This deserves at least a brief mention:
Postwar deaths pass numbers during major combat in Iraq
More U.S. soldiers have died in combat in Iraq since May 1, when President Bush declared an end to major combat operations, than died during main phase of the war, the U.S. military said on Tuesday...The 115th combat death occurred on Monday - 114 died prior to May 1 - during the wave of bombings in the Iraqi capital. A typically terse statement was issued on Tuesday by the Department of Defense:
"Sgt. Aubrey D. Bell, 33, of Tuskegee, Ala., was killed in action on Oct. 27 in Baghdad, Iraq. Bell was at the Al Bayra Police Station when his unit came under small arms fire and an improvised explosive device detonated at his location. Bell was assigned to the 214th Military Police Company, Alabama National Guard."
Back in July, an unnamed senior Centcom official was quoted as saying: "I think we could be over the hump fairly quickly -- possibly within a couple of months."
He was right -- though hardly in the way he meant.
Sorry, that was me.
For the sake of the troops, let's hope there's not a similar "milestone" when the number killed after the "bring 'em on" remark exceeds the number killed before it.
Unfortunately for many more American families, George W. Bush has plenty of flags to hand out between now and the day we hand him his free ticket back under his rock in Crawford Texas.
I hope we never reach the 'twice as many died after ... as before.
Someday, just like the other war Bush hid out from, the Iraq Occupation War will come to an end. I just hope the monument to the trusting souls who bought it for Georgie can still fit on the White House lawn in plain view of the Oval Office window.
Damn him...
I have heard this statement "Postwar deaths pass numbers during major combat in Iraq" numerous times over the last six weeks. I have noticed some news organizations, just state a number and will not update their number for days after other servicemen have been killed. Anybody, know what is the deal with the conflicting numbers of troops killed in Iraq?
linked text has 238 killed.
I am sure this is more subterfuge from the Bush administration. At the current rate (not factoring since Saturday, the attacks seemed to have increased) we are only about 6 weeks away from having had more Americans killed since the infamous "Bring them on" statement. When Bush stated that garbage and got no condemnation from the American media, I lost the last little reservoir of respect I had for the whores.
Yeah. We're over the hump. We've gone from facing a disorganized opposition to facing a well organized opposition.
They keep resetting the counters based on arbitrary events. "Bring 'em on" day is just a valid (or actually invalid) day to start counting from 0 as Operation Flight Suit day. I think they will lower the bar and start counting from 0 again soon. When the currently lowballed number gets too high they will probably start counting from the day of the recent UN vote.
Well someone is getting humped that's for sure.
They keep resetting the counters based on arbitrary events.
How about a website, with multiple counters listing the number of combat deaths since various Bushisms:
"Major combat operations" day.
"Bring them on." day.
"Mission Accomplished" day.
"Desperate" day.
A list of the names of the casualties might also be appropriate; it's unlikely that the victims of this clusterfuck are going to get their own Wall after all.
This site keeps count by various sad milestones:
http://lunaville.org/warcasualties/Summary.aspx
Perhaps he meant to say "we could be bent over getting humped". Which would have got Mr. Senior Centcom an A for accuracy.
In another amazing sign of progress in Iraq an Abram's tank was destroyed north of Baghdad. No suiciders were responsible and further indicates the progress being made
In another amazing sign of progress in Iraq an Abram's tank was destroyed north of Baghdad
Already, the media is hushing the story by switching the description to a "vehicle" rather than saying it was a tank. Sounds rather embarrassing to say a multi-million dollar Abrams tank was destroyed by primitive deadenders.
It is interesting to note that these tanks are made of an alloy containing DU. Wonder what if any effect it may have on the future health of its crews. But then again, at a 1/2 mile to the gallon, it still puts SUVs to shame.
239 and not 115. The lower # comes from Centcom redefining killed to mean killed by bullet or explosion. If you die in a car wreck dodging a bullet you have not been killed.