SUN: Grim Milestone


Click photo to play
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.