In a surprising irony, Afghanistan has become the most dangerous battlefield for American troops in Iraq. The current mortality rate for US soldiers in Afghanistan is now about nearly twice the rate for those serving in Iraq, based on an analysis by ABC News.
23,000 Marines is now in Iraq, most of them operate in the province of Anbar, the security improvement has been particularly dramatic. No Marine has been killed in combat in Iraq since Lance Cpl. Jeremy W. Burris Tacoma, Washington, was shot in Anbar October 8 (although a few days ago, a Marine was killed in a car accident).
In fact, in November, not a single American soldier was killed in action in the province of Anbar.
On the other hand, the situation has becoming more deteriorated in Afghanistan. There have been 111 American soldiers killed in Afghanistan in 2007, making this year the deadliest for American troops in Afghanistan in any war.
"We are in Afghanistan stagnation and even retrogression," a senior American military official tells ABC News.
It is also the most deadly year for non-US troops, by far. This year, 112 non-US coalition troops have been killed, including 40 from Britain and 29 from Canada.
So far in November, 22 coalition troops have been killed in Afghanistan, 11 of them Americans. Considering that there are only 26000 American soldiers in Afghanistan, compared with more than 160000 in Iraq, the mortality rate is considerably higher in Afghanistan.
As for the success in Iraq, officials caution that the situation could change quickly.
"There are too many uncontrollable variables in Iraq to predict what will happen in the coming months," said coalition spokesman Rear Adm. Gregory Smith.
23,000 Marines is now in Iraq, most of them operate in the province of Anbar, the security improvement has been particularly dramatic. No Marine has been killed in combat in Iraq since Lance Cpl. Jeremy W. Burris Tacoma, Washington, was shot in Anbar October 8 (although a few days ago, a Marine was killed in a car accident).
In fact, in November, not a single American soldier was killed in action in the province of Anbar.
On the other hand, the situation has becoming more deteriorated in Afghanistan. There have been 111 American soldiers killed in Afghanistan in 2007, making this year the deadliest for American troops in Afghanistan in any war.
"We are in Afghanistan stagnation and even retrogression," a senior American military official tells ABC News.
It is also the most deadly year for non-US troops, by far. This year, 112 non-US coalition troops have been killed, including 40 from Britain and 29 from Canada.
So far in November, 22 coalition troops have been killed in Afghanistan, 11 of them Americans. Considering that there are only 26000 American soldiers in Afghanistan, compared with more than 160000 in Iraq, the mortality rate is considerably higher in Afghanistan.
As for the success in Iraq, officials caution that the situation could change quickly.
"There are too many uncontrollable variables in Iraq to predict what will happen in the coming months," said coalition spokesman Rear Adm. Gregory Smith.
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