The U.S. military recorded its worst monthly death toll at the same time that troops have begun going home. Afghan gov’t torpedos secret US-Taliban talksU.S. troops return to Afghan “Valley of Death”Special section: Afghanistan President Obama announced (video) in June that he would begin pulling out the 33,000 extra troops he dispatched to the war. He ordered 10,000 out this year and another 23,000 withdrawn by the summer of 2012. In addition to the 66 Americans killed so far this month, the NATO coalition suffered the loss of two British, four French, one New Zealander, one Australian, one Polish and four other troops whose nationalities have not yet been disclosed. So far this year, 402 international service members, including 299 Americans, have been killed in Afghanistan.