April Ends As Deadly Month For U.S. Troops

At Least 18 Soldiers Killed In Iraq, Highest Since September 2008

(AP)  Three U.S. troops have been killed in fighting west of Baghdad, the military said Friday, making April the deadliest month for American forces in Iraq since September.

At least 18 U.S. soldiers died in April, a sharp increase from March's total of nine - the lowest since the war began in March 2003.

The deaths come as a series of deadly bombings in recent weeks has raised concerns that insurgents are stepping up their efforts to re-ignite sectarian bloodshed and derail security gains that have brought overall violence to its lowest levels in recent years.

Most of the violence has targeted Iraqis since the Americans have begun pulling back from inner-city outposts in preparation for a withdrawal from urban areas by the end of June. But attacks have continued against U.S. forces.

Two people were arrested following an anti-tank grenade attack against U.S. forces Wednesday in a mainly Sunni neighborhood in northwestern Baghdad, the military said.

The two U.S. Marines and one sailor were killed Thursday while conducting combat operations in Anbar province, according to a statement. Anbar is a former insurgent stronghold that has been relatively calm since Sunni tribal leaders turned against al Qaeda in Iraq.

The U.S. military did not give further details about the attack but said the Americans were providing requested support to Iraqi forces when it occurred. It did not identify the troops who were killed, pending notification of relatives.

April has been the deadliest month for U.S. forces since September, when 25 American troops died.

The U.S. military reported 17 Americans killed in February and 16 in January.

April also saw the most troops killed in combat so far this year, as opposed to other causes. Thirteen of last month's 18 deaths were in combat compared with four among the nine in March.

In all, at least 4,281 members of the U.S. military have died in the Iraq war since it began in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.

Civilian deaths in Iraq in April were also higher than previous months following a series of bombings that killed more than 200 people.

At least 355 Iraqi civilians and Iraqi security forces were killed in violence in April, according to a monthly death toll issued by various Iraqi government ministries.

That compares with an Associated Press tally of at least 371 Iraqis killed - in addition to 80 Iranian pilgrims - in violence in April. In March, 335 people were killed in violence in Iraq; 288 in February and 242 in January, according to the AP figures.

President Barack Obama, who has ordered U.S. combat forces to withdraw from Iraq by the end of August 2010, called the recent attacks a "legitimate cause of concern" but stressed the violence remained low compared to previous years.

Tensions rose Friday in northern Iraq after a pre-dawn raid that killed two brothers in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit.

The provincial governor and tribal leaders blamed the U.S. military and demanded an apology, saying the raid violated a security agreement regulating U.S. forces' conduct.

The U.S. military, however, said the operation was conducted by Iraqis backed by a small number of U.S. advisers to arrest a wanted suspect.

"This was a combined Iraqi-Coalition Forces mission, based on evidence and a warrant," said Maj. Derrick Cheng, a spokesman for U.S. forces in northern Iraq. He said two men were killed but did not provide identities.

Security was tightened in Tikrit after hundreds of angry mourners - some firing weapons into the air - took to the streets to protest the killings.

The demonstrators shouted "Down with America!" and promised revenge.

The action came nearly a week after anger broke out over a deadly U.S. raid in the southern Shiite city of Kut. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki called that raid a "crime" that violated the security pact.

Iraqi police, meanwhile, said they had foiled a planned suicide bombing and arrested the suspected attacker near a Shiite mosque in the northern city of Kirkuk.

Panicked worshippers fled after hearing of the attempt, and some were wounded by broken glass as they tried to jump through mosque windows to escape.

[goldstarfamilysupport]

I am a Gold Star Mother. For those not familar that is a mother of a Fallen Soldier or someone who died while in the service of their country. When my son was killed on November 12, 2006 I thought the world had ended. No one could help me through my grief and so I started an online support group for Families of the Fallen. In this time I have come to know many across the United States and also know their loved ones and how they died. Many have been killed in war, others took their own life in desperate act, others died while active duty and still others were actually murdered.

Our military has long turned their heads to the fact that the young men and women who now join the service need counseling and not made to be afraid of seeking this counseling because of the LABELS that come with needing help. My own son came back from his first deployment in 2004 a completely different person. He saw people being killed and had buddies of his blown up in front of him or gunned down. Like so many that come back the military doesn't make it mandatory for them to get counseling. He was killed on his second deployment four months into his tour.

I talked to many who had different positions and they would have gotten couseling but knew that they couldn't continue their career. The amount of suicides in the military shows that our young men and women are equiped for what they see and endure. The long deployments without friends and family are extremely hard on them. They come home different and forever changed. I was talking to a soldier when another soldier came in with a gun in a very unstable state last year. They talked to him and then set him back out to fight. WHAT'S WRONG WITH THAT PICTURE.

I BEG our military officials to change THEIR THINKING AND POLICIES. It's time that we focus on those who have volunteered to service and protect our country and actually help them. WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR ONE OF YOU TO MAKE THAT CHANGE AND HELP OUR MEN AND WOMEN TODAY?

I can't imagine what this young man who had 3 tours already, was going through and I know that our PUBLIC doesn't understand. They see numbers of death and suicides and just think that's it NUMBERS. WELL it's not numbers THESE MEN AND WOMEN ARE REAL PEOPLE AND HAVE REAL FAMILIES. You don't get over the death of a child and you grieve eternally for that death. This young man needs our help and the families that are now going through another CASUALITY OF WAR needs our support.

[jonesjep]

Come on Obama and the Libs. Tuck your tail and bring them all home. That is what you want to do!!! The problem is that Obama is much more interested in playing politics than doing what he feels is right. He knows if he brings them home the Dems lose BIGTIME next year. The same with the Assault Weapons Ban. Obama is not only weak militarily but he has weak character. He is gutless. But of course all Libs are.

[jonesjep]

"The next person that tells you we went into Iraq to give them "Democracy", kick them between the legs"
...................

I would assume that anyone who would take offense to that statement would be a tree hugging, pansy. I am guessing that would be the last time their foot comes off of the ground.

[jonesjep]

This is Obama's war now. In the same way the Libs wanted to squarely blame these deaths on Bush in 2008 and earilier every death now should equally be placed on Obama. Obama could bring them all home now. What is happening in what had become a relatively peaceful Iraq is that Obama's weakness in the eyes of the Muslim radicals is driving a resurgence. They have seen his attempts to talk and rationilize with terrorists. They have seen the bow to the Saudi King. All signs of weakness. The Taliban has become more agressive in Pakistan as well. All due to Obama being weak.

[clancy49]

We did not go to Iraq to protect democracy. We went to Iraq to build the coffers of the Bush regime because of the limit on Presidential terms. Time was running out to get the Bush coffers filled. We all know, even down to the deepest recessess of human denial that this war was about oil, money, and business. It was to build up Kelloggs, Brown, Root, and Harriman. It was about creating a huge deficit to collapse the world economy. Now the puppet President Charisma comes in and completely destroys world economy with unfathomed spending. Swine Flu? Poor 1.5 billion into Pharmaceuticals. Banks, give them trillions, the banks are part of the Bush coffers anyway. Car companies? give them billions. If you really knew President Obama, you would know he is as fake as three dollar bill. If you understood President Obama, you would know he is a hawk and not a dove. If you understood President Obama he wants to bankrupt all the states to firm up a Federal Government to bring in the New World Order, which is Poppy's dream. If you really cared you would know that in the next five years we will be facing cataclysmic famine and nature has already begun its deadly trek.

[beach671]

The next person that tells you we went into Iraq to give them "Democracy", kick them between the legs.

The Democrats have planned "Operation Safe Haven Iraq" to evacuate 100,000 pro-American Iraqi's to the US and give them free money, jobs, and citizenship.

So who's going to be left behind in Iraq? Total frekin chaos. Anarchy will be left in Iraq. They are going to wake up and realize the Americans left, 100,000 of their fellow Iraqi's left, and the banks were likely wiped out on the same night. They will wake up and know they've been had Marco's style like was done in the Phillipines.

So which Democrats are getting the $$$ this time for this mission our military will yet again have to do for them? Yer sending the Iraqi's thru Guam? What? We've barely got enough water and infrastructure to support ourselves and yer going to dump 100,000 Iraqi's on us?

You know why these young American boys are dieing in Iraq? Please tell us....because what is happening doesn't justify the American blood lost nor the Trillions upon Trillions this war of no purpose has cost us.

[motown67usa]

For those criticizing the Obama admin. for dropping the ball on Iraq.

The last 6 months of the Bush admin./Iraqi deaths
2008
July 583
August 591
Sep. 535
Oct. 527
Nov. 472
Dec. 521
TOTAL: 3,229
Monthly Avg. 538.16

The first four months of the Obama admin/Iraqi deaths
2009
Jan. 275
Feb. 343
March 392
April 355
Total: 1,365
Monthly Avg. 341.25

Attacks across Iraq dropped at the end of 2008 as the Jan. 09 provincial elections approached. Large numbers of Sunnis participated so the insurgents backed off. Since then attacks and deaths have gone back up as the insurgents are going back to what they were doing beforehand. Even with that, there are fewer deaths in the first four months of 2009 compared to the end of 2008. Give it a couple months and deaths will probably return to those levels however. musingsoniraq.blogspot.com

[cattlekate1]

My heart breaks. Six kids gone in the last 48 hours. God Bless their moms and dads and siblings. I hope they can find peace.

[cattlekate1]

Who is AIPAC? Us? Them?

[spaceatoms]

Obama isn't stepping up to the plate, he is listening to other people and then basically doing their dirty deeds. He needs to start vetoing bailouts, and pull the troops out, otherwise, he is just LBJ the second.