Deadliest day for U.S. troops in Iraq since 2009
Security contractors inspect their armored vehicles after a roadside bomb attack in Baghdad, Iraq, June 6, 2011. / AP Photo
BAGHDAD - Five American troops serving as advisers to Iraqi security police in eastern Baghdad were killed Monday when rockets slammed into the compound where they lived. The deaths were the largest single-day loss of life for American forces in two years.
The U.S. military announced the deaths in a brief statement, excluding details. Two Iraqi security officials later said the troops died when three rockets hit near the U.S. forces' living quarters at a joint U.S.-Iraqi base in the Baladiyat neighborhood where American troops were partnering with Ministry of Interior police. The Iraqi officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to reporters.
American forces said the incident is under investigation. Names of the dead were withheld pending notification of family. The deaths raised to 4,459 the number of American service members who have died in Iraq, according to an Associated Press count.
With the 46,000 U.S. forces still in Iraq scheduled to depart by year's end, American troops and their bases in Baghdad and southern Iraq have increasingly come under attack and threats from Shiite Muslim militias, hoping to construct a narrative that they were responsible for driving out the Americans.
At the height of the surge of U.S. forces four years ago to combat sectarian violence that nearly tore Iraq apart, there were about 170,000 American troops in the country. The number then was gradually drawn down to below 50,000 when Washington announced it had ended its combat operations ten months ago.
U.S. troops still in the country focus on training and assisting Iraqi security personnel, but are to shun combat. Nevertheless, the American forces still come under almost daily attack by rockets and mortars in their bases and gunfire and roadside bombs when moving around the country.
The Baladiyat neighborhood where the five Americans were killed is a predominantly Shiite district near Sadr City, a Shiite slum that was the heart of Muslim sect's opposition to U.S. forces in Iraq.
Less than two weeks ago, tens of thousands of supporters of anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr marched through the streets of Sadr City, demanding an end to the American military presence in Iraq.
The show of force was accompanied by a threat from al-Sadr himself. During an interview with the BBC he said he would unleash his militia, called the Mahdi Army, on American forces if they do not withdraw. He said his supporters were already targeting U.S. bases and vehicles in Iraq.
U.S. officials have been pushing Iraq to decide whether it wants some American forces to remain beyond December 31, and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has said he'll discuss it with the country's main political blocs. But so far there has been no request from the Iraqi side on the extremely sensitive topic.
The five fatalities Monday were the largest on a single day since May 11, 2009, when five forces died in a noncombat incident. On April 10, 2009, six U.S. troops died — five in combat in the northern city of Mosul and one north of Baghdad in a noncombat related incident.
Elsewhere, a total of 11 people were killed in the northern city of Tikrit, the capital and near the western city of Ramadi Monday.
Four of them died when a bomb exploded at a checkpoint outside a government compound in Tikrit, the hometown of Saddam Hussein. It was the second attack in four days against the compound and the government employees who live and work there.
The deaths were announced by a media adviser to the provincial governor, Mohammed al-Asi. A military official in the Salahuddin Operations Command, which oversees security operations in the province, said a suicide car bomber blew himself up near the entrance to the compound. It had been a palace and support buildings constructed by Saddam, but now serves as a hub for government offices in the city.
Monday morning's attack is the second in Tikrit in recent days. On Friday, a suicide bomber blew himself up in a mosque inside the government compound, killing 16 people. Hours later, another suicide bomber walked into the Tikrit hospital and blew himself up near the emergency room, where family members had gathered. Five people were killed and 16 were injured in that incident.
Four others died in Baghdad, where officials said gunmen in speeding cars opened fire on two security checkpoints. The early morning attack took place in the Azamiyah district, a Sunni Muslim enclave, according to military and medical officials. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.
Attackers bombed the house of a police colonel near Ramadi, the capital of the mostly Sunni Anbar province. The colonel survived the attack and was taken to the hospital. His wife, mother and son were all killed, Iraqi police said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
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I REPEAT.!!
Bring all of our troops home NOW.
We have this huge ego and forget that it was the "allied forces" that defeated Hitler and for some reason, especially with the last of the elders of that age are still alive and have their opinions, we seem to think that we need to live up to this egotistic post WW2 era of that time which, by the way, suffered a sub par victory in Korea and a complete costly failure in Vietnam. What many don't realize is that we are repeating their history in regards to the great depression and we need to reevaluate our priorities which, by the way, we were far more humble during our down side in history -- we need to humble ourselves over and over again till we get it.
-- withdraw all of troops from the Middle East
-- make dependency on Middle East oil the primary national security issue and declare a National state of emergency, ration gas till we are up to speed on alternative fuel, drill in Alaska and lobby Europe to take similar options.
--- Stop giving financial aid to Israel and cease all negotiations between Israel and their enemies. We have are own problems now and it is time for them to resolve their own. They have nukes and I'm sure they can take care of themselves.
--- Instead of putting the space shuttle program into retirement, we must do the opposite and fulfill President Reagan's SDI (soviet bluff) into reality by increasing our shuttle program ten fold, or whatever it takes, to secure our nation from missiles coming from that particular region and to use advance weapons to keep such countries like Iran and Syria in check in order to reduce our dependency on drones and aircraft for retaliation if ever needed.
(we are fools not to gain and keep total control of our outer hemisphere while we can)
Lock down the U.S./ Mexican border with the permanent extension of camp Pendleton and Miramar Air station from San Diego to Brownsville Texas with tight Coast Guard security on both sides of Mexico.
Primarily depend on and legalize the use of special forces to assassinate any political leader outside of the U.S. that has a serious potential of being a threat to our National Security.
Allow China to continue to depend on Middle East Oil and make the best of friends with them while maintaining our bargaining chips--- Using our relationship with them to economically choke our enemies in the Middle East when necessary. ( or other means to keep our ability to enforce sanctions without having to use our navy as much)
Bring back the national draft and have the complete country ready for military action just has China is. (almost everyone in China must have hand to hand combat training right out of high school -- we have lost most of our manufacturing skills and abilities and we are at a huge disadvantage now as compared to the beginning of WW2. We simply can't arm ourselves as quickly as before and I find this to be a serious weakness.
If any potential presidential candidate suggested a similar plan as this one as a serious option, I vote for him or her.
But, or course, that could never happen because there our too many road blocks in that plan -- 1) the Christians insistence that we follow through on Biblical prophecy with the huge existence of Zionist influence in our government.
2) The wealthiest multi-corporations in our country as well as Europe and our other allies primarily depend on Middle East oil.
We are simply going to have to wait till some Middle East terrorists manage to ignite some nuke suitcase bombs in our country before we get emotional enough to do something this radical.
Obama is just another politician, too. What has he changed about it? Nothing. Has the "Patriot Act" been repealed? The TSA is running amok, the USA is disintegrating, and the world is not a safer place.
Actually Bush's BINDING SOFA with IRAQ is the cause of continuing costs in terms of lives and treasure in Iraq.
LOL!
You and Obama promised a complete withdral from Iraq by December of 2012. You and Obama are behind schedule.
If you and Obama would have honored the The Status of Forces Agreemet of 2008, The numbers in Iraq would be half they are now.
Because of Bush's BINDING SOFA with IRAQ, it is the cause of continuing costs in terms of lives and treasure in Iraq.
LOL!
You have no Idea what you are talking about.
www.total-privacy.no.tc