Washington: Commemorating the 4,000th US death in Iraq, US President George W Bush proclaimed on Monday that the losses were "not in vain," adding that “there is an outcome that will merit the sacrifice”.

Four US soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb on Sunday bringing the US military death toll from the Iraq war to 4,000.

The Bush administration noted the grim milestone, calling it a sober moment but emphasised that the first death is as important as the most recent one.

The White House pointed that no additional troops will be returning soon, and Bush added that people will thank the "courageous people willing to serve, because they laid the foundations for peace for generations to come".


The latest figure pales in comparison to other US wars, but is much higher than what the Bush administration promised or even expected when the invasion began in 2003.

Bush stated all major combat operations in Iraq ended in May 2003, but almost all US deaths have occurred since then.