Still No End in Sight For Iraq Bloodbath

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060726/OPINION01/607260341/1069

<snip>The United Nations estimates more than 14,000 civilians were killed in Iraq during the first half of this year, and June, with more than 3,100 deaths in the sectarian violence, was the bloodiest month since Baghdad fell in April 2003.

Just to be clear: A U.S.-led mission to find weapons of mass destruction that never materialized became a campaign to remove a cruel dictator followed by a plan to fight terrorists there so we don't have to fight them here and then a promise to show the Arab world the wonders of democracy, which has now devolved into a frantic effort to prevent an all-out civil war among the liberated. snip

In short, there's not much good news or sense coming out of Iraq, nor is there likely to be for years. American forces are in just the kind of war they had planned to avoid with their high tech "shock and awe" onslaught of three years ago. Now it's a street fight on streets the enemy knows better. snip

In addition to nearly 2,600 Americans killed and almost 19,000 wounded, the war is costing the U.S. Treasury $7 billion a month. And every bit of progress is followed by a bloody setback. The promise of democracy cannot overcome generations of inter-sectional hatred that is played out daily in bombings, executions and other assorted carnage.

[BOSSHOG]

1. And the conservatives in this country

continue to salivate at every report of an Iraqi death. Meanwhile our kids continue to get slaughtered as they receive undying support from their staunchest admirers - chickenhawks. More kids must die so those who have already died did not die in vain. That's today's "christianity" in America.

[acmavm]

2. There's some guys in Washington who'd better be wondering

what could someday happen to them if the trial against Saddam goes badly. If they execute him for something that they've done hundreds of times over, they'd better learn to sleep with both eyes open.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

3. "Democracy" is a bloodsoaked and very bad joke in Iraq.

As bad as the grateful hand kissing, flower throwing, jubilant, and "liberated" Iraqi people we were promised.

[VWolf]

4. Jeebus!

I hope that when I die, my "last throes" go on this long.