June 2003
Dead Enders
"In those regions where pockets of dead-enders are trying to reconstitute, Gen. (Tommy) Franks and his team are rooting them out...In short, the coalition is making good progress."
—Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, at a June 18 Pentagon press conference
Over 50 American troops have been killed since major combat operations were declared over on May 1. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld blames continued problems in Iraq on the last remnants of Saddam's Baathist regime, claiming that the level of violence is not different from everyday crime in a major U.S. city. Months later, British military officials estimate there are 40,000 to 50,000 insurgent fighters in the country. An Iraqi intelligence director puts the number at 200,000 insurgents, larger than the U.S. military in Iraq.