U.S. Troop Deaths Surge

Sixty U.S. troops were killed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan during the month of June alone, despite the United States' declarations of improved security measures in both countries. Nearly half of the deaths resulted from confrontations with the Taliban and other militant groups in Afghanistan, raising concern that the tribe is regaining lost ground. Meanwhile in Iraq, many troops died during rocket attacks on U.S. military bases, which officials have linked to extremist Iranian-backed Shiite Muslim groups. The surge in troop casualties puts the Obama administration in an awkward position of accounting for the deaths a year after declaring "combat operations" over in Iraq, and weighing the decision to begin the drawdown of 33,000 troops from Afghanistan.