Wire: 6 US Troops Killed in 24 Hours in Afghanistan

Off the Wire:

WASHINGTON, Aug. 2, 2009 -- Newswire services this morning reported that NATO says that three U.S. troops died after overnight a roadside bomb struck a military vehicle and insurgents attacked the patrol with gunfire.

Officials said three U.S. troops were killed Saturday when roadside bombs ripped through their patrol in southern Afghanistan.

The three U.S. deaths bring to nine the number of NATO troops killed already this month. Six of those were American troops.

July was the deadliest month for international troops since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion. But August has already gotten off to a lethal start, The Associated Press said.

Last month, 74 foreign troops were killed, including 43 Americans.

Recently, President Barack Obama said "victory" in Afghanistan country isn't the United States' goal.

In a factually incorrect comparison, Obama told ABC News, "I'm always worried about using the word 'victory,' because, you know, it invokes this notion of Emperor Hirohito coming down and signing a surrender to MacArthur."

There are currently 62,000 U.S. troops and 39,000 allied forced in Afghanistan, on top of about 175,000 Afghan soldiers and police. Some NATO countries plan to withdraw their troops in the next couple of years, even as the U.S. ramps up its presence, AP noted.

(Report from newswire sources.)

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