<http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/casualties/2005-03-02-troop-death_x.htm?csp=34>
USA Today U.S. troop deaths fall in Feb. By John Diamond and Dave Moniz, USA TODAY BAGHDAD - Fifty-eight American troops died in Iraq in February, the fewest fatalities since 54 died in July, preliminary Pentagon statistics show. Translating the death count into a daily rate, February's losses were down sharply from January and less than half those in November, the war's bloodiest month for U.S. forces. The February figures raise the total U.S. death toll in the war to 1,500. A U.S. soldier was killed Wednesday in Babil province, just south of Baghdad, part of an area known as the ''Triangle of Death.' The soldier, assigned to the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, was killed in action ''while conducting security and stability operations,'' the military said. One reason for the drop in fatalities may be a shift in insurgent attacks toward Iraqis. In the latest violence, two car bombs killed at least 14 Iraqi soldiers and civilians in Baghdad on Wednesday. On Monday, a suicide attack on police and army recruits in Hillah killed at least 125. It was the single deadliest attack in the nearly 2-year-old insurgency. Army Gen. John Abizaid, head of U.S. forces in the Middle East, and other top U.S. commanders say the war may be entering a new phase. Among the reasons they cite: * The Army and Marines have dramatically improved their ability to electronically jam remotely detonated roadside bombs. * The military is getting more intelligence tips since Iraq's Jan. 30 elections, Abizaid told Congress this week. He said he believes the elections have prompted many moderates to cooperate with U.S. and Iraqi forces. In Baghdad, Army Capt. Michael Burgoyne says U.S. forces have become adept at spotting roadside bombs hidden in piles of trash or even dead dogs. Lt. Brad Gannaway, an intelligence officer, agrees that threats have ebbed. "We haven't had a mortar attack in six weeks here," he says, knocking on wood. Michael O'Hanlon, a military analyst at the Brookings Institution, cautions against reading too much into one month's number. "What we are seeing now is a return to the level of violence we saw for much of 2004," not a major shift in fortunes, he says. -- ----------------- R. A. Hettinga <mailto: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/> 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity, [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> DonorsChoose. A simple way to provide underprivileged children resources often lacking in public schools. Fund a student project in NYC/NC today! http://us.click.yahoo.com/EHLuJD/.WnJAA/cUmLAA/TySplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
