12 Killed In U.S. Helicopter Crash

8 Britons, 4 Americans On Board; Saddam's Fate Still Uncertain

(CBS)  Coalition forces suffered their first casualties when a Marine helicopter crashed in Kuwait, killing eight Britons and four Americans on board.

There were no survivors.

Military officials said the crash of the CH-46 Sea Knight occurred Friday morning about nine miles from the Iraqi border. The cause of the crash was under investigation, but officials said hostile fire had not been reported in the area.

The CH-46 – a bus-like helicopter with two large rotors – was assigned to the First Marine Expeditionary Force.

On the second day of the U.S.-led military campaign, American forces again fired missiles into Baghdad and ground troops crossed into Iraq from Kuwait.

Meanwhile, Saddam Hussein's fate remained uncertain. U.S. intelligence officials believe Saddam – and perhaps one or both of his powerful sons – was inside a leadership bunker in Baghdad struck on the first day of the war by U.S. missiles and bombs. The officials were uncertain if Saddam was killed or injured or escaped the attack. Saddam -- or a double -- has appeared on Iraqi television twice since the bunker attack.

If Saddam is still alive, intelligence officials say he no longer seems to be in iron-fisted control of his regime, which will make it easier for other senior leaders to surrender, reports CBS News National Security Correspondent David Martin.

In other major developments:

Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld said U.S. officials were communicating with Iraqis to surrender or attempt a coup that might topple Saddam's regime without a full-scale U.S. invasion.

The Bush administration said it was seizing $1.74 billion in Iraqi assets already frozen in the United States. It also called for the expulsion of Iraqi diplomats by all countries.

Prime Minister Tony Blair said in a televised address that British forces have joined the war in Iraq "from air, land and sea."

Iraq retaliated for the initial U.S. attacks, firing missiles at U.S. troop positions in Kuwait. Troops donned gas masks several times.

Refugees trickled across Iraq's borders Thursday, but there was no large-scale exodus.

The Turkish parliament approved a plan to let U.S. warplanes fly over Turkey in the war against Iraq. The measure falls short of Washington's initial request to base 62,000 troops in the country.

In an opening to ground action, U.S. and British Marines entered southern Iraq Thursday and the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division attacked Iraqi troops with howitzers and multiple launch rocket systems, firing more than 100 shells.

British tanks, under cover from American artillery, were advancing quickly early Friday toward Basra, Iraq's second largest city and a major oil center, reports CBS News Correspondent Scott Pelley. There was little resistance from Iraqi forces.

But the massive "shock and awe" bombing phase of the war that’s been expected still had not begun.

Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld hinted that talks with Iraqi military elements, including some in the elite Republican Guard, might have been behind a delayed start to the planned aerial assault.

He said there would be "no need for a broader conflict" if Iraqi leaders surrender.

For the second straight night, U.S. forces launched precision strikes on Iraq's capital Thursday, leaving its ministry of planning in flames.

This time, officials said the targets included facilities of the Special Republican Guard and the Special Security Organization. The organization, run by Saddam's younger son, Qusai, oversees most security and intelligence activities in Iraq. One of Saddam's main presidential palaces was also targeted.

Red and white anti-aircraft tracers lit the night sky and a huge plume of smoke rose from the west bank of the Tigris River in central Baghdad.

Officials said Thursday's strikes involved a smaller number of Tomahawks than Wednesday's opening volley, which numbered approximately 40. The Red Cross confirmed one person was killed and 14 injured in the initial U.S. attack.

Iraq sent missiles toward Kuwait in retaliation for the pre-dawn attack against Saddam, and American officials said the Iraqis had set fire to some of their own oil wells.

The Iraqi missiles landed harmlessly in the Kuwaiti desert. Officials said none of the Iraqi missiles caused injuries, and one was intercepted by a Patriot missile. American and British troops – and reporters – donned protective gear, but there was no evidence the missiles carried chemical or biological weapons.

The Kuwaiti Defense Ministry said two of the six Iraqi missiles fired were Scuds. If true, that would have political implications: Iraq is not supposed to have Scuds, and if it had them it would strengthen the U.S. case for war to disarm Saddam.

In his first public appearance since the war began, President Bush did not assess the results nor did he take questions about the whereabouts of Saddam.

"There's no question we've sent the finest of our citizens into harm's way," he said. "They performed with great skill and great bravery."

Behind the scenes, White House officials said early reports from the battlefield were encouraging, raising hopes that senior Iraqi leaders may have been captured or killed, perhaps even Saddam.

"Things are going very well," said Rumsfeld.

In an unusual diplomatic move, the Bush administration called Thursday for the expulsion of Iraqi diplomats by all countries that recognize and deal with the government in Baghdad.

The administration also said it was seizing $1.74 billion in Iraqi assets already frozen in the United States, saying it will use the money for humanitarian purposes in Iraq.

Around the world, reactions to the start of military action varied dramatically. Both Russia and China demanded an immediate halt to the hostilities. Support for Washington came from allies Britain and Japan, among others.

The onset of war sparked anti-war demonstrations across America – more than 1,000 were arrested in San Francisco – and at U.S. embassies around the world. The State Department warned U.S. citizens abroad of an increased danger of terrorism.


©MMIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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