There has been another setback in the slow process of recovery in Iraq. A vital oil pipeline which was reopened just days ago has been blown up by Iraqi resistance fighters. The pipe, which carries oil from Iraq's nothern fields to Turkey, is essential to Iraq's efforts to resume exports of its most valuable asset. The fire which raged at the site of the explosion has now been brought under control but it will be at least several days before it is operational again. The pipeline had been closed for several months following earlier attacks. **Mine*** **Attack on US troops*** A US Army vehicle was destroyed yesterday when an American patrol hit landmines at a village near the town of Baquba, 65 kilometres north-east of Baghdad. The village of Abara was sealed off after the attack, in which four mines exploded, at about 01:00am, said a witness. An American helicopter fired two missiles at a nearby farm and US troops were conducting house-to-house searches, he said. Some unofficial reports say there were casualties among US soldiers. Baquba is home to both Sunni and Shiite Muslims and has been a regular battleground between US troops and Iraqi resistance fighters. The US Army said it could not immediately confirm the incident. **U.S. Losing Hearts and Minds of Baghdad Shi'ites*** A Baghdad slum that gave a joyous welcome to U.S. troops after Saddam Hussein's fall is now seething in anger at the occupiers' shortcomings. The sight of cheering Iraqis from the long-oppressed Shi'ite Muslim community was a big psychological boost for the Americans when they rolled into the Iraqi capital's previously named Saddam City in April. Now they face daily protests from among the two million residents as growing resentment at the occupation turned into open fury when a helicopter appeared to try to knock off a religious flag on Wednesday. We were happy at first when the Americans came. Now they should keep out, no one wants them around, shop-owner Jassim Kathai, 40, said. What they did to the flag was a grave insult to Islam. There will be consequences. Inhabitants of the newly named Sadr City -- in honour of a top Shi'ite cleric, Ayatollah Sadr, killed by Saddam's security services in 1999 -- say the helicopter tore down the banner. But the U.S. army said it may have blown off accidentally. In protests on the same day, one Iraqi was killed and four were injured. The Americans say the Iraqi protesters opened fire first, but Sadr City residents contradict that. They provoked this...they shot first, Waleed Kathim, a 25- year-old electrical repairman said, as crowds gathered round a reporter eager to shout their opinions. The U.S. military is investigating the incident, has denied deliberate provocation and leafleted the area saying sorry. There was no sign of American patrols on Saturday morning, following Friday's call from a local religious leader for troops to stay out of Sadr City. **Czech Troops may be Pulled from Iraq*** Defense Minister Miroslav Kostelka said he will consider withdrawing troops from the Army's 7th Field Hospital if the security situation in the southern Iraqi city of Basra continues to get worse. Even in the country's more-stable south, attacks against coalition troops were increased recently as temperatures have soared and fuel and electricity have grown sparse. Czech soldiers fired weapons in the air Aug. 10 to disperse an angry crowd that had blocked a convoy carrying drinking water to the hospital. Stones were thrown at the vehicles, and some soldiers received minor injuries. In separate incidents, an Iraqi man was killed when he attempted to jump on a garbage truck and fell and another crowd attacked two Czech vehicles that were returning from British Command headquarters. On July 23, a patient was injured when shots were fired at the hospital. "If the situation were suddenly and sharply to worsen such that the field hospital would be directly threatened, it is possible that measures would be taken that would involve at least some of the personnel being withdrawn," Kostelka told reporters Aug 11. No Czech troops have been killed since the hospital was deployed to the war-torn country May 18, but the recent violence has prompted hospital commander Mojmir Mrva to tighten security and temporarily block Iraqis from receiving treatment, said Andrej Cirtek of the Defense Ministry's press department. **PHOTO CAPTION*** Sheep graze near to an Iraqi tank in Ramadi, 100 kilometers west of Baghdad. (AFP/Karim Sahib)