20 Americans Die in Iraq

For the last three weeks, it seemed the killing of Americans in Iraq was easing off though the sectarian deaths continued. Saturday was a terrible day. Twenty Americans in one day is unbearable for a war that doesn't make any sense. Reuters has the story:

U.S. forces had one of their costliest days in Iraq on Saturday when 20 troops were killed, including 13 on a helicopter and five in a clash in a Shi'ite holy city that the U.S. military blamed on militiamen.

The battle at a government building in Kerbala was the bloodiest for U.S. troops in the Shi'ite south in two years and occurred as President George W. Bush presses leaders of the Shi'ite majority to crack down on militias from their community.

Hours after the loss of all 13 passengers and crew aboard a Blackhawk transport helicopter, the U.S. military said five soldiers were killed and three wounded in the Kerbala clash. Two other soldiers were killed elsewhere, and the deaths of two killed on Friday were also announced.

We have gone from a war that should never have been started by Bush to a war that is difficult to disengage from because of the huge mess that Bush has made. This is not acceptable.