Afghanistan Death Toll Outpaces Iraq

For the second month in a row, the number of American and NATO troops killed in Afghanistan — 45 — was higher than in Iraq. In fact, the so-called forgotten war was deadlier last month than at any time since the United States invaded in 2001, according to an AP tally.

AP via the Los Angeles Times:

In Iraq, at least 31 international soldiers died in June: 29 U.S. troops and one each from the former Soviet republics of Georgia and Azerbaijan. There are 144,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, along with 4,000 from Britain and small contingents from several other nations.

The 40-nation international coalition is much broader in Afghanistan, where only about half of the 65,000 international troops are American.

U.S. Maj. Gen. Jeffrey J. Schloesser, the top commander of U.S. forces [in Afghanistan], said in June that militant attacks were becoming more complex — such as gunfire from multiple angles plus a roadside bomb. Insurgents are using more explosives, he said.

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