As of Christmas Eve, there have been over 1300 U.S. military casualties in Iraq- 90% of which have occurred after President Bush declared the war was over. Sneak attacks and suicide bombers appear to be eating away at American morale.

“Troop frustration is growing,” said a four-star general, speaking on condition of anonymity.

On Christmas Eve, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld made a surprise visit to troops in some of the most dangerous areas of Iraq following weeks of criticism for his callous attitude toward U.S soldiers.

On December 17, Rumsfeld admitted to signing condolence letters automatically using a machine.

Just over a week earlier, Rumsfeld was grilled by U.S. soldiers for not providing sufficient gear and armor. One National Guard mechanic reported that he and his comrades had to rummage though junkyards looking for metal to armor their vehicles with, according to The Associated Press.

Only 60% in the regular military and 40% in the National Guard and Reserves said they felt they were properly trained and equipped, according to a recent poll of 655 troops on active duty by The National Annenberg Election Survey.

“If you think about it, you can have all the armor in the world on a tank and a tank can be blown up,” said Rumsfeld at the meeting with U.S. troops earlier this month. Nonetheless, his spokesman Lawrence Di Rita said that they have now increased production of armored humvees to 450 per month, up from 15 per month in the fall of 2003.

Last Wednesday American troops experienced the most deadly attack since the war officially ended on May 1, 2003. Twenty-two people, mostly American soldiers, were killed when an explosion, likely from a suicide bomber, struck a mess tent in Mosul, about 200 miles north of Baghdad.

Incidentally, on the same day British Prime Minister Tony Blair had made a surprise visit to Baghdad to reassure troops that the guerrillas would be defeated and that elections would take place as scheduled.

The next day, three U.S. marines and one soldier were killed in Fallujah while investigating Wednesday’s attack.