U.S. death toll reaches 200

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- After days of intense searching by ground and air, U.S. forces on Saturday found the bodies of two soldiers missing north of Baghdad, as the toll of American dead since the start of war topped the grim milestone of 200.

Also Saturday, British forces were greeted peacefully as they returned to a southern Shiite town where six of their troops were killed in clashes. And the U.S. military announced small rebuilding projects, ranging from the delivery of school and medical supplies to the restoration of power and water in several Iraqi towns.

The day's events highlighted the pattern of progress and setback that has bedeviled the U.S.-led occupation, facing daily attacks that distract from the mission of reconstruction.

Sgt. 1st Class Gladimir Philippe, 37, of Roselle, N.J., and Pfc. Kevin Ott, 27, of Columbus, Ohio, were last seen Wednesday at their post in the town of Balad, 25 miles north of Baghdad.

Their remains were found 20 miles northwest of the capital Saturday morning, while their Humvee was recovered Friday in another location nearby, a senior Pentagon official said on condition of anonymity.

The crew had two M16 rifles, a grenade launcher and a global-positioning unit, and were equipped to have radio and visual contact with nearby teams, the official said, adding that he did not know if any of that gear was missing.

A sandstorm at the time made it hard to see, though it was not known if the storm contributed to the disappearance or to the other soldiers' not noticing that it was happening, the official said.

Iraqis later reported seeing the Humvee traveling with a white vehicle. The vehicle was tracked to a house, which led to the detentions of people being questioned.

In other violence, attackers lobbed a grenade at a U.S. convoy making its way through the predominantly Shiite Thawra neighborhood of northeast Baghdad late Friday, killing one American soldier and wounding four others, said military spokesman Sgt. Patrick Compton. A civilian Iraqi interpreter was also wounded, he said. No arrests were made and no further details were immediately available.

Another soldier, shot in the neck Friday as he shopped at a Baghdad market, was listed in critical condition Saturday, Compton said.

Confirming identities

The deaths bring to at least 63 the number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq since major combat was declared over on May 1. The military has confirmed the identities of 138 soldiers killed before that date, for a total of 201 so far, while the names of several other casualties have not yet been made available.

In addition, some 42 British troops have died in the current conflict. The American death toll was still far below the 382 U.S. troops killed in the 1991 Gulf War.

It is impossible to know how many Iraqi soldiers have died since the war started on March 20. An Associated Press investigation completed earlier this month found that at least 3,240 civilians died throughout the country.

The persistent drumbeat of guerrilla-style attacks and sabotage also has raised doubts about the coalition's mission in Iraq. Senate Democrats in Washington have called for an inquiry into the credibility of prewar intelligence on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction and its links to the al-Qaida terror network.

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on Friday blamed the violence on scattered, disorganized remnants of the ousted Saddam Hussein government. Secretary of State Colin Powell pointed to a combination of leftover Baath Party members, Fedayeen fighters and criminals who loot and steal in Iraq "taking it out on soldiers."

As attacks increased, so has fear that anti-American resistance was becoming more organized. The U.S. military brushed off those claims, although there were signs that larger-scale military operations might kick off soon to eliminate armed resistance.

"We have always anticipated and were prepared for what we term as pockets of resistance," said Lt. Commander Nicholas Balice, a spokesman for Centcom in Tampa, Fla. "We anticipate that we'll be dealing with the situation for some time."