U.S. Military Deaths in Iraq

As of Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009, at least 4,346 members of the U.S. military had died in the Iraq war since it began in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.

Since the start of U.S. military operations in Iraq, 31,510 U.S. service members have been wounded in hostile action, according to the Defense Department’s weekly tally.

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U.S. Troop Casualties in Iraq

Latest identifications:

Army Spc. Michael S. Cote Jr., 20, Denham Springs, La., died Sept. 19, 2009 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter he was in crashed. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, Task Force 49, Fort Wainwright, Alaska.

Air Force Senior Airman Matthew R. Courtois, 22, Lucas, Texas, died Sept. 20, 2009 as the result of a non-hostile incident on Abdullah Al Mubarak Airbase, Kuwait. He was assigned to the 366th Security Forces Squadron, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.

U.S. Military Deaths in Afghanistan

As of Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009, at least 764 members of the U.S. military had died in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan as a result of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, according to the Defense Department.

Latest identifications:

Army Sgt. Andrew H. McConnell, 24, Carlisle, Pa., died Sept. 14, 2009 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.

Army 1st Lt. David T. Wright II, 26, Moore, Okla., died Sept. 14, 2009 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.

Army Sgt. Demetrius L. Void, 20, Orangeburg, S.C., died Sept. 15, 2009 at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when a military vehicle struck him while conducting physical training [jogging]. He was assigned to the 57th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, 11th Signal Brigade, III Corps, Fort Hood, Texas.

Army Green Beret Sgt. 1st Class Bradley S. Bohle, 29, Glen Burnie, Md., died Sept. 16, 2009 in Ghur Ghuri, Helmand province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle Sept. 15 with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Army Sgt. Robert D. Gordon II, 22, River Falls, Ala., died Sept. 16, 2009 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, from a noncombat-related illness, after becoming ill Sept. 11 in southern Afghanistan. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, 5th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.

Army Green Beret Sgt. 1st Class Shawn P. McCloskey, 33, Peachtree City, Ga., died Sept. 16, 2009  in Ghur Ghuri, Helmand province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle Sept. 15 with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Army Green Beret Staff Sgt. Joshua M. Mills, 24, El Paso, Texas, died Sept. 16, 2009 in Ghur Ghuri, Helmand province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle Sept. 15 with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Army Pfc. Jeremiah J. Monroe, 31, Niskayuna, N.Y., died Sept. 17, 2009 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 7th Engineer Battalion, 10th Sustainment Brigade, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.

Army Sgt. David A. Davis, 28, Dalhart, Texas, died Sept. 19, 2009 at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked the base using indirect fire. He was assigned to the 32nd Transportation Company, 68th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 43rd Sustainment Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Carson, Colo.

Army Spc. Corey J. Kowall, 20, Murfreesboro, Tenn., died Sept. 20, 2009 in Zabul province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained during a vehicle rollover. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Army Spc. Damon G. Winkleman, 23, Lakeville, Ohio, died Sept. 20, 2009 in Zabul province, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained during a vehicle rollover. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.

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NATIONAL SECURITY UPDATE

Al-Qaida Video Predicts Obama’s Fall

September 22, 2009

CAIRO — Al-Qaida on Tuesday marked the eighth anniversary of Sept. 11 with a new 106-minute long video predicting President Barack Obama’s downfall at the hands of the Muslim world.

The Arabic-language video released on militant Web sites, featured a review of the events of the past year and testimony from several leading al-Qaida figures, but not the leader Osama bin Laden himself.

Similar long messages intercut with news footage have appeared on previous anniversaries as a kind of year’s roundup. Bin Laden released a short message of his own on Sept. 14.

The video sounded similar themes as past ones, including an attempt to conflate Obama with his predecessor, George W. Bush, who was widely disliked by Muslims for his invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.

Many analysts believe that al-Qaida has been alarmed by Obama’s comparative popularity in the Middle East, especially following his landmark speech to the Muslim world in Cairo in June.

“America has come in a new, hypocritical face. Smiling at us, but stabbing us with the same dagger that Bush used,” said Al-Qaida No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahri in the message.

“God willing, your end will be at the hands of the Muslim nation, so that the world and history will be free of your crimes and lies.” he said addressing Obama at the end of the two part video. …

Video’s anti-American tone

The message included a lengthy section on U.S. prisons and torture facilities and showed footage of what appeared to be an American torturing an Afghan for information by dunking his head into a bucket of water.

The SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors extremist Web sites, identified the person conducting the torture as Jonathan Keith Idema, who also appeared in last year’s al-Qaida video.

The message also discussed the progress of the various jihadi movements around the world, in particular Taliban victories against U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

The video’s strident anti-American tone and detailed enumeration of what it describes as the U.S. crimes was in sharp contrast to the earlier bin Laden message which appeared to be an appeal to the American people to sever their ties with Israel and end the war with al-Qaida.

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Related reports on this site

Bin Laden Attacks Obama (Sept. 14, 2009)

Bin Laden Rails Against Obama (June 4, 2009)

Al-Qaida Lashes Out At Obama (June 3, 2009)

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FROM THE ARCHIVES: One Year Ago — September 22, 2008

Pakistani Shiite Muslims burn flags of Israel and the United States to condemn alleged U.S. strikes in Pakistani tribal areas along the Afghanistan border, Monday, Sept. 22, 2008 in Karachi, Pakistan. (Photo credit: Shakil Adil / AP)

After the Primary Election: Day 13

One year ago today, on the 13th day after losing my 2008 primary challenge against U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann in Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District, in line with my focus on national security, I reported on tensions between Pakistan and the United States stemming from U.S. cross-border incursions from neighboring Afghanistan; bombings and kidnappings in Afghanistan and Pakistan; and ongoing violence in Iraq.