U.S. Death Toll in Iraq at Least 52 This Month

Iraqi insurgents pressed their assault on U.S. and allied forces Thursday as two Americans and a Briton were kidnapped from their Baghdad house and three Marines were killed, bringing the number of U.S. military deaths in the country this month to at least 52. The brazen abduction of the employees of a Middle East-based construction firm continued a violent week that has left more than 200 Iraqis dead, and it followed a similar kidnapping of two Italian women from their office 10 days ago.  No one immediately claimed responsibility for the abduction, but almost all of the more than 120 kidnappings of foreigners in Iraq have been carried out by militant groups seeking to drive out U.S. forces, aid workers and foreign companies involved in supporting military and reconstruction efforts.   [more ]