This month looks like one of deadliest for U.S.-63 killed so far

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6089592/

For U.S. troops in Iraq, homemade bombs are the main killers, despite the hundreds of millions of dollars the Pentagon has spent trying to curb the weapons made from simple, easy-to-obtain materials.

As September shapes up as one of the deadliest months in Iraq for U.S. troops, the Pentagon estimates it is finding 40 percent of roadside bombs before they explode. But military officials say the problem persists even with teams of technical experts working to defeat the threat.

In the first 22 days of the month, at least 63 members of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force died, Pentagon casualty reports show.

With a week to go, September is the fifth deadliest month since President Bush declared an end to major combat operations on May 1, 2003. The worst month was April (135 deaths), followed by May (80).

[VegasWolf]

1. We've got them just where they want us!! n/t

[LisaM]

2. What's even worse, once they passed 1000

it's as if they stopped keeping track. 1000 came up awfully quickly from 980 or so, but it's been worse since they hit their phony milestone.

[lightbulb]

14. true that

The deaths hardly make the top stories on the networks any more. Guess they'd rather we not waste our beautiful minds on something like that.

[StClone]

3. Conservatives, Republicans and Assorted Freepling-types

Will tell you that the more soldiers die, the more bombings, the more civilian deaths all show that Bush's Preemtivity is working -- short of an orgasmic nuking.

[catmandu57]

4. Shhhhhhh

You're not supposed to notice stuff like this, but this needs to be shouted from the rooftop.
We won't hear a damn thing about anything until Kerry is in the whitehouse, then we'll hear about every wound that needs a bandaid.

[Javaman]

5. Make that 65 :(

[VegasWolf]

6. Ten minutes later -- Make that -68 n/t

[TacticalPeek]

7. Bummer.

He was a good man who will be missed by many

The Mobile Register

Foster Harrington died in action

Defense Department says Sgt. Foster L. Harrington, a Seven Hills firefighter and medic, died in action

Friday, September 24, 2004
By GEORGE WERNETH
Staff Reporter

Sgt. Foster L. Harrington, 31, a member of the Mobile-based 3rd Force Reconnaissance Company, an elite Marine Corps Reserve unit, was killed Monday in Iraq "due to enemy action," according to the Department of Defense.

The fighting took place in Al Anbar Province, the Defense Department said. Al Anbar Province is in western Iraq, comprising a large part of the so-called Sunni Triangle and embracing such insurgent hot spots as Ramadi and Fallujah.

...

Harrington moved to the Mobile area about 18 months ago, those who knew him said Thursday. He had been a firefighter and medic with the Seven Hills Volunteer Fire Department in west Mobile County before going on active duty with his Marine unit in June.

"The last time I talked to him was Sunday," Poston said in an interview at her west Mobile home. "He had called me every day for four straight days" when Hurricane Ivan was headed for the Mobile area.

"He wanted me to evacuate. I told him he didn't need to worry about me -- that I was in Mobile and he was in Iraq and that he needed to take care of himself," she said. The hurricane made landfall last week.

...

"Sergeant Harrington was one of the finest people you'll ever meet," Paul Newton, the chief of the Seven Hills Volunteer Fire Department," said Thursday. "He never met a stranger. He was an excellent firefighter. He was an excellent medic. He was always ready to go to work. Everybody in the fire department thought the world of him."


---------------------------------------------


He was a good man who will be missed by many.

The POTUS is a bad man who will be dissed for the rest of history.

[FirstDoNoHarm]

8. 40 percent of IEDs found

Within 24 hours of a reported IED attack, a team of military forensics experts and other specialists is dispatched to the scene. They inspect evidence, interview soldiers in the area and assess the technique used by the attackers. A recreation of the scene is sketched digitally and fed to experts who compare it with previous cases in search of patterns of attack.

Remotely piloted surveillance aircraft are being used not only to search for IED attackers but also to monitor places where bombmakers are mostly likely to obtain explosives.

That effort has enabled U.S. troops to find an estimated 40 percent of IEDs before they explode, but it has not stopped the killing and maiming. Indeed, bombs rigged to explode in cars or along U.S. supply convoy routes continue to kill or wound American troops and Iraqi security forces almost daily.
----
As soon as they find the other 60% then these beheading cowards will be rounded up and hopefully Iraq will be free of these terrorist cowards.

[NickB79]

9. LOL

Yeah, we only have what, a few million insurgents left to go? Then Iraq will be free of these terrorists, and most of its population to boot.

Newsflash: the vast majority of the attacks on our troops have been carried out by IRAQIS, not foreign fighters. The Iraqis may have been taught how to conduct guerrilla tactics by foreign fighters with experience in this area, but those killing our troops are by and large native Iraqis who's families have lived in the area for generations. Why is it so astounding to believe that, when we've killed 25,000+ civilians and wounded many times more with our "liberation", many Iraqis would gladly pick up a gun and go try to kill an American soldier? The desire for revenge is one of the strongest emotions humans have, and it is in full force in Iraq today.

[cliss]

16. That's true.

Rule #1: Identify your enemy. Do NOT be fooled by Bush and other government "spokemen" who say that these attacks are being carried out by "foreign insurgents", Iranians, Al Qaeda or other terrorists. Also, do not believe them when they say it's a "tiny minority".

The Bush people ABOVE ALL do not want ordinary Americans to believe that the people opposing the occupation are IRAQIS themselves. This would raise serious questions about the occupation.

Most Americans would, in their hearts, believe that Iraqis should be able to govern themselves without a foreign occupier, in particular the Decadent West to place a boot on their necks.

Rule #2: Find out what your enemy's grievances are. See Rule #1. Why are the IRAQIS upset about us being there? Are they disgruntled about the oil? Do they resent meddling in their country's affairs? Or is it for religious reasons, that they do not want us stomping on their holy turf.

Unless and until we address these questions truthfully, we will never make any progress in Iraq.

[sattahipdeep]

10. 100 Children Die Daily in Iraq

In one month, 3000 children died in Iraq; on average, that is
100 per day.

http://www.zaman.org/?bl=international&alt=&trh=20040908&hn=12137

[WillyT]

11. Well... We Were Averaging About 2 Per Day...

This month we're averaging about 3 per day!

And mr presipunk, there ain't NO GUESSING about THAT!!!

:nuke:

Onedit: Oops forgot this:



Link: http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~stephan/USfatalities.html

:cry:

[TacticalPeek]

12. Recent details.

DoD Identifies 8 Army and Marine Casualties - Sep.24

By: Department of Defense
Published: Sep 24, 2004

The Department of Defense announced today the death of eight soldiers and marines supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

Staff Sgt. Robert S. Goodwin, 35, of Albany, Ga. and Staff Sgt. Tony B. Olaes, 30, of Walhalla, S.C. died Sept. 20, in Shkin, Afghanistan, when their patrol vehicle was ambushed by enemy forces using small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades. Both were assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, N.C.

Spc. Joshua J. Henry, 21, of Avonmore, Pa., died Sept. 20 in Tikrit, Iraq, of injuries sustained when his convoy was attacked by enemy forces using small arms fire in Sharqat, Iraq. Henry was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, Schweinfurt, Germany.

Spc. Wesley R. Wells, 21, of Libertyville, Ill., died Sept.20, in Naka, Afghanistan, when his observation post was fired on by anti-coalition militia forces. Wells was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division (Light), Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

Sgt. Brandon E. Adams, 22, of Hollidaysburg, Pa., died Sept.19 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., of injuries sustained in Fallujah, Iraq, on Feb. 16 when a grenade exploded as he was clearing a house. Adams was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.

Pfc. Nathan E. Stahl, 20, of Highland, Ind., died Sept. 21 in Iraq, when his vehicle was struck with an improvised explosive device. Stahl was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment from Fort Lewis, Wash.

Pfc. Adam J. Harris, 21, of Abilene, Texas, died Sept. 22 in Mosul, Iraq, when he was shot by a sniper while on patrol. Harris was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Wash.

Sgt. Benjamin K. Smith, 24, of Carterville, Ill., died Sept. 22 due to enemy action in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Smith was assigned to 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, Calif.

-------------------------------------------------------


Too bad it's the wrong goddam war in the wrong goddam place at the wrong goddam time.

:grr:

[Barrett808]

13. "The flies have conquered the flypaper." n/t

[Barrett808]

15. Check out the little online poll on this page

Do you believe that except for a handful of cities Iraq is growing more peaceful and secure?

Yes: 33%
No: 67%

63641 responses