Psycler - pedaling through the psycho babble of a media distorted reality

Independent Online Edition > Middle East: "The number of US troops being wounded in Iraq is now at its highest level for two years as American forces are confronted by increasing sectarian violence and a continuing insurgency.

Figures released by the Pentagon show that 776 soldiers were wounded in action in Iraq last month.

The September figure represents the fourth largest casualty rate since the US and UK invasion in the spring of 2003 and the largest since November 2004 when US forces were involved in a major offensive to clear the city of Fallujah. Some experts believe the number of wounded provides a better insight to the nature of the conflict in Iraq than the figure of 2,700 killed because - in relation to previous wars - many more wounded troops survive.

The ratio of wounded to killed is 8 to 1, compared with 3 to 1 during the Vietnam War. Anthony Cordesman, of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, told The Washington Post: 'These days wounded are a much better measure of the intensity of the operations than killed.'

The release of the figure came as violence yesterday continued to rock Iraq. US and Iraqi forces were involved in clashes with Shia militia in the southern city of Diwaniyah for the second time in as many months. The US claimed about 30 militia fighters were killed during the operation to secure a 'high value' target

On Saturday two more US soldiers were killed, bringing the overall death toll to 2,741.

Military experts say the increasing toll of wounded US troops may in part be explained by a shift in their duties in recent months - with thousands being moved into Baghdad in an effort to stop the killing of civilians by rival Sunni and Shia factions.

US commanders have asked for 3,000 Iraqi troops to bolster their presence but so far have received only a few hundred.

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