Independent UK: Roadside bomb attacks in Iraq reach an all-time high

[marmar]

Roadside bomb attacks in Iraq reach an all-time high
By Kim Sengupta
Published: 09 August 2007


Roadside bomb attacks on American troops in Iraq reached an all-time high last month, accounting for more than one third of all combat deaths.

The increase in the number of casualties caused by the explosive devices comes at the height of the "surge' of US forces which, the Pentagon claims, is broadly a success. Washington and London have blamed Iran for supplying the devices which have been used with lethal effect against American and British troops.

Although coalition forces have claimed a number of successes in discovering caches of the bombs, the number of attacks in July, stated as 99, shows the insurgency has had no problem in obtaining supplies.

In recent weeks, US forces have focused operations on Sunni militants and, in particular, al-Qa'ida.

One of the initial aims of the "surge" was to combat Shia militias which, often in collusion with government forces, have been running death squads. However, the alleged use of the roadside devices shows the threat from the Shias, with many of the groups sponsored by Tehran, has not diminished despite numerous American missions.

Lieutenant General Raymond Odiarno, the deputy US commander in Iraq, said there had been an "all-time high" in July of attacks using the devices and that Shia militants were responsible for 73 per cent of the attacks that killed or wounded American troops in Baghdad. .....(more)

The complete piece is at: http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article2846551.ece

[bluestateguy]

1. Thank God for the BMSM

The British Mainstream Media can still be counted on to (usually) give us the straight story.