In Iraq, Pace of U.S. Casualties Has Accelerated

[zimv20]

link (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A34702-2003Dec27.html)


The number of U.S. service members killed and wounded in Iraq has more than doubled in the past four months compared with the four months preceding them, according to Pentagon statistics.

From Sept. 1 through Friday, 145 service members were killed in action in Iraq, compared with 65 from May 1 to Aug. 30. The two four-month intervals cover counterinsurgency operations, far costlier than major combat operations, which President Bush declared over on May 1.

Increases in those wounded in action have been equally dramatic this fall. Since Sept. 1, 1,209 soldiers have received battlefield wounds, more than twice the 574 wounded in action from May 1 through Aug. 30.

Nor have casualties tapered off since the capture of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein on Dec. 13. Through Friday, 12 service members were killed in action and 105 were wounded with Hussein in custody.

[Sayhey]

I'd like to know how many soldiers have died or been wounded since our flight-jacketed President told the opposition to "bring it on." This "High-Noon" Presidency has given al Qaeda many new targets in the form of our fellow citizens, but has done little to actually find the culprits responsible of 9-11. Maybe it's time Georgie stopped playing cowboy.

[huntsman]

According to Bremer's Law, this is good news, as it means the Coalition is making progress and the insurgents are becoming more desperate.

It's a shame they didn't add the sub-heading "Iraqi casualties ignored". You have to read Robert Fisk's reports to learn of the stream of Iraqis flowing into hospitals or morgues, and the personal stories of those killed by either the Americans or other Iraqis.

This is just as relevant as Coalition casualties, because it's the Coalition that's doing much of the killing--our direct responsibility. With the world's finest killing machine adopting the "shoot first, don't ask questions later" that is the inevitable result of being put in such a dangerous situation, you can bet that for every American killed, there are multiple Iraqi civilians killed by the Americans.

[pseudobrit]

Originally posted by huntsman
According to Bremer's Law, this is good news, as it means the Coalition is making progress and the insurgents are becoming more desperate.

That's some great logic at work there, I've got to say.

If US troops were getting knocked off at a rate of 100 a day, I guess the guerrillas would be totally falling apart.

[3rdpath]

Originally posted by pseudobrit
That's some great logic at work there, I've got to say.

If US troops were getting knocked off at a rate of 100 a day, I guess the guerrillas would be totally falling apart.

hypothetically, we will win the war once all of our troops have been killed.

[pseudobrit]

Originally posted by 3rdpath
hypothetically, we will win the war once all of our troops have been killed.

Then will our vanquished foe be truly in awe of our dead army.

[IJ Reilly]

All sarcasm aside (for the moment, at least), I thought Bremer came up with the ultimate spin with this statement: If violence directed against the occupation decreases, that's progress; if violence increases, that will be an even better sign of progress. Wow, I wish I'd thought of that. I'm in awe.

[zimv20]

Originally posted by IJ Reilly
Bremer [...] If violence directed against the occupation decreases, that's progress; if violence increases, that will be an even better sign of progress.

orwell would be proud

[mactastic]

Bush has had his best day in Iraq already.

[Sayhey]

Originally posted by IJ Reilly
All sarcasm aside (for the moment, at least), I thought Bremer came up with the ultimate spin with this statement: If violence directed against the occupation decreases, that's progress; if violence increases, that will be an even better sign of progress. Wow, I wish I'd thought of that. I'm in awe.

IJ, do you have a link on that quote? I would love to send that out to some friends.

[IJ Reilly]

Originally posted by Sayhey
IJ, do you have a link on that quote? I would love to send that out to some friends.

I don't think he made both statements at the same time, but it was only in the last week or ten days that he said that we can expect the violence in Iraq to increase as the country moves towards democracy. In not so many words, he was saying an increase in death and destruction can be seen as a sign of progress. I'll see if I can locate his exact words.

[IJ Reilly]

I found the quote in many articles dated December 11-13:

"My own guess is we're going to have an increase in violence over the next six months. The violence will be precisely because of the fact that we're building momentum toward success."

So, you see, it's a good thing.