Number of U.S. soldiers killed in Afghanistan doubles in 2009

Laura King
L.A. Times
January 1, 2010

Reporting from Kabul, Afghanistan – American military fatalities in Afghanistan doubled in 2009 compared with the previous year, and U.S. officials and analysts acknowledge that the new year is likely to prove even more lethal.

[efoods]The planned U.S. troop buildup and ever-deadlier tactics adopted by the Taliban and other insurgent groups are expected to result in at least a temporary surge in deaths and injuries among American troops. Nearly 70,000 are currently serving here and an additional 30,000 are to arrive in this year.

Heading into a ninth year of warfare in Afghanistan, military casualties settled into near-lock-step with the passing of each day — a firefight here, a suicide bombing there. The most violent parts of the country — the south, the east — remained so, but some previously quiet corners also descended into carnage.

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This article was posted: Friday, January 1, 2010 at 6:24 pm

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