The military, administration officials said, remains haunted by the attempt to bring peace to Somalia, an effort that led to the deaths of 18 American troops in 1993.
The American military, meanwhile, announced the deaths of seven more American troops.
Note: Table omits the deaths of four troops killed in action in support of operations in Afghanistan in other countries.
General Pace cited an ominous precedent, the failed relief mission to Somalia, which included the deaths of 18 troops in a 1993 firefight in Mogadishu.
After the onslaught of security forces to take back the tunnel, the fighting resulted in the deaths of 13 troops and 70 militants.
The American military announced the deaths of six troops, two from a Marine helicopter crash in western Iraq that may have resulted from insurgent fire.
It has recently been estimated that the slave rebellion resulted in the death of 350,000 Haitians and 50,000 European troops.
The death of 391 British troops is low by historical standards but almost every week another soldier is killed and makes for bad PR about the war.
Republicans said the deaths of more than 2,500 troops would be in vain if the United States backed down from an open-ended commitment to the war.
A huge Iranian demonstration there last year resulted in the deaths of more than 400 pilgrims, mostly Iranians, and 80 Saudi troops.