Troop deaths in Iraq drop in February (CNN); Iraq violence jumps in February (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

From Mohammed Tawfeeq
CNN

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Twenty-nine U.S. troops died in Iraq during February, the third-lowest total of the nearly five-year-old war, according to Pentagon figures compiled by CNN.
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Taps is sounded at Arlington National Cemetery for Army Sgt. John Carl Osmolski, who died February 5 in Iraq.

At the same time, Iraq's Interior Ministry issued figures on Saturday that showed the number of civilian deaths increased 36 percent to 633 from 466 last month. But the civilian death toll was lower than last February's.

The lowest number of U.S. troop deaths came in February 2004, when 20 troops died. The second lowest toll, at 23, was in December 2007.

Violence has dropped across Iraq over the last few months, and the troop death decrease reflects that trend, military and political officials in Iraq say.

The successes of the 2007 U.S. troop increase, a cease-fire called by Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi Army, and the growth of pro-U.S. Sunni groups are some of the reasons cited for the ebb in violence.
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more: http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/03/01/iraq.casualties/index.html




The number of Iraqis killed by violence rose in February for the first time in several months, official figures show.

At least 633 civilians died, according to data from several ministries - up from more than 460 deaths in January.

The increase was mainly due to two attacks in Baghdad and one near Karbala that killed at least 150 people.

The sharp rise reverses a six-month trend of fewer casualties, but it is still down from 1,645 civilians killed in February 2007, according to Reuters.

The February 2006 bombing of a Shia shrine in Samarra triggered a wave of violence in Iraq that peaked with 1,992 deaths in January 2007, according to AFP news agency.
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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7272353.stm


Interesting juxtaposition of articles.

[uppityperson]

1. That is good that less USA military died last month.

[labour]

2. but

a die is always a die