From the AP via The Advocate in Baton Rouge.
BAGHDAD (AP) -- The overall U.S. death toll in Iraq rose to 4,000 after four soldiers were killed in a roadside bombing in Baghdad, a grim milestone that is likely to fuel calls for the withdrawal of American forces as the war enters its sixth year.
....
The American deaths occurred Sunday, the same day rockets and mortars pounded the U.S.-protected Green Zone in Baghdad and a wave of attacks left at least 61 Iraqis dead nationwide.
....
Tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians also have been killed since the U.S.-led invasion on March 20, 2003, although estimates of a specific figure vary widely due to the difficulty in collecting accurate information.
One widely respected tally by Iraq Body Count, which collects figures based mostly on media reports, estimates that 82,349 to 89,867 Iraqi civilians have lost their lives in the conflict.
....
President Bush has insisted the decline in violence shows his strategy is working and needs more time, a position taken by Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain.
....
At least 10 civilians were killed and 20 more were wounded in rocket or mortar blasts in scattered areas of eastern Baghdad, some probably due to rounds aimed at the Green Zone that fell short.
UPDATE: Picture from The Memory Hole. It dates to 2003, because the Pentagon no longer allows photographs of the flag-draped coffins that arrive at Dover Air Force Base.
UPDATE 2: Perhaps instead of the flag-draped coffins, I should have posted this.
God have mercy on us all.
ReplyDeleteI'm a Soldier in the U.S. Army and when I heard news of the 4000 death mark I became sick to my stomach. I'm lucky enough to have been to Iraq and return home to my family but so many of my fellow Soldiers have not been as fortunate. And in my heart i feel like every one of those 4000 deaths our president is to be blamed for.
ReplyDeleteI've opened up a discussion on my blog so I can talk to people and answer their questions and hopefully make people understand that not all military are supporting this war and that every one of those deaths was important and unneeded. I'd like it you'd stop by and toss in your two cents.
I'm all for defending my country but U.S. did not need to be defended from Iraq.
Ann, Indeed!
ReplyDeleteLord, have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
I know we say often that others will be surprised who will be in heaven when we get there, but I swear that if that SOB of a president is there when I get there, I'll be tempted to kill him again!
ReplyDeleteMike, thanks for dropping in. I will check out the discussion at your blog. It's good to get the word from the horse's mouth, from one who has served in Iraq, as opposed to those who simply mouth off and send others to serve the noble cause.
ReplyDeleteThank you for serving. Are you still in the Army?
I'm all for defending my country but U.S. did not need to be defended from Iraq.
You're right about that.
Susan! Oops! I see that you say only that you will be tempted.
ReplyDeleteThe real number is likely higher, because I understand that not ALL casualties are included in the count. (Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.) The figures do not include deaths from other causes (meaning not involving "enemy" participation - such as a jeep accident).
ReplyDeleteAnd, of course, our government does not include the hundreds of thousands of Iraqis who have died.
I guess Dick Cheney's reaction will be: "So?"
We should be gone, but we need to be sure we leave in the way best for the Iraqis to whom we have already done much to much damage.
ReplyDeleteI hope whatever new president we are saddled with, (none of the three mopes who appear to be in the set of possibles seems good to me) we start with a single objective, the best withdrawal option that does the least harm to the Iraqis.
FWIW
jimB
Suzer, I believe the count is probably only an estimate, but a pretty close estimate.
ReplyDeleteAt ICCC the number of 145 is listed under "Died of Self-Inflicted wounds". I don't know if they are counted in the total.
I read a newspaper story today about Joan McDonald, the mother of James McDonald, who received a serious head wound in Iraq, who died after he came home and was released from the hospital. He is not counted as a combat casualty, and his mother believes this is wrong.
In addition, six soldiers (James McDonald is one) are not included in the casualty count with the note: "The soldiers listed above died from wounds received in Iraq, however, the DoD has not included their deaths in their official count."
Jim, whenever we leave it is going to be ugly, if it's 1 year or 10 years. I hope that the US gives special attention to those Iraqis who have worked for us and may be targeted when we leave. Bring them into this country, if necessary.
There will only be bad ways to withdraw or less bad ways. I hope that we choose the way that inflicts the least damage on the Iraqis, too, but it still won't be pretty. We'll be lucky to get our own people out of the Green Zone, which is taking frequent mortar and rocket attacks.
Dragging the withdrawal out for years will not produce a better result, IMHO.
It is a tragic marker Grandmere.
ReplyDeleteMimi,
ReplyDeleteAgreed, it will be ugly. I am not saying anything about timetable. Rather I am hoping we can make the emphasis the best possible deal for all of the people there.
If I had to guess, that is actually a three country solution, an independant Kurdistan, a Shia republic in the SouthEast and a Suni State between. But, I am not at all sure.
FWIW
jimB
Jim, you could be right, but the division of the oil rights, not to speak of other difficult decisions, will make that solution hard to bring to pass. I couldn't agree more that we've done enough damage to the Iraqis and their country, that we should give their future welfare a high priority.
ReplyDelete