Two soldiers were killed in clashes yesterday with militiamen loyal to rebel Shi'ite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. A senior Iraqi Health Ministry official, Saad al-Amili, said 35 Iraqis were killed and 203 wounded in those clashes, in the Sadr City district of Baghdad. Five other Americans died yesterday in separate attacks, and a soldier was killed early today when a roadside bomb struck a convoy near Balad, 35 miles northeast of Baghdad.
Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kerry issued a statement saying the United States joined the friends and families of those who died in mourning their loss.
''Today marks a tragic milestone in the war in Iraq. More than 1,000 of America's sons and daughters have made the ultimate sacrifice. Our nation honors their service and joins with their families and loved ones in mourning their loss," Kerry said.
''We must never forget the price they have paid. And we must meet our sacred obligation to all our troops to do all we can to make the right decisions in Iraq so that we can bring them home as soon as possible."
Asked about the American death toll, White House press secretary Scott McClellan told reporters, ''We remember, honor, and mourn the loss of all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice defending freedom. And we also remember those who lost their lives on Sept. 11th.
''The best way to honor all those who have lost their life in the war on terrorism is to continue to wage a broad war and spread freedom throughout a dangerous part of the world so that we can transform that region of the world and make the world a safer place, and make America more secure."
President Bush, speaking before news of the 1,000th death was released, said at a campaign rally in Missouri that Americans would support the families of the dead in their prayers.
''My promise to them is that we will complete the mission so that their child or their husband or wife has not died in vain," Bush said. ''We will be there until the mission is finished, and then we're coming home."
