Sixth American Samoan Soldier Killed in Iraq

Text of report by Radio New Zealand International on 18 July

Another American Samoan soldier has been killed in Iraq. The man, who was sent to Iraq along with 200 other reservists from the territory at the beginning of the year, was a police officer in civilian life.

The soldier, whose name has not been officially released, is believed to have died when a landmine exploded. He is the sixth Samoan to be killed in the Iraq war, but the first who had been living locally prior to being deployed there.