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Length: 1:21
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD: The
U.S. reaches a grim milestone. The number of U.S.
forces killed in Iraq, Afghanistan and other fronts
is now higher than the number of people killed in the
9/11 terror attacks. CNN's Michael Ware is embedded
with U.S. troops in Ramadi.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: With U.S. military
deaths in both Iraq and Afghanistan now surpassing
the human toll in the September 11 attacks in New
York and Washington of 2,973, a poignant landmark has
been reached.
With a resurgent Taliban emerging from its
sanctuaries in Pakistan -- as was predicted years ago
-- taking on coalition forces and almost overrunning
British positions in the country's south, and with an
insurgency here in Iraq continuing to spike, al Qaeda
growing ever stronger despite its losses and the
recent arrest of its No. 2 in the country, all amid
ongoing sectarian bloodshed and entrenched Iranian
influence, American commanders here on the ground say
with troop levels returning to 140,000 -- a number
not seen since the beginning of this year -- there is
little promise of these military deaths abating any
time soon.
Michael Ware, CNN, Ramadi, Iraq.