announcement of the toll, but military officials said earlier that 31 Marines were killed.
The CH-53 helicopter was being flown by members of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, who were transporting personnel of the 1st Marine Division. A senior administration official told the AP there was bad weather in the desert at the time of the crash but added, "I have not heard anybody attribute a cause."
President Bush, asked at a news conference about the incident, said the Defense Department was investigating. "Obviously, any time that we lose life it is a sad moment," Bush said.
Of the five troops who died elsewhere, four were Marines who were conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Anbar Province where the city of Fallujah is located. The military provided no detail.
The fifth was a soldier in the Army's 1st Infantry Division who died near Tikrit when insurgents attacked his combat patrol with rocket-propelled grenades about 11:20 a.m. Two other soldiers were wounded in the assault, one of whom was reported in serious condition, according to the U.S. military.
Earlier in the morning, a car bomb detonated on the eastbound lane of the notoriously dangerous Baghdad airport access road, wounding four soldiers, the military said.
To the north near Kirkuk wire services reported that three car bombs exploded in quick succession in an attack on Iraqi police, killing at least nine people, including four police officers, two Iraqi soldiers and at least three civilians. At least 12 others were wounded, the local police chief told the Reuters news agency.
The election Sunday is to elect members of an assembly which will draw up a permanent constitution and set of laws for the nation.
While the leadership of Iraqi's majority Shiite Muslim community is participating in the process, offering up slates of candidates to voters, many of their Sunni Muslim counterparts are shunning it or boycotting it.
On the extreme, some Iraqis are promising more violent disruptions in an attempt to discourage voters from going to the polls on election day.
At his news conference, Bush called on Iraqis to participate but declined to predict turnout.
"We anticipate a lot of Iraqis will vote. Clearly, there are some who are intimidated," Bush said. "I urge people to vote. I urge people to defy these terrorists."
To head off intimidation of voters, U.S. and Iraqi forces have stepped up raids across the country over the past few weeks.
One joint operation conducted last night near the Al Rasoul Mosque in eastern Baghdad netted 19 suspected insurgents and various weapons, the military said. Nineteen suspects were taken into custody along with 15 AK-47 assault rifles, four 9 mm pistols and four machine guns.
Another operation this morning uncovered six unexploded roadside bombs in Baghdad, the military said. One of the devices consisted of four gas cans daisy-chained together with a timing device. Another was a 155-millimeter artillery round with wires protruding from it, the military said.
"We've been very successful finding and destroying improvised explosive devices in Baghdad, limiting the insurgent's ability to kill or injure innocent Iraqis," Maj. Philip Smith, a spokesman for the 1st Cavalry Division, said in a written statement.
In the Mosul area, joint teams have detained 314 individuals and confiscated numerous weapons and munitions in the past two weeks, the military said, promising that the operations would continue through election day.
In another security development today, the interim government announced that it would ban travel between provinces and extend the hours of curfew as part of heightened security before the weekend national elections, wire services said.
Interior Minister Falah Naqib said the curfew would be extended from 7 p.m. until 6 a.m. starting Friday evening through Monday, the day after the balloting.
During that period, only vehicles with special permits would be allowed to travel between Iraq's 18 provinces.
The government has already announced plans to close Baghdad International Airport and seal the nation's borders during the election period. Weapons will be banned, and al-Naqib announced rewards for Iraqis who turn in "terrorists."
Barr reported from Baghdad. Wire services contributed to this story.
© 2005 The Washington Post Company
