A.P.’s Death Toll for Iraq War Reaches 4,000



Note:
The New York Times includes in its tally of military casualties in Iraq only deaths that have been confirmed by the Defense Department. The Associated Press includes civilian contractors and some deaths not yet announced by the Defense Department in its count.




Faces of the Dead BAGHDAD (AP) -- A roadside bomb killed four U.S. soldiers in Baghdad on Sunday, the military said, pushing the overall American death toll in the five-year war to at least 4,000. The grim milestone came on a day when at least 61 people were killed across the country.

Rockets and mortars pounded the U.S.-protected Green Zone, underscoring the fragile security situation and the resilience of both Sunni and Shiite extremist groups despite an overall lull in violence.

The attacks on the Green Zone probably stemmed from rising tensions between rival Shiite groups and were the most sustained assault in months against the nerve center of the U.S. mission.

The soldiers with Multi-National Division -- Baghdad were on a patrol when their vehicle was struck at about 10 p.m. in southern Baghdad, the military said. Another soldier was wounded in the attack -- less than a week after the fifth anniversary of the conflict

Identities of those killed were withheld pending notification of relatives.

Navy Lt. Patrick Evans, a military spokesman, expressed condolences to all the families who have lost a loved one in Iraq, saying each death is ''equally tragic.''

''There have been some significant gains. However, this enemy is resilient and will not give up, nor will we,'' he said. ''There's still a lot of work to be done.''

The deadliest attack of the day was in Mosul when a suicide driver slammed his vehicle through a security checkpoint in a hail of gunfire and detonated his explosives in front of an Iraqi headquarters building, killing 13 Iraqi soldiers and injuring 42 other people, police said.

Iraqi guards opened fire on the vehicle but couldn't stop it because the windshield had been bulletproofed, said an Iraqi army officer. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not supposed to release the information.

Mosul, Iraq's third largest city about 225 miles northwest of Baghdad, has been described as the last major urban area where the Sunni extremist al-Qaida group maintains a significant presence.

In Baghdad, rockets and mortars began slamming into the Green Zone about sunrise, and scattered attacks persisted throughout the day, sending plumes of smoke rising over the heavily guarded district in the heart of the capital.

A U.S. public address system in the Green Zone warned people to ''duck and cover'' and to stay away from windows.

At least five people were injured in the Green Zone, a U.S. Embassy statement said without specifying nationalities. The zone includes the U.S. and British embassies as well as major Iraqi government offices.

A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to release the information, said those injured included an American and four third-country nationals, meaning they were not American, British or Iraqi.

Iraqi police said 10 civilians were killed and more than 20 were injured in rocket or mortar blasts in scattered areas of eastern Baghdad -- some of them probably due to misfired rounds.

Also in the capital, seven people were killed and 14 wounded in a suicide car bombing Sunday in the Shiite area of Shula in the capital, police reported. Such attacks are the hallmark of Sunni religious extremists.

Gunmen opened fire on passengers waiting for buses in a predominantly Shiite area in southeastern Baghdad, killing at least seven men and wounding 16 people, including women and children, according to police.

Police also found the bullet-riddled bodies of 12 people -- six in Baghdad, four in Mosul and two in Kut, scene of clashes between government troops and Shiite militiamen.

No group claimed responsibility for the Green Zone attacks, but suspicion fell on Shiite extremists based on the areas from which the weapons were fired.

The attacks followed a series of clashes last week between U.S. and Iraqi forces and factions of the Mahdi Army, the biggest Shiite militia loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Al-Sadr led two uprisings against U.S.-led coalition forces in 2004. Last August he declared a six-month cease-fire to purge the militia of criminal and dissident elements.

U.S. officials have cited the truce, which al-Sadr recently extended, among the reasons behind a 60 percent drop in violence since President Bush ordered 30,000 U.S. reinforcements to Iraq early last year.[/quote]

I had a loved one that was killed in iraq, i of all people know that one soldier dead is one too many. however i also understand that this a time of war and people die in war. people sign up to the military to serve and protect and they sign knowing they may die in the process. so with that being said the liberal media acts as if 4000 soldiers dead over a 5 year period,in war, is some huge deal. just a few numbers for you to chew on...in 2004 there were 11,624 homicides in america(thats the only year i could find) lets use that as a average over the last 5 years in the U.S. thats 58,120 homicides in america throughout the same period of time that 4000 soldiers were killed and i'm supposed to be apauled by 4000?...the U.S has had 15 X the homicides alone in the u.s...not to mention the other 5 million homicides i mean abortions in the last 5 years...

Liberal media is a farce

Not that many know. Many are dumb kids.

I don't believe you about any loved you piece of shit. Your just another motherfucker saying.."who cares?" comparing it to Homicides. Heartless pieces of shit.

All that homicide rate shows is that your fucking every bit the animals at home you are abroad. Most of you flighty cocksuckers have the worth of dried dog shit. Fucking Burn in hell.

__________________
Cussing out low class inbreds isnt uninteligent, its honest

Good typing is not inteligent its dexiteritous.

Everything you just said is total bullshit

Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.


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so i see you lack the mental capacity to hold a mature debate,argument,disagreement...you would rather just curse and attempt to belittle someone by assasinating ones character...why??...are you this way in real life??...because let me tell you this, you come down where i'm from and start poppin off at the mouth like that, believe me boy, you wont ever make it back home...you really get to see a persons level of humanity when you come into a forum. they can say what they want with nothin to lose. i'll pray for you noyb...lord knows you'll need it talkin like that

You got a problem with NOYB, Bushbot?

Why not Enlist?

Fuck that motherfucker. Low life fuckign slime like that are just dogshit. Fuckign no regard for life and then the AUDACITY to lie about shit like dead soldiers.

__________________
Cussing out low class inbreds isnt uninteligent, its honest

Good typing is not inteligent its dexiteritous.

Everything you just said is total bullshit

Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.


To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

You seem upset Bush is slaughtering your terrorists buddies that love blowing up school buses.

Of course it's a failure. That's what happens when people fail to learn from history...

Doing things the same way expecting different results is the definition of what?

The Iraq debacle was doomed from the start. These knuckle draggers never learned you don't make friends by punching people in the face.

__________________
"If you're going to tell people the truth, be funny or they'll kill you." -- Billy Wilder

"Never believe anything in politics until it has been officially denied." -- Otto Von Bismark

When the Al Qaida was flushed out of Afghanistan and went to Iraq for a safe haven. DUH!

Democrats/Liberals lost the war on terrorism when the Iraqi and Afghani people turned against the Al Qaida.
Spain and France are learning the hard way, not very bright.
Republicans have avoided these mistakes and Democrats are fighting to make these mistakes to remind the American people "You need to hand over your wallet, for the good of the human race"

Of course the Surge is working. It's allowed Bush to leave office without being impeached. I'd call that success.