October: Fourth Lowest Month Of KIA In History Of Iraq War

October 30th, 2007 Posted By Pat Dollard.

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BAGHDAD - The monthly toll of U.S. service members who have died in Iraq is on track to being the lowest in nearly two years, with at least 34 troop deaths recorded as of Tuesday.

At least 34 American service members have died so far in October, nearly a third from non-combat causes.

It is the lowest number since 32 troops died in March 2006 and the second-lowest since 20 troop deaths in February 2004, according to an Associated Press count based on military figures. Only two months in 2003 were also lower, June and September at 30 each. With those two months tied for second, October ranks as the fourth lowest of the entire war.

That would be the second consecutive drop in monthly figures, after 65 Americans died in September and 84 in August.

In all, at least 3,840 members of the U.S. military have died since the Iraq war started in March 2003, according to the AP count.

Maj. Winfield Danielson, a military spokesman in Baghdad, pointed to a number of likely reasons for the decline, including a U.S. security push that has driven militants out of former safe havens and a change in strategy that has placed troops closer to the population. That, in turn, has caused a rise in the number of tips from residents about roadside bombs and other dangers.

He also singled out the cease-fire call by radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who in August ordered his fighters to cease attacks against U.S.-led forces and other Iraqis for up to six months. Danielson said Iraqi forces also were increasingly taking charge of security operations.

“Have we turned a corner? It might be a little too early to say that,” he said. “It’s certainly encouraging.”

Ten of the American casualties, or nearly one-third, were listed as non-combat so far this month, compared with 19 of the 65 American troop deaths in September.

The U.S. military usually doesn’t provide details about the causes of non-combat deaths in its releases, and Danielson said they could comprise anything ranging from vehicle accidents to suicides.

He said he could not immediately discuss whether the numbers of such deaths were unusual, although he calculated that about 82 percent of the overall casualties since the war started through Oct. 19 were from hostile fire or bombings.

“Either way it’s a tragedy. We want to prevent both,” he said.


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2 Responses

  1. Irish Gal

    I am sure this will be on the MSM headline news, I am sure it will…. :roll:

  2. Dan (The Infidel)

    This story has gotten little play in the MSM. They don’t like good news. And god forbid a Republican CIC win a and the US military victory in Iraq. Can’t have that. :roll:

    Freaking LLMSM…

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