Seven US Marines were killed in action yesterday and today in Iraq.

“Every single one of them is a hero,” said Lt. Col. Kevin Rush of the Headquarters and Service Co. 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines based in Brook Park, Ohio.

At least 25 American service members have been killed in Iraq in the past 10 days - all but two in combat. The Iraqi Defense Ministry said that since the beginning of April, more than 2,700 Iraqis - about half of them civilians - had been killed in insurgency-related incidents.

Fighting has intensified in recent weeks in Haditha, Hit and other dusty towns along the Euphrates River northwest of Baghdad as American forces step up efforts to seal off the approaches to the Syrian border and prevent foreign fighters from entering the country.

Every American death pains me, especially since my own son, Lance Cpl. Steve Sensing, will head to Iraq next month. But we need to remember that the Iraqis are bearing the brunt of the war. The blood is overwhelmingly theirs being shed. While we count our monthly dead in the tens, they count theirs in the hundreds.

The terrorists blow themselves up at a line outside a police or security forces recruiting station, killing many applicants and wounding dozens. The next day the station reopens and the line is just as long. And things like this happen, too:

Citizens of Al Mudhiryiah (a small town in the “death triangle”) were subjected to an attack by several militants today who were trying to punish the residents of this small town for voting in the election last Sunday.
The citizens responded and managed to stop the attack, kill 5 of the attackers, wounded 8 and burned their cars.
3 citizens were injured during the fire exchange. The Shiekh of the tribe to whom the 3 wounded citizens belong demanded more efforts from the government to stop who he described as “Salafis”.