Four die when US copter crashes in Kuwait

WASHINGTON - A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed near Kuwait City during a training exercise last night, killing all four crew members.

The United States Central Command said the helicopter crashed about 50km northwest of Kuwait City and the cause was being studied.

Tens of thousands of US soldiers are massed in Kuwait as part of a military buildup in the Gulf region ahead of a possible US-led war against Iraq.

The Kuwait Interior Ministry says three Kuwaitis have been arrested on suspicion of planning terrorist attacks on US forces. The three men were found in possession of weapons and ammunition.

The ministry did not say when the men were arrested or if they have been charged.

The arrests follow a series of attacks on American soldiers and civilians in Kuwait and come as US military forces mass here.

On January 21, Islamic extremists were blamed for killing a San Diego computer contractor and injuring another close to Camp Doha, where US forces are based.

A Kuwaiti policeman is facing trial charged with shooting and seriously wounding two US soldiers on November 21 after allegedly stopping their car on a highway.

In October, Muslim fundamentalists killed one US Marine and injured another on a Kuwaiti island. Other Marines killed the gunmen, who were religious extremists.

Roughly 6000 US Marines who had been sailing for 36 straight days arrived in Kuwait yesterday, bringing the Marine force there to nearly full strength.

Scores of troops from Regimental Combat Team 1 of the 1st Marine Division were flown by helicopter for 40 minutes from the seven amphibious ships that carried them from Camp Pendleton in California to the Kuwaiti desert where they will set up camp.

The remainder will be ferried to the desert over the next few days.

"We're at the latter end of the flow [of incoming Marines] right now," said Captain Joe Plenzler. "We're pretty much done."

The arrivals came five days after another contingent of seven amphibious ships from Camp Lejeune in North Carolina arrived in Kuwait.

That group, Task Force Tarawa, is made up of units from the 2nd Marine Division and includes mechanised infantry.

More than 150,000 US troops have been deployed in the Gulf. US President George W. Bush has threatened to use force to ensure Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein gives up prohibited weapons.

- REUTERS