Afghan War Troop Deaths Surged In July

By Laura King
August 1, 2009

Reporting from Kabul, Afghanistan -- The month began with a fatal roadside bombing and ended with word that an American had died of wounds suffered in a firefight. After nearly eight years of warfare in Afghanistan, July proved by far the deadliest month yet for U.S. troops and their foreign allies.

Bombs and rocket attacks, ambushes and aviation accidents killed many of the 72 foreign troops, including 43 Americans, according to data at the website icasualties.org. Previously, the highest monthly U.S. toll was 28 in June 2008, according to the independent website.



July was also the worst month for Britain, the most important U.S. ally in Afghanistan, since the 1980s Falklands war. Twenty-two British soldiers died, spurring soul-searching in a country where a recent poll suggested that a majority of the public considers the Afghan war unwinnable.

Analysts and military officials cited a web of factors in the record death toll, including a major American military offensive in the south and a parallel push by British troops.

Also driving the increased casualty count is the growing U.S. troop presence, Western forays into previously Taliban-dominated areas and a determined, resilient insurgency.

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http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-afghanistan1-2009aug01,0,1438552.story