Blair tribute to crash troops

Prime Minister Tony Blair paid tribute today to the eight British commandos who died when their US helicopter crashed overnight.

Speaking after a European Union summit in Brussels, Mr Blair said they were brave men who had given their lives to make British people's lives safer.

Despite the setback, British operations in Iraq appeared to be going well, said the Prime Minister, who confirmed that UK troops would be taking part in air and ground operations once more tonight.

Mr Blair said: "I would like to express my personal condolences and those of the Government to the servicemen who were killed in the helicopter crash overnight.

"These were brave men who in order to make us safer and more secure, knew the risks, faced the risks and had the courage to serve their country and the wider world.

"We owe them an enormous debt of gratitude and our thoughts and prayers are with their families."

The British commandos became the first casualties of the war in Iraq when their helicopter crashed on their way to reinforce troops taking a key town on the road to Basra.

The American Sea Knight crashed into the desert in Kuwait, close to the border town of Umm Qasr at 3am local time (midnight GMT).

It had a four-strong crew of American marines on board, and at least eight British soldiers, all of whom were killed instantly.

The wreckage is still being investigated to find the final total of British casualties.

The commandos had been heading for Al Faw, a swampy area on the crucial road to Basra when the crash occurred.

The cause of the crash is believed to be mechanical, and military officials have already ruled out the involvement of enemy fire.

Initial reports that the crew had become disorientated because of thick smoke from burning Iraqi oil wells were played down by the military, as were suggestions that sandstorms may have been a factor.

A spokesman for US Central Command said: "The names and units of the casualties will not be released until their relatives have been informed. The cause of the incident is under investigation."

The crash was the second by a military helicopter within two days, the first being a "hard landing" by an American aircraft in northern Iraq, sent in to pick up special forces.

The unit in the latest accident had been due to reinforce Royal Marines who are securing a beachhead at Al Faw and using it to storm the road to Basra. The commandos in the area are also securing oil wells to prevent them burning.

Many are being flown in from bases in Kuwait by the US marines - 600 of whom are part of the British deployment - using their Sea Knight helicopters. The 40-year-old design is the US marines' version of the Chinook, the workhorse of the British and American helicopter fleet.

The transporters are used to lift troops and supplies into combat zones, and current models have been in service for up to 25 years. The design first saw action in Vietnam and every major American military operation since then.

It is virtually identical to the British version of the Chinook, which is being used to transport Royal Marines into the combat zone around Basra today.

Although it is regarded as having a good safety record, last year the whole US fleet was grounded when cracks were found in part of the rotor mechanism on a helicopter stationedin North Carolina. One other aircraft was found to have similar cracks, but after a complete inspection the fleet was returned to service.

The casualty count could have been even higher in the crash as the Sea Knight is able to transport up to 22 fully equipped combat troops.

Operation Iraqi Freedom is likely to be the last tour of duty for the now outdated helicopters. The US Marine Corps is due to decommission much of its fleet within the next year and replace it with newly designed Nighthawk helicopters.