KashifAsrar
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U.S. troop death toll in Iraq for October hits 100Mon Oct 30, 2006 8:00 AM GMT
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S. military death toll in Iraq for October climbed to 100 on Monday, and Iraqi Interior Ministry sources said a bomb killed 28 people and wounded 60 in a Shi'ite Baghdad district.
U.S. President George W. Bush's Republican Party faces possible loss of control of Congress in November 7 elections, with opinion polls showing dismay over his policy on Iraq could be a critical factor in voter intentions.
The U.S. military said in a statement a Marine was killed in combat in Iraq's western Anbar province on Sunday, bringing the death toll for the month to the 100 mark.
October was already the deadliest month since January 2005 when 107 U.S. troops were killed. The highest monthly toll was in November 2004 when 137 deaths were recorded.
Since the March 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq to topple Saddam Hussein, a total of 2,813 U.S. troops have been killed.
Opinion polls show growing numbers of U.S. voters want to see the 140,000 U.S. troops in Iraq starting to come home.
Monday's bombing in Baghdad occurred in a square in the Shi'ite Muslim Sadr City district where labourers were gathering to wait for job offers, the Interior Ministry sources said.
Sadr City is a stronghold of radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who heads the powerful Mehdi Army militia.
INSURGENTS
Sunni Arab insurgents battling U.S. forces and the Shi'ite- led government have in the past struck Sadr City with car bombs and mortar shells. In July, more than 60 people were killed when a car bomb blasted through a Sadr City market.
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and his U.S. backers have been struggling to bring stability to Iraq more than three years after the U.S.-led invasion. Sectarian violence kills about 100 people a day and political wrangling is hampering reforms.
Maliki and Bush agreed at the weekend to accelerate efforts to build up Iraqi security forces after days of public tension between the two leaders.
Building effective Iraqi security forces is a key plank in Bush's plans for an eventual withdrawal of the 140,000 U.S. troops.
Maliki told Reuters on Thursday he could get violence under control in six months if the U.S. military gave his forces more weapons and responsibility.
A top U.S. general said last week it could take 12 or 18 months for Iraqi forces to be ready to take responsibility for the whole country.
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-10-30T080007Z_01_L29872999_RTRUKOC_0_UK-IRAQ.xml&WTmodLoc=HP-C3-World-5
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S. military death toll in Iraq for October climbed to 100 on Monday, and Iraqi Interior Ministry sources said a bomb killed 28 people and wounded 60 in a Shi'ite Baghdad district.
U.S. President George W. Bush's Republican Party faces possible loss of control of Congress in November 7 elections, with opinion polls showing dismay over his policy on Iraq could be a critical factor in voter intentions.
The U.S. military said in a statement a Marine was killed in combat in Iraq's western Anbar province on Sunday, bringing the death toll for the month to the 100 mark.
October was already the deadliest month since January 2005 when 107 U.S. troops were killed. The highest monthly toll was in November 2004 when 137 deaths were recorded.
Since the March 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq to topple Saddam Hussein, a total of 2,813 U.S. troops have been killed.
Opinion polls show growing numbers of U.S. voters want to see the 140,000 U.S. troops in Iraq starting to come home.
Monday's bombing in Baghdad occurred in a square in the Shi'ite Muslim Sadr City district where labourers were gathering to wait for job offers, the Interior Ministry sources said.
Sadr City is a stronghold of radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who heads the powerful Mehdi Army militia.
INSURGENTS
Sunni Arab insurgents battling U.S. forces and the Shi'ite- led government have in the past struck Sadr City with car bombs and mortar shells. In July, more than 60 people were killed when a car bomb blasted through a Sadr City market.
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and his U.S. backers have been struggling to bring stability to Iraq more than three years after the U.S.-led invasion. Sectarian violence kills about 100 people a day and political wrangling is hampering reforms.
Maliki and Bush agreed at the weekend to accelerate efforts to build up Iraqi security forces after days of public tension between the two leaders.
Building effective Iraqi security forces is a key plank in Bush's plans for an eventual withdrawal of the 140,000 U.S. troops.
Maliki told Reuters on Thursday he could get violence under control in six months if the U.S. military gave his forces more weapons and responsibility.
A top U.S. general said last week it could take 12 or 18 months for Iraqi forces to be ready to take responsibility for the whole country.
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-10-30T080007Z_01_L29872999_RTRUKOC_0_UK-IRAQ.xml&WTmodLoc=HP-C3-World-5
