I dont read the USA Today regularly but I happened to catch two interesting stories in today's edition:
The first article talks about recent vets running for office to take back civilian control of the military which I think is a good, good sign. I am sick to death of chickenhawks (whose only war experience comes from movies) running the military and starting wars while actual veterans (such as Kerry and Murtha) are disregarded as cowards and liars. Strong on defense my arse...
War vets ready for new battle: Politics
Jan 23, 2006
ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill. — The lunchtime crowd is thinning at Portillo's Hot Dogs near O'Hare Airport when the candidate arrives. Leaning on a cane, she moves slowly on her $120,000 bionic legs with a stooped and halting stride.
Indeed, many here in Chicago's western suburbs have already heard of the Illinois National Guard helicopter pilot who lost both legs and full use of her right arm when a rocket-propelled grenade hit her Blackhawk in a 2004 attack in Iraq.
Duckworth is the only seriously wounded combat veteran running this year for Congress, whose ranks of members with military experience are at their lowest since World War II, according to Congressional Quarterly.
But at least nine other veterans who served in the post-Sept. 11 military have announced House bids. All but one — Republican Van Taylor in Texas — are Democrats who have criticized the Bush administration's conduct of the war. They join dozens of older veterans from both parties touting military credentials as U.S. troops head into a fourth year in Iraq.
The second article is about the 2005 Pentagon report of attacks and casualties in Iraq. This report is a scorecard for how the aforementioned chickenhawks are running their "war on terror."
And the results? 34,000 attacks in Iraq in 2005. 34,000!!!!! That is almost 95 attacks EVERY SINGLE DAY, including bombs, suicide bombers, snipers, and all out fire-fights! Stop what you are doing and think about this... That number is simply astonishing. Just think about it.
In the 20 years before President Cheney, the US has had a handful of terrorist attacks, mostly by other Americans. Now imagine 1 terrorist attack in the 95 largest US cities every single day. Or better yet, think about California (about the same size as Iraq) with 95 attacks every single day.
Such a situation is simply unimaginable and yet that is what Iraq has become after Bush's "mission accomplished". There is no way anyone could live a normal life or run a normal country under those conditions and yet Bush is constantly telling us about what a great job his team is doing.
34,000 attacks in 2005 which is up 30% since 2004 and no one in the administration has been held accountable or fired. The number of US casualties is down but we still had over 7,000 wounded and the number of suicide attacks is greatly increasing.
Think about these results when you listen to the Presidents State of the Union speech this month. Please.
Attacks in Iraq jumped in 2005
Insurgents widen aim to Iraqi forces
Jan 23, 2006
BAGHDAD — The number of attacks against coalition troops, Iraqi security forces and civilians increased 29% last year, and insurgents are increasingly targeting Iraqis, the U.S. military says.
Insurgents launched 34,131 attacks last year, up from 26,496 the year before, according to U.S. military figures released Sunday.
Insurgents are widening their attacks to include the expanding Iraqi forces engaged in the fighting, said Brig. Gen. Donald Alston, a coalition spokesman.
The new statistics show:
The number of car bombs more than doubled to 873 last year from 420 the year before. The number of suicide car bombs went to 411 from 133.
Sixty-seven attackers wore suicide vests last year, up from seven in 2004. Suicide and car bombs are often targeted at Iraqis, causing high casualties.
Roadside bombs, or improvised explosive devices, as the military calls them, continue to be the most common weapon. Roadside bombs increased to 10,953 in 2005 from 5,607 the year before. Those numbers include roadside bombs that are discovered and defused. These bombs account for nearly one-third of all insurgent attacks.
