Iraq's roadside bombs cause most US troop deaths

MORE than twice as many American soldiers have been killed inIraq by roadside booby-traps than by sniper fire, mortars, carbombs, rocket-propelled grenades and suicide attackers combined,according to figures obtained by The Herald.

Of the 3003 US military deaths recorded as of December 30, 1080died from wounds inflicted by blast and shrapnel from "improvisedexplosive devices", while 524 were victims of the other fiveconfirmed forms of direct attack.

A further 203 died in road acidents and 81 in helicopter crashes.The casualty list classifies 618 deaths as "other causes", 50 inambushes where there were more than one possible cause of death, and447 as victims of unspecified "general hostile fire".

Despite a research budget of almost GBP3bn, the Pentagon hasstill to find failsafe methods of locating and neutralising roadsidebombs as attacks on coalition vehicles continue at a rate of 1000 amonth.

The booby-traps are also becoming more lethal, inflicting 67 outof the past 100 recorded kills of patrolling troops in Baghdad andthe Sunni Triangle.

About half of the 23,000 US troops wounded since 2003 are alsovictims of what General Richard Cody, the US Army's vice-chief ofstaff, descibes as "the poor man's cruise missile".

British sources say insurgents looted enough explosives from armydepots as Saddam's regime collapsed to maintain current levels ofbomb-making "almost indefinitely".

In an attempt to reduce casualties, the Pentagon has recruitedwounded veterans whose experience can be used in training tactics.

Although improved body armour and new frontline medicaltechniques have cut the number of potential fatalities by up to 50-per cent, the downside of the blast effect of large explosions isthat many survivors sustain brain damage or lose one or more limbs.More than 400 amputees are receiving specialist treatment.

Two British soldiers were injured when their patrol came underattack in southern Iraq.

A roadside bomb hit their convoy as they carried out a securitypatrol along the banks of a river in the Al Ashshar area of Basraprovince.

Violence continued in Iraq yesterday after a suicide car bombstruck a market in the Shi'ite district of Sadr City and police said17 people died.

The attack occurred a day after a blast targeting students killed70 in what appeared to be a renewed campaign of Sunni insurgentviolence.

Yesterday's explosion near the outdoor Mereidi market alsowounded 33 people.

Another suicide car bomb exploded earlier at a checkpoint in thenorthern oil city of Kirkuk, killing 10 people and injuring dozens.

Northern Iraq also has seen an increase in violence as Iraqitroops prepare for a crackdown in Baghdad.

Iraq's roadside bombs cause most US troop deaths

MORE than twice as many American soldiers have been killed inIraq by roadside booby-traps than by sniper fire, mortars, carbombs, rocket-propelled grenades and suicide attackers combined,according to figures obtained by The Herald.

Of the 3003 US military deaths recorded as of December 30, 1080died from wounds inflicted by blast and shrapnel from "improvisedexplosive devices", while 524 were victims of the other fiveconfirmed forms of direct attack.

A further 203 died in road acidents and 81 in helicopter crashes.The casualty list classifies 618 deaths as "other causes", 50 inambushes where there were more than one possible cause of death, and447 as victims of unspecified "general hostile fire".

Despite a research budget of almost GBP3bn, the Pentagon hasstill to find failsafe methods of locating and neutralising roadsidebombs as attacks on coalition vehicles continue at a rate of 1000 amonth.

The booby-traps are also becoming more lethal, inflicting 67 outof the past 100 recorded kills of patrolling troops in Baghdad andthe Sunni Triangle.

About half of the 23,000 US troops wounded since 2003 are alsovictims of what General Richard Cody, the US Army's vice-chief ofstaff, descibes as "the poor man's cruise missile".

British sources say insurgents looted enough explosives from armydepots as Saddam's regime collapsed to maintain current levels ofbomb-making "almost indefinitely".

In an attempt to reduce casualties, the Pentagon has recruitedwounded veterans whose experience can be used in training tactics.

Although improved body armour and new frontline medicaltechniques have cut the number of potential fatalities by up to 50-per cent, the downside of the blast effect of large explosions isthat many survivors sustain brain damage or lose one or more limbs.More than 400 amputees are receiving specialist treatment.

Two British soldiers were injured when their patrol came underattack in southern Iraq.

A roadside bomb hit their convoy as they carried out a securitypatrol along the banks of a river in the Al Ashshar area of Basraprovince.

Violence continued in Iraq yesterday after a suicide car bombstruck a market in the Shi'ite district of Sadr City and police said17 people died.

The attack occurred a day after a blast targeting students killed70 in what appeared to be a renewed campaign of Sunni insurgentviolence.

Yesterday's explosion near the outdoor Mereidi market alsowounded 33 people.

Another suicide car bomb exploded earlier at a checkpoint in thenorthern oil city of Kirkuk, killing 10 people and injuring dozens.

Northern Iraq also has seen an increase in violence as Iraqitroops prepare for a crackdown in Baghdad.

Iraq's roadside bombs cause most US troop deaths

MORE than twice as many American soldiers have been killed inIraq by roadside booby-traps than by sniper fire, mortars, carbombs, rocket-propelled grenades and suicide attackers combined,according to figures obtained by The Herald.

Of the 3003 US military deaths recorded as of December 30, 1080died from wounds inflicted by blast and shrapnel from "improvisedexplosive devices", while 524 were victims of the other fiveconfirmed forms of direct attack.

A further 203 died in road acidents and 81 in helicopter crashes.The casualty list classifies 618 deaths as "other causes", 50 inambushes where there were more than one possible cause of death, and447 as victims of unspecified "general hostile fire".

Despite a research budget of almost GBP3bn, the Pentagon hasstill to find failsafe methods of locating and neutralising roadsidebombs as attacks on coalition vehicles continue at a rate of 1000 amonth.

The booby-traps are also becoming more lethal, inflicting 67 outof the past 100 recorded kills of patrolling troops in Baghdad andthe Sunni Triangle.

About half of the 23,000 US troops wounded since 2003 are alsovictims of what General Richard Cody, the US Army's vice-chief ofstaff, descibes as "the poor man's cruise missile".

British sources say insurgents looted enough explosives from armydepots as Saddam's regime collapsed to maintain current levels ofbomb-making "almost indefinitely".

In an attempt to reduce casualties, the Pentagon has recruitedwounded veterans whose experience can be used in training tactics.

Although improved body armour and new frontline medicaltechniques have cut the number of potential fatalities by up to 50-per cent, the downside of the blast effect of large explosions isthat many survivors sustain brain damage or lose one or more limbs.More than 400 amputees are receiving specialist treatment.

Two British soldiers were injured when their patrol came underattack in southern Iraq.

A roadside bomb hit their convoy as they carried out a securitypatrol along the banks of a river in the Al Ashshar area of Basraprovince.

Violence continued in Iraq yesterday after a suicide car bombstruck a market in the Shi'ite district of Sadr City and police said17 people died.

The attack occurred a day after a blast targeting students killed70 in what appeared to be a renewed campaign of Sunni insurgentviolence.

Yesterday's explosion near the outdoor Mereidi market alsowounded 33 people.

Another suicide car bomb exploded earlier at a checkpoint in thenorthern oil city of Kirkuk, killing 10 people and injuring dozens.

Northern Iraq also has seen an increase in violence as Iraqitroops prepare for a crackdown in Baghdad.