U. S. death toll in Iraq hits another milestone

The Associated Press

BAGHDAD — The U.S. death toll reached 2,001 on Wednesday with the announcement that a soldier died in an accident the night before. Three mostly Sunni Arab parties said they have formed a coalition to compete in upcoming parliamentary elections as the minority moves to consolidate its power in the political arena.

The soldier, whose identity was withheld pending noti* cation of relatives, died in a vehicle accident Tuesday evening near Camp Bucca, a U.S. detention center in southern Iraq, the military said. The statement raised by one the number of U.S. servicemembers killed in the war a day after the somber milestone of 2,000 was reached.

The U.S. Senate on Tuesday observed a moment of silence in honor of the fallen Americans.

“ We owe them a deep debt of gratitude for their courage, for their valor, for their strength, for their commitment to our country,” Republican Majority Leader Bill Frist said.

In Washington Tuesday, President Bush warned the U.S. public to brace for more casualties in the * ght against “ as brutal an enemy aswe have ever faced.”

Meanwhile, the mostly Sunni Arab political parties announced they have formed a coalition called the Iraqi Accord to compete in parliamentary elections in December.

The General Conference for the People of Iraq, the Iraqi Islamic Party and the Iraqi National Dialogue have been urging members of the disaffected minority to take part in the Dec. 15 election.

Sunni Arabs largely boycotted the Jan. 30 election of Iraq’s interim government of mostly majority Shiites and Kurds. But many Sunnis ignored calls by insurgents to boycott the Oct. 15 constitutional referendum and voted against the charter.

The constitution was overwhelmingly approved, largely because of heavy support by Shiites and Kurds. Some Sunnis — who fear the constitution will lead to the breakup of Iraq and consolidate Kurdish and Shiite power in oil- rich areas — hope that if they increase their seats in parliament in the next election, they can vote for amendments in the constitution.