Americans dead in Iraq pass 1000 mark

BAGHDAD, Iraq – A spate of attacks, including a suicide car bombing, pushed the number of US military deaths in the Iraq campaign past 1 000, with the majority inflicted by an insurgency that grew after president Bush declared major combat over.

Fighting with Sunni and Shiite insurgents killed eight Americans in the Baghdad area on Tuesday and Wednesday, pushing the count to 1 003. That number includes 1 000 US troops and three civilians, two working for the US Army and one for the Air Force.The tally was compiled by The Associated Press based on Pentagon records and AP reporting from Iraq.Defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld cited progress on several fronts in the Bush administration’s global war on terrorism and said US enemies should not underestimate the willingness of the American people and its coalition allies to suffer casualties in Iraq and elsewhere.”The progress has prompted a backlash, in effect, from those who hope that at some point we might conclude that the pain and the cost of this fight isn’t worth it,” Rumsfeld told a Pentagon news conference.”Well, our enemies have underestimated our country, our coalition.They have failed to understand the character of our people.And they certainly misread our commander in chief.”The Bush administration has long linked the Iraq conflict to the war on terrorism.The September 11 Commission, however, concluded that Iraq and al Qaeda did not have a “collaborative relationship” before the 2001 attacks on New York and Washington, and some have questioned to what extent foreign terror groups are involved in the anti-US insurgency in Iraq.Democratic presidential candidate Senator John Kerry issued a statement saying the United States joined the friends and families of those who died in mourning their loss.”Today marks a tragic milestone in the war in Iraq.More than 1 000 of America’s sons and daughters have made the ultimate sacrifice.Our nation honours their service and joins with their families and loved ones in mourning their loss,” Kerry said.”We must never forget the price they have paid.And we must meet our sacred obligation to all our troops to do all we can to make the right decisions in Iraq so that we can bring them home as soon as possible.”The 1 003 figure includes deaths from hostile and non-hostile causes since the United States launched the Iraq campaign in March 2003 to topple Saddam Hussein’s regime.All but 138 deaths came after Bush’s May 1, 2003, declaration of an end to major combat operations.The US military has not reported overall Iraqi deaths.The Iraqi health ministry started counting the dead only in April when heavy fighting broke out in Fallujah and Najaf.However, conservative estimates by private groups place the Iraqi toll at least 10 000 — or 10 times the number of US military deaths.”It is difficult to establish the right number of casualties,” said Amnesty International’s Middle East spokeswoman, Nicole Choueiry.She added that “it was the job of the occupation power to keep track of the numbers but the Americans failed to do so.”- Nampa-APThat number includes 1 000 US troops and three civilians, two working for the US Army and one for the Air Force.The tally was compiled by The Associated Press based on Pentagon records and AP reporting from Iraq.Defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld cited progress on several fronts in the Bush administration’s global war on terrorism and said US enemies should not underestimate the willingness of the American people and its coalition allies to suffer casualties in Iraq and elsewhere.”The progress has prompted a backlash, in effect, from those who hope that at some point we might conclude that the pain and the cost of this fight isn’t worth it,” Rumsfeld told a Pentagon news conference.”Well, our enemies have underestimated our country, our coalition.They have failed to understand the character of our people.And they certainly misread our commander in chief.”The Bush administration has long linked the Iraq conflict to the war on terrorism.The September 11 Commission, however, concluded that Iraq and al Qaeda did not have a “collaborative relationship” before the 2001 attacks on New York and Washington, and some have questioned to what extent foreign terror groups are involved in the anti-US insurgency in Iraq.Democratic presidential candidate Senator John Kerry issued a statement saying the United States joined the friends and families of those who died in mourning their loss.”Today marks a tragic milestone in the war in Iraq.More than 1 000 of America’s sons and daughters have made the ultimate sacrifice.Our nation honours their service and joins with their families and loved ones in mourning their loss,” Kerry said.”We must never forget the price they have paid.And we must meet our sacred obligation to all our troops to do all we can to make the right decisions in Iraq so that we can bring them home as soon as possible.”The 1 003 figure includes deaths from hostile and non-hostile causes since the United States launched the Iraq campaign in March 2003 to topple Saddam Hussein’s regime.All but 138 deaths came after Bush’s May 1, 2003, declaration of an end to major combat operations.The US military has not reported overall Iraqi deaths.The Iraqi health ministry started counting the dead only in April when heavy fighting broke out in Fallujah and Najaf.However, conservative estimates by private groups place the Iraqi toll at least 10 000 — or 10 times the number of US military deaths.”It is difficult to establish the right number of casualties,” said Amnesty International’s Middle East spokeswoman, Nicole Choueiry.She added that “it was the job of the occupation power to keep track of the numbers but the Americans failed to do so.”- Nampa-AP