Troops' death toll in April reaches 100

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Troops' death toll in April reaches 100



BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The U.S. military added a dozen more troops to the war's death roster over the weekend, bringing to 701 the number of American service members killed since March of last year, 505 of them in combat.

April's death toll for U.S. forces stood at 100 Monday.

The latest fighting included a fierce engagement Saturday between Marines and insurgents near Iraq's border with Syria.

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, meanwhile, said he will withdraw Spanish troops from Iraq "in the shortest time possible." (Full story)

Zapatero, who was sworn into office Saturday, previously vowed to bring home Spain's 1,400 troops if the United Nations did not have "political and military control" in Iraq by June 30.

Radical Islamic cleric Muqtada al-Sadr welcomed Zapatero's announcement, an al-Sadr spokesman said Monday.

According to Fuad al-Turfi in Najaf, al-Sadr is also asking that people from all coalition countries put pressure on their governments to follow the footsteps of Spain and to pull out their forces.

U.S. civilian administrator L. Paul Bremer said Sunday that the recent heavy fighting underscored the need for international forces to remain in the country past the June 30 handover of sovereignty to an interim government.

"Events of the past two weeks show that Iraq still faces security threats and needs outside help to deal with them," Bremer said in a statement.

"Early this month, the foes of democracy overran Iraqi police stations and seized public buildings in several parts of the country. Iraqi forces were unable to stop them.

"It is clear that Iraqi forces will not be able, on their own, to deal with these threats by June 30 when an Iraqi government assumes sovereignty," Bremer's statement went on to say.

"Instead, Iraq and troops from many countries, including the United States, will be partners in providing the security Iraqis need."

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