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CRAWFORD, Texas - President George W Bush has mourned the death of the 3000th US soldier in Iraq, the White House said.
Bush has been under pressure to change course in Iraq amid widespread public and political discontent. He is expected to unveil his new strategy, which could include more US troops sent into battle, early next month.
"The president believes that every life is precious and grieves for each one that is lost," said White House spokesman Scott Stanzel. "He will ensure their sacrifice was not made in vain."
In addition to reaching the new milestone, December is the deadliest month for US forces in the past two years, with 111 dead, according to the website icasualties.org. Tens of thousands of Iraqis have died in the almost four-year-old war.
Bush, who is spending a weeklong holiday break at his Texas ranch, has been considering a range of options that includes a short-term increase in forces, but he has rejected the idea of a timetable for withdrawing the 134,000 troops now in Iraq.
Nonetheless, Bush has shown little desire to make dramatic changes to his policies despite voters giving control of Congress to Democrats next year, which was widely seen as a reflection of dissatisfaction with the Republican president's handling of the war.
Despite the execution of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, Bush warned that violence in Iraq would not end, and was quickly proven correct when suspected insurgents loyal to Saddam set off car bombs killing more than 70 on Saturday.
"Many difficult choices and further sacrifices lie ahead," Bush said in a statement after the hanging. "Yet the safety and security of the American people require that we not relent in ensuring that Iraq's young democracy continues to progress."
The Bush administration has argued that establishing a free Iraq that can govern and sustain itself is critical to winning a broader war on terrorism and preventing attacks from being conducted on American soil.
"We will be fighting violent jihadists for peace and security of the civilised world for years to come," Stanzel said.
- REUTERS
