Longer Troop Stints 'Worst Case Scenario'

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he doesn't expect to have to lengthen the deployments of U.S. troops in Iraq, saying that type of move is a "worst-case scenario."

But, he told reporters at a Pentagon briefing Thursday he can't say how long American forces will have to stay at their current increased levels to make Baghdad secure.

The military has already extended troop deployments to 15 months. Gates said he hopes to shift deployments back to 12-month tours and allow troops to have a year at home.

Eventually he wants to have 12-month deployments with two years at home, he said.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Marine Gen. Peter Pace said decisions will be made after a September progress report.

"We can expect that there is going to be tough fighting ahead. There is an expectation that this surge is going to result in more contact and more casualties," Pace said.

It was Pace's first exchange with reporters since the administration's surprise decision earlier this month to replace him. His term ends Oct. 1.

"I am chairman, and I'm going to be chairman until midnight the 30th of September," he said, promising to "remain focused."

Bush nominated Navy Adm. Michael Mullen to succeed Pace.

14 Americans Killed

Fourteen U.S. troops have died in the past 48 hours in Iraq, including five in a single attack that also killed four Iraqis in Baghdad.

Related: Full War Coverage

The latest U.S. deaths raised to at least 3,545 the number of American troops who have died since the war began in 2003, according to an Associated Press count.

The five Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers, three Iraqi civilians and an Iraqi interpreter were killed when a roadside bomb detonated near a coalition vehicle during combat operations in a northeastern section of Baghdad. Another soldier and two Iraq civilians were also wounded in the attack.

A Multinational Corps Iraq soldier was killed and three others were wounded early Thursday when their vehicle was attacked by a rocket-propelled grenade in northern Baghdad.

The military also said four other soldiers from Multi-National Division-Baghdad were killed and one was wounded Wednesday when their convoy was struck by a roadside bomb in western Baghdad.

Southwest of the capital, two soldiers died and four were wounded when explosions struck near their vehicle.

The military also said two Marines were killed while conducting combat operations in Anbar province, west of Baghdad.

Civilians Also Targeted

Sixteen people are known dead and dozens more have been wounded in a suicide truck bombing Thursday in northern Iraq.

The blast heavily damaged the city hall in a predominantly Sunni town. An Iraqi army commander thought the mayor was the target. It's not clear if he was hurt, but five of his relatives have been killed in previous attempts to kill him.

The U.S.-dominated Green Zone in Baghdad also came under fire again. There is no word on casualties, but at least nine mortars or rockets landed in quick succession Thursday morning.

The attacks have come as American and Iraqi forces continue an all-out offensive against al-Qaida-linked fighters in a province northwest of Baghdad. An Iraqi general said the offensive is going well. Hospital officials said ambulances have delivered the bodies of dozens of militants.

There have been mistakes. An airstrike aimed at a booby-trapped house Wednesday missed and hit another building, wounding 11 civilians.

Casualties Identified

Defense Department officials identified 13 soldiers killed in Iraq or Afghanistan in recent days, not including the Thursday attacks:

Army Sgt. 1st Class William A. Zapfe, 35, of Muldraugh, Ky., and Army Pfc. Joshua S. Modgling, 22, of Las Vegas, died on June 19 in Muhammad al Ali, Iraq, of wounds suffered when a roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle. They were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, in Fort Stewart, Ga.

Army Spc. Darryl W. Linder, 23, of Hickory, N.C., died on June 19 in Baqubah, Iraq, of wounds suffered in a roadside bomb explosion. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, in Fort Hood, Texas.

Army Sgt. Derek T. Roberts, 24, of Gold River, Calif.; Army Spc. Val J. Borm, 21, of Sidney, Neb.; and Army Spc. Farid Elazzouzi, of Paterson, N.J., died on June 14 in Kirkuk, Iraq, when a roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle. They were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Infantry Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, in Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

Army Sgt. Eric L. Snell, 35, of Trenton, N.J., died on June 18 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his unit came in contact with insurgents using small-arms fire in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, in Fort Carson, Colo.

Army Pfc. Larry Parks Jr., 24, of Altoona, Pa., died on June 18 in Arab Jabor, Iraq, when a roadside bomb detonated near his vehicle. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, in Fort Stewart.

Army Sgt. Richard K. Parker, 26, of Phillips, Maine, died on June 14 in Scania, Iraq, of wounds suffered in a roadside bomb explosion the previous day. He was assigned to Company A, 1st Battalion, 152nd Field Artillery Regiment, Maine Army National Guard, in Waterville, Maine.

Army Capt. Joshua E. Steele, 26, of North Henderson, Ill.; Army Sgt. 1st Class Christopher D. Henderson, 35, of Hillsboro, Ore.; and Army Sgt. 1st Class John M. Hennen, 26, of Vinton, La., died on June 17 in Panjway, Afghanistan, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle. Steele and Hendrson were was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division (Transition Team), Fort Riley, Kan. Hennen was assigned to the Louisiana National Guard's 3rd Battalion, 156th Infantry Regiment, in Lake Charles, La.

Army Pfc. David A. Wilkey Jr., 22, of Elkhart, Ind., died on June 18 of wounds suffered in a roadside bomb attack in Baghdad the previous day. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, in Fort Riley.