U.S. helicopter crash in Iraq kills 31 troopers

BAGHDAD — A U.S. helicopter crashed in a desert sandstorm in the early morning darkness yesterday, killing the 30 Marines and one Navy sailor aboard and prompting a plea by President Bush for American patience with the war effort on “a very discouraging day.”

Six other troops died in insurgent ambushes in the deadliest day for Americans since the Iraq invasion began nearly two years ago.

Only days before Iraq’s crucial elections on Sunday, Muslim terrorists set off at least eight car bombs that killed 13 persons and injured almost 40 others, including 11 Americans.

The terrorists also carried out a string of attacks nationwide against schools that will serve as voting centers.

Mr. Bush held a White House press conference as night fell in Baghdad and the day’s deaths pushed the American toll above 1,400.

“We’ll have the troop levels necessary to complete the mission. And that mission is to enable Iraq to defend herself from terrorists — homegrown or terrorists that come in from outside of the country,” the president said.

In a separate interview with the Arabic satellite news channel Al Arabiya, Mr. Bush commented on both the helicopter crash and Sunday’s election:

“Today, a tragic helicopter accident is a reminder of the risks inherent in military operations. We mourn the loss of life.

“But I am convinced we’re doing the right thing by helping Iraq become a free country, because a free Iraq will have long-term effects in the world, and it will help the people of Iraq realize their dreams and aspirations and hopes.”

The helicopter, a CH-53E Super Stallion, was carrying personnel from the 1st Marine Division on a security mission for the election, when it went down at 1:20 a.m. near the town of Rutbah, about 220 miles west of Baghdad, the military said.

The crash occurred during severe weather, but its cause was under investigation, said Army Gen. John Abizaid, chief of U.S. Central Command.

An AccuWeather map showed sandstorms yesterday in the western region of Iraq near the Jordanian border, where the crash occurred.

A search and rescue team was at the site. The victims were 30 Marines and one sailor, said Lt. Gen. John Sattler, the top Marine commander in Iraq — the most American service members to die in a single incident since the March 2003 invasion of Iraq.

The U.S. military has not seen such a high loss of life in one day in 15 years — since an explosion ripped through a gun turret on the USS Iowa during a training exercise in the Caribbean in April 1989, killing 47 sailors.

The deadliest previous incident for U.S. troops in Iraq also was a helicopter crash: a November 2004 collision of two Black Hawk helicopters that killed 17 persons.

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