US Army Specialist Dustin R. Donica, 22, of Spring, Texas, was killed on December 28 in Baghdad (Family/AP)The grieving father of the 3,000th American soldier killed in Iraq has paid tribute to his son, as President George W. Bush admitted that US military deaths are the result of "my decisions" and described them as "the most painful aspect of the presidency". Specialist Dustin Donica's unit was conducting counter-insurgency operations at Karmah, in Iraq's al-Anbar province, when he was fatally struck by small-arms fire from enemy forces, an Army spokesman said.
The death of the bright, popular 22-year-old soldier from Spring, Texas, takes the toll incurred by United States troops to the landmark 3,000 figure since the start of the invasion in March 2003. David Donica, Spc Donica's father, said he only learned that his son's death was the 3,000th for the American military in Iraq when he logged onto the internet shortly after becoming mystified by a growing pack of reporters who had come to the family's home. "We had no idea why we were getting, within an hour almost, eight or nine people at the door," he said yesterday. "That was a surprise to us because none of them mentioned why they were there. Perhaps, they were embarrassed. One guy was standing there shaking like a leaf."
Mr Donica added, in a written statement issued to the media, that he was proud of his son. "Dustin had a tremendous sense of duty, both to his family, and his country. He will be missed by his family, and all those that knew him," he said. The American public was given a glimpse of the young man behind the tragic statistic when it was revealed that Spc Donica kept a MySpace.com website. Known as "Double D" to his friends, he talked about his future plans, his likes and dislikes. "I like to play a lot of sports — soccer, basketball, racquetball and ultimate frisbee are my favorites," he wrote. The young soldier last logged on to the website the day after Christmas.
By last weekend, friends were filling Spc Donica's MySpace site with notes of condolence. "Always in my prayers brother, see you at the gates," read a message from Chris Donaton, who said he served with Spc Donica in Alaska. "It's just so shocking. You hear these [combat death] statistics but once you put a human face on it, it completely changes the way you feel," said Jon Baben, who was president of Spc Donica's 2002 high school class. "He was always so energetic and an unbreakable spirit." The death of the 3,000th American soldier in Iraq comes at a make-or-break time for the American-British operation there. Saddam Hussein, the former Iraqi dictator, was executed on Saturday, leading supporters to vow to avenge his death, while Mr Bush told an end-of-year press conference that the growing US death toll, caused by an escalating insurgency in the country, distressed him and he accepted responsibility for it.
"The most painful aspect of the presidency is the fact that I know my decisions have caused young men and women to lose their lives," Mr Bush said, in one of his most candid confessions about the impact of the conflict on his credibility. In a special additional statement from his ranch in Crawford, Texas yesterday, Mr Bush wished the troops and all Americans a happy new year and added that the nation depended on the men and women in the armed services and was mindful of their dedication and sacrifice. "Last year, America continued its mission to fight and win the war on terror and promote liberty as an alternative to tyranny and despair," Mr Bush said. "In the new year, we will remain on the offensive against the enemies of freedom, advance the security of our country and work toward a free and unified Iraq. Defeating terrorists and extremists is the challenge of our time, and we will answer history's call with confidence and fight for liberty without wavering."
Asked about Spc Donica's death, and the 3,000 figure, the deputy White House press secretary Scott Stanzel, said yesterday that the President "will ensure their sacrifice was not made in vain". "We will be fighting violent jihadists for peace and security of the civilised world for years to come. The brave men and women of the US military are fighting extremists in order to stop them from attacking on our soil again," Mr Stanzel said. Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy called the figure a "tragic milestone" and said the Government owed its troops "a new policy that is worthy of their heroism and brings them safely home".
In a sign of growing tensions in Iraq following Saddam's execution and danger of a further escalation, the former dictator's supporters vowed to take revenge for his hanging, as hundreds of Iraqis travelled to his burial site to pay tribute. While celebrations in Iraq's Shia neighbourhoods continued, Saddam loyalists, mostly from the Sunni community, vowed to take revenge. "I condemn the way he was executed and I consider it a crime," said 45-year-old Salam Hassan al-Nasseri, one of Saddam's clansmen. Despite a police blockade in Tikrit, gunmen took to the streets, carrying pictures of the former President, shooting into the air and demanding vengeance. There were further demonstrations in nearby Samarra, north of Baghdad, and Ramadi, west of the capital. Today, in a protest in Jordan attended by around 500 people, Saddam's daughter, Raghad, made a surprise appearance to denounce his execution.
It emerged yesterday that, although Saddam met his fate calmly, he had been taunted minutes before his death and had a frosty exchange with one of his guards, saying to the guard: "God damn you." A new video, apparently shot with a camera phone and posted on a website, showed Saddam exchanging taunts with onlookers before the gallows floor dropped away. Meanwhile, an American military nurse who cared for Saddam in jail revealed that the Iraqi despot saved bread crusts to feed birds and rarely complained to his captors. Master Sergeant Robert Ellis, 56, cared for the former leader from January 2004 until August 2005 at Camp Cropper, the compound near Baghdad where Saddam and other "high value detainees" were held.
Sgt Ellis, an operating theatre nurse in the St Louis, Missouri, suburb of St Charles, said he was ordered to do whatever was needed to keep Saddam, 69, alive. "He had very good coping skills," Sgt Ellis said, adding that Saddam shared with Ellis memories of happier times when his children were young. The former dictator described how he told the youngsters bedtime stories and gave his daughter half a Tums tablet when she had a stomach ache. When he was allowed short visits outside, Saddam would feed the birds crusts of bread saved from his meals. He also watered a dusty plot of weeds. "He said he was a farmer when he was young and he never forgot where he came from" Sgt Ellis said. When Sgt Ellis left his role to return to America because of a family bereavement, he claims Saddam hugged him. Saddam, who ruled Iraq from 1979 until he was ousted by the US-led coalition in the 2003 Gulf War, was sentenced to death last month for the killings of 148 Shia from the Iraqi village of Dujail in the 1980s and hanged on New Year's Eve.
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