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Us blackhawk down in iraq Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/10/25/sprj.irq.main/index.htmlhttp://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/10/25/sprj.irq.main/index.html
U.S. helicopter down in Iraq
Bridge reopens to commercial traffic, curfew to be lifted
(CNN) --A U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter went down east of Tikrit on Saturday evening, and the crew was fired on by attackers with rocket propelled grenades once it was on the ground, a coalition military spokesman said.
Five people were injured and evacuated safely, the spokesman said, adding that he did not know the severity of the injuries. It was not immediately known whether the troops were hurt when the helicopter went down, or in the grenade attack, he said.
The helicopter went down "due to reasons presently unknown," the spokesman said.
Earlier, three U.S. soldiers were wounded in Baghdad by an explosion that Army experts believe was caused by a mortar round. None of the wounds appeared to be life-threatening, the spokesman said.
Elsewhere in the city, coalition forces reopened a major bridge across the Tigris River to commercial traffic for the first time since the fall of Baghdad.
The bridge is one of the main routes linking the east and west sections of the city. Coalition forces closed it because they were concerned that it could be used to stage attacks on U.S. troops based nearby at Saddam Hussein's former palace.
The closed bridge caused traffic jams as vehicles had to drive around the city to get across the river.
Coalition authorities also plan to lift the curfew on the city overnight.
Deadly attacks Friday
On Friday, three U.S. soldiers were killed in separate attacks in northern Iraq, U.S. military officials said.
Attackers fired two mortar rounds into a forward operating base for the 4th Infantry Division near Samarra, Maj. Josslyn Aberle said. Two soldiers were killed and four wounded, she said. Samarra is about 60 miles (96 kilometers) north of Baghdad.
The surviving soldiers have shrapnel wounds, Aberle said.
A quick reaction force set out after the attack and found a piece of the mortar but no sign of the attackers, she said.
In western Mosul, a soldier with the 101st Airborne Division was killed Friday in a small-arms attack, according to U.S. Central Command.
With the latest deaths, 347 U.S. troops have been killed since the Iraq war began in March, including 223 in hostile fire. President Bush declared an end to major combat on May 1.
There is no reliable source for Iraqi civilian or combatant casualty figures, either during the period of major combat or after May 1. The Associated Press reported an estimated 3,240 civilian Iraqi deaths between March 20 and April 20, but the AP said that the figure was based on records of only half of Iraq's hospitals and the actual number was thought to be significantly higher.
Other developments
• The acting secretary of the Army will visit Fort Stewart on Saturday to look at the barracks that prompted soldiers -- many of whom recently returned from Iraq -- to complain of substandard living conditions and a lack of timely medical care. (Full story)
• Anti-war activists gathered Saturday at the Washington monument for a rally and march to demand that the United States pull out of Iraq. U.S. Park Police officials said they were preparing for tens of thousands of people to participate. The demonstrators plan to march past the Justice Department to protest the U.S.A. Patriot Act before walking to the White House. A similar protest is planned in San Francisco, California.
• Countries at a donors' conference for Iraq pledged at least $13 billion in grants and loans Friday to help in that nation's recovery, U.S. officials said. Officials with various donor nations and agencies estimated that the amount pledged eventually would total $14 billion to $19 billion. However, even including the $20 billion that the U.S. Congress has earmarked for reconstruction, Friday's total falls short of the more than $55 billion estimated necessary to rebuild the country. (Facts: Iraq's needs and donors) (Full story)
• The Army denied having a double standard for determining disability benefits on Friday after the family of a former prisoner of war in Iraq complained that another rescued soldier was given special treatment. (Full story)
CNN's Jane Arraf, David Ensor, Al Goodman, Sheila MacVicar, Jamie McIntyre and Harris Whitbeck contributed to this report.
Copyright 2003 CNN. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
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