Troop deaths in Iraq price of victory: US

United States military deaths in Iraq are the price of fighting for victory in the battle against terrorism, the White House said Wednesday, as the US military reported 10 soldiers killed in a single day.

The casualties in a string of separate attacks Tuesday raised this month's US death toll above 60, making October already one of the bloodiest months for US troops since the March 2003 invasion.

Asked by a reporter whether the latest deaths would prompt US President George W Bush to change strategy, White House spokesman Tony Snow said:

"No, the strategy is to win. Bush grieves for the people who have served in Iraq, but victory comes at a cost."
 
US officials have blamed the recent surge in violence in part on stepped-up fighting between sectarian militias and US and Iraqi forces. Nearly 2,800 US troops have died in Iraq since the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, and Americans' support for the war is slumping.

- DPA