Iraq: Two Milestones

Well, we reached two milestones in Iraq this week:

• The fifth anniversary of the illegal and immoral war of occupation;
  
• Over 4,000 troops killed in combat

You'll notice that we qualified the numbers killed with the words "in combat." There's a good reason for this. According to Greg Mitchell over at HuffPo, over 1,000 troops who served in Iraq have committed suicide, either there or after they return.

The hardest thing to bear about this is the news in Raw Story today that 97 per cent of these casualties occurred after a certain pathetic waste of oxygen who shall remain forever nameless declared "Mission Accomplished."

At least 97 percent of the deaths occurred after US President George W. Bush announced the end of "major combat" in Iraq on May 1, 2003, as the military became caught between a raging anti-American insurgency and brutal sectarian strife unleashed since the toppling of Saddam.

140 American servicemembers died before May 1, 2003, out of a total 4,000.

[...]

The icasualties.org statistics reveal that the deadliest year for the military in Iraq was 2007 when it lost 901 troops on the back of a controversial "surge", which saw an extra 30,000 soldiers deployed in a bid to break the stranglehold of violence that has killed tens of thousands of Iraqis.

This figure compares with 486 deaths in 2003, the first year of the conflict, 849 in 2004, 846 in 2005 and 822 in 2006.

Since the start of 2008, 96 soldiers have died.

Snarly McCrashcart's response, beyond the original "So?" when he heard that two out of every three Americans oppose the military occupation of Iraq, is telling.

"The president carries the biggest burden, obviously," Cheney said. "He's the one who has to make the decision to commit young Americans, but we are fortunate to have a group of men and women, the all-volunteer force, who voluntarily put on the uniform and go in harm's way for the rest of us."

Essentially, it boils down to "They volunteered. Tough shit."

Those of you in the military, you and your families are seen as expendable cannon fodder by the people you have sworn to obey. George Dubya hasn't lost a moment's sleep while you slog out in the desert heat surrounded by potential enemies, fed contaminated water by Dick Cheney's company.

Sent to war for a lie, sent to die, leaving your grieving families and friends behind, or to return irreparably injured or damaged, only to find that you have been fed lie upon lie upon lie. Today's lie? The Pentagon says it can't find any evidence that Saddam Hussein ever tried to have Georgie's Daddy killed. One more pathetic excuse for that worthless war blown away.

And John McPain, who wants 100 years of war, and claims to be a Christian but doesn't even know the story of Queen Esther and Purim, doubtless has never heard this verse, either:

In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

Matthew, 2:18, Mr. McInsane.

Stumble It!