NYT: U.S. Death Toll in Iraq Hits 52 So Far This Month

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/15/world/worldspecial/15cnd-iraq.html?hp&ex=1160971200&en=d74db26ae15be5c3&ei=5094&partner=homepage

The American military command said today that three American soldiers died on Saturday when a concealed bomb was detonated near their patrol in southern Baghdad, bringing the total of American troop deaths in Iraq this month to at least 52, an extraordinarily high midmonth tally.

At the current rate of American military deaths — about 3.5 a day — October is on track to be the third deadliest month of the entire conflict for American forces, according to the Iraq Coalition Casualty Count, an independent Web site that tracks war-related casualties.

Violence erupted around Iraq today. In a deadly spate of attacks in the northern city of Kirkuk, six bombs, all apparently coordinated, exploded within a few hours of each other, killing at least 17 people and wounding 73 others, according to police officials. At least three of the blasts were suicide car bombs, the officials said.

The rising American military death toll, which comes in spite of improvements in armor and other defenses, follows a recent decision by the American military to raise the profile of American troops in Baghdad and increase their combat operations.

[Monkeyman]

1. RIP Brothers and Sisters

[rodeodance]

2. glad to see this deserves a Headline.

[rodeodance]

3. attachs ---have risen about 23 percent across Baghdad,

Since the neighborhood sweeps began at the beginning of August, guerrilla attacks — against military and civilian targets alike — have risen about 23 percent across Baghdad, according to military statistics.

Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV, a senior military spokesman here, attributed the spike in violence — and resulting American troop deaths — to the military’s retooled strategy to quell the city’s violence.

“We are out more aggressively engaged in the city at this point than we were just a month ago,” he said at a news conference on Thursday. “Coalition forces are being much more active in going out and looking for these folks, these death squads and elements that are associated with the sectarian violence that we’re seeing the increase of right now within the city.”

According to the Iraq Coalition Casualty Count, which collates statistics distributed in Pentagon press releases, the number of American deaths in Baghdad has sharply increased since the American-led crackdown began.

[MGD]

4. Damn, it's only October 15th too. Makes it kind of difficult 4 Republicans

to claim we're making progress. It pretty well supports John Murtha's position that this administration has failed miserably in Iraq. Suck on it Boehner.

[Kingofalldems]

5. What's the name Rove gave to that new policy?

'React and adjust', or something like that. RIP brave ones.

[Binka]

20. The Policy Should Be Called UnfuckingMitigated Failure! n/t

[wellst0nev0ter]

6. They Changed The Headline

53 now.

Fuck you Bush. Fuck you very much.

[wellst0nev0ter]

7. Whoo Boy, Another Bombing In That Strategic Hamlet named Tal Afar

In Tal Afar, near Mosul, a suicide bomber wrapped in explosives wandered into a local market and detonated himself near a police checkpoint, killing a child and wounding five other people, including two police officers, hospital and police officials said.

[Erika]

8. 53 of our troops now used as cannon fodder this month

www.icasualties.org.

[krkaufman]

9. Sad. I feared we'd see this uptick in casualties with the move ....

... back into Baghdad; of course, we'd had lower casualties because we'd backed-off from frontline protection with the result that civilian casualties had shot-up in Iraq. Just a f##%$ing mess.

[MCMetal]

10. Misson Accomplished .............

What the hell are we still doing over there ?
The Bush Cabal will be giving another press conference soon to discuss "turning the corner" in Iraq again ; have we completed a circle with all those turns we're making ?

[krispos42]

14. No, it's a tetracontakaidigon

a 42-sided polygon.

Or maybe a pentacontagon. There are so many corners I've lost count.

[antiimperialist]

11. And 83 innocent civilians killed in 2 days

Over the weekend, 83 Sunni/Shia were killed by reprisals from both sides.
What a mess the government got us into.
And it will only get worse.

[antiimperialist]

12. The link

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=76165

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

22. Closer to a thousand innocent civilians.

[bdamomma]

24. Welcome to DU anti-imperialist

this mess will come back to haunt all of us, if we do not get out of there soon.

[Spiffarino]

13. This shit has to stop

Iraq is stuck in a civil war and American soldiers are caught in the crossfire. And Bush and the Republicans tell us everything is going great. Unabashed, unashamed liars every one.

We have to do everything possible to run the Republicans out. They should never hold a position of public trust.

[Binka]

19. Spiff I Say That Every Day

Last October there were 96 deaths and this month I think will be worse. Ben's unit is getting ready to deploy in February and I can't believe it but he is now thinking of joining them! Oh God I know if he goes back he isn't coming home. But how can I stop him? I can't I can't and I am heartbroken.:cry:

THIS SHIT HAS TO STOP!

[ChairmanAgnostic]

15. I don't believe it.

Not when 5,000 troops were stationed at a ammo depot/ army base - and the base blew up 5 days ago with not one report of an injury or casualty.

But, I have heard rumors from my local VA that the number is undercut by creative accounting. Those that are being transported to medical care or evac, or who die of their injuries in Germany or other locations, are not considered "war dead" and are not reported on. (I drop off bags 'o books every so often. and I can tell you, the anti-Bush crowd in the VAs is huge)

[Pachamama]

16. I' don't believe this number either - we are supposed to believe that not

one single soldier died in the attack on the Ammo depot last week??? :eyes:

Right....

[bdamomma]

25. they are probably keeping that silent from us, there is so

much stuff they are keeping from us.

[MrScorpio]

17. And with all of those killed there are countless injured

May your prayers by with them as well

[democrank]

18. The madness must end.

This is what happens when an incompetent bull boy dressed in a military costume goes swaggering...unchecked... onto the world stage.

[civildisoBDence]

21. The number of our soldiers who've been wounded may be approaching

50,000, but nobody has an accurate count. God only knows the true extent of DUHbya's debacle.

Newsprism

[bdamomma]

23. all we need are these soldiers to come back to the US and tell everyone

how this government screwed them so badly, losing their friends, losing their jobs, their benefits, all it would take is some outspoken vet to get the ball rolling. There will be alot of vets coming back damaged for life, both physically and mentally. They have been forgotten and used by this corrupt government.

[RamboLiberal]

26. Monday 16th - 56 According to Iraq Coalition Casualities

RIP

[yellowcanine]

27. "Just a comma" - Bush. "It's a number " - Snow

"Just a comma" - Bush.
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/09/24/bush-dismisses-bloodshed-in-iraq-as-just-a-comma/


"It's a number " - Snow
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/06/20060615-4.html


Why hasn't ther been any uproar about Bush and Snow dismissing American deaths as "just a comma" or "a number"??? If a Democrat were to say anything like that the wingnuts would be screaming for their heads.

[RamboLiberal]

28. Monday 16th - 7:25PM Now it's listed at 59

RIP

http://icasualties.org/oif/

[llmart]

29. Our military.......

is just another toy given to Dumbya by his father to play with and keep him occupied and just another thing he's screwed up and been a failure at, just like all his other endeavors that Poppy Bush set him up with. The rich use the middle class and poor soldiers for their own egos, but they're too chickenshit to actually have been in the military themselves. They just like to "play" at it and don't mind if other people's loved ones are sacrificed to boost their egos. They sicken me.

Unfortunately, many poor people join the military because they see no other options for their lives and they are brainwashed into thinking the higher ups care about them and will do the right thing, which isn't the case with the Repugs in charge.