BAGHDAD, Oct. 4 -- Thirteen U.S. soldiers have been killed in Baghdad since Monday, the American military reported, registering the highest three-day death toll for U.S. forces in the capital since the start of the war.
The latest losses -- four soldiers who were killed at 9 a.m. Wednesday by small-arms fire -- are part of a recent spike in violent attacks against U.S. forces that have claimed the lives of at least 24 soldiers and Marines in Iraq since Saturday, the military said.
The number of planted bombs is "at an all-time high," said Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell, a military spokesman, defying American efforts to stanch the vicious sectarian bloodshed in Baghdad that threatens to plunge the country into civil war.
"This has been a hard week for U.S. forces," Caldwell said. "Unfortunately, as expected, attacks have steadily increased in Baghdad during these past weeks." Independent databases showed the three-day toll for American troops to be the highest in Baghdad so far.
U.S. military officials said the surge in violence could be partly attributed to the increased exposure of American forces as they patrol the dangerous streets of Baghdad to try to quell reprisal killings between Shiites and Sunnis. The number of troops in the capital has been doubled since June to support the Iraqi government's new security plan, said Lt. Col. Barry Johnson, another military spokesman.
As the plan to turn security over to Iraqi forces has largely failed and as sectarian violence has worsened, American forces have had tocome out of their bunkers and handle security.
As the article says, increased exposure, increased casualties.
And Holy Joe Lieberman says we're winning over there and should be able to largely turn security over to the Iraqis very, very soon.
Holy Joe ought to sacrifice his own daughters to the Great Iraq cause before he talks out his ass about the coming victory in Iraq.
In the meantime, real people are dying in a war that the administration can't figure out how to end.
It is 1968 all over again.
What's the plan now, Henry? Peace with honor?
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