Analysis: 'Black August' in Iraq

[sabra]

http://www.wpherald.com/storyview.php?StoryID=20050815-110427-1655r

Analysis: 'Black August' in Iraq

WASHINGTON -- It is "Black August" for American soldiers in iraq. Devastating improvements in shaped charges and multiple-piled mines used by Sunni Muslim insurgents there have enabled them to inflict massive casualties on U.S. forces.

According to the Iraq Index Project of the Brookings Institution, from Aug. 3 through Aug. 10, 44 U.S. soldiers were killed in Iraq in the first 10 days of August alone, compared with 28 killed the week of July 28 through Aug. 3.

As the Washington Post noted Sunday, that made the week of Aug. 3-Aug. 10 "the fourth worst week of the whole war for U.S. military deaths in combat and for August already ... the worst month for deaths of the National Guard and Reserve.

....

If the Iraqi insurgents succeed in maintaining their kill rate of U.S. troops for the rest of this month, August could see more than 130 U.S. troops killed, the worst death toll per month there since last November. In July, which seemed to be a bad enough month at the time, 54 U.S. soldiers were killed in Iraq, according to Department of Defense figures.

[nookiemonster]

1. "Bring it On!"

squeaked the AWOL chickenhawk.

[Barrett808]

2. "Last throes" n/t

[Bob3]

3. More progress

N/t