3 US soldiers die in Iraq

The Pentagon announced yesterday the death of 3 US soldiers in Iraq.

Pfc. Robert J. Settle, 25, of Owensboro, Ky., died in Taji, Iraq, on April 19, when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMWV during combat operations. Settle was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 66th Armored Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Marcques J. Nettles, 22, of Beaverton, Ore., died April 2, when the truck he was riding in rolled over in a flash flood near Al Asad, Iraq.Nettles was previously listed as Duty Status - Whereabouts Unknown. His body was recovered April 16.He was assigned to1stCombat Logistics Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Pendleton, Calif.

Pfc. Patrick A. Tinnell, 25, of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., died in As Siniyah, Iraq, on April 19, when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated during a dismounted combat patrol. Tinnell was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.

US military officials noted that working together, the coalition and Iraqi security forces have reached a point where almost 50 percent of improvised explosive devices are found and cleared before they detonate, US military officials said. One reason for this success is that operations have been designed to take sophisticated bomb makers off the battlefield.

In 2005, 115 bomb makers were taken off the battlefield, and since the beginning of 2006, 26 more have been captured, Lynch said. The capture of people with technical expertise results in the production of less-effective IEDs that aren't reliable.

Another factor that has helped reduce attacks in Iraq is the effectiveness of border operations. Foreign fighters conduct most suicide attacks, and the Iraqi security forces have been able to significantly limit the flow of people across Iraq's borders, resulting in a more-than-50-percent reduction in suicide attacks, US military officials said.