May: U.S. troop deaths up in Iraq; 20 killed – USA Today

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: USA Today newspaper on Thursday reported that May is already the deadliest month for U.S. troops in Iraq since September. This month’s death toll reached 20 when the military reported a soldier was killed by a roadside bomb Wednesday. The total is due in part to an unusually large number of non-combat deaths, including a mass shooting at a Baghdad military base. An American soldier has been charged in that case. Still, the spike in fatalities has coincided with a spurt of violence in Iraq in recent months. Militant groups such as al-Qaeda in Iraq have stepped up their campaign of suicide bombings and assassinations at a time when U.S. troops are preparing to withdraw from urban areas by June 30 per a deal with the Iraqi government. Gen. Ray Odierno, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, has said that he would be willing to stay longer in hot spots, such as Mosul, if asked by the Iraqi government. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has said that he expects all U.S. troops to withdraw as scheduled. “There needs to be some flexibility in the disposition of these forces,” said James Phillips, a Middle East analyst at the Heritage Foundation in Washington. “I understand why the Iraqi government would want to stick to its public pronouncement, but the reality on the ground might force the need for adjustment.” Even with the recent surge in violence, the American death toll remains relatively low compared with 2006-2007, when a fierce insurgency raged through parts of the country, often killing more than 100 U.S. troops per month. The 20 deaths for May include five servicemembers fatally shot May 11 at a mental health clinic at Camp Liberty in Baghdad. Army Sgt. John Russell has been charged by the military with murder in that incident. Eight of the U.S. troop deaths this month have been combat-related, according to the U.S. military, a number in line with recent months. There have been 4,303 U.S. troops killed in Iraq since the start of the war in 2003. Phillips said that it’s likely Americans will increasingly be targeted in the weeks and months ahead as the U.S. military reduces its presence. He said that it’s also concerning that the Iraqi government has failed to pay thousands of members of the Awakening movement, Sunni militiamen who turned against al-Qaeda in Iraq and allied with U.S. forces. “The consequences could be of major concern if the Iraqi government continues to backpedal from its commitments,” he said. MH (S)/SR 1