Higher US Iraq toll not due to eroded security: general

0 Comments | AFP, April, 2008

WASHINGTON (AFP) — The jump in April in US soldier deaths in Iraq -- at 49 the highest monthly toll since September 2007 -- does not reflect deteriorated security in the country, a senior US military official said Wednesday.

"While it is sad to see an increase in casualties, I don't think it is necessarily indicative of a major change in the operating environment," said Lieutenant General Carter Ham, Joint Staff director for operations in the US Department of Defense.

"When the level of fighting increases, then sadly the number of casualties does tend to rise," he said.

The higher toll came after a jump in fighting with Shiite militias in Iraq, but Ham said it did not mean overall conditions had worsened.

"I am not sure a one-month increase would be...