April in Iraq: 5th straight month of 80+ U.S. war dead

[RiverStone]

Source: McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON — At least 104 U.S. troops died in Iraq in April, capping the deadliest six-month period for U.S. forces since the war began more than four years ago.

The military announced on Monday the deaths of five soldiers over the weekend. That made April the deadliest month so far this year and the sixth-deadliest of the war. It also brought to five the number of consecutive months when the American death toll has surpassed 80, the longest such stretch of the war.

So far this year, 348 U.S. troops have been killed in Iraq, compared with 124 during the first four months of 2006. Fighting in March and April 2003, when U.S. troops invaded Iraq and marched to Baghdad, killed 139 troops.

Top military leaders, who had predicted that U.S. casualties would rise as U.S. forces moved from huge bases outside Baghdad to outposts in the city as part of a new plan to secure the capital, offered no comment on April's death toll.



Read more: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003687989_iraqdead01.html

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Four years ago today Shrub declared - "major combat operations" in Iraq had ended! How can the rethug section of our population still believe that this is either winnable or viable?! Why do so many rethugs on the Hill keep on drinking the kool-aid? Just ranting --- gawd, those of us here are just as baffled, frustrated, and mystified why they simply don't GET IT!

I can't fathom the depth of loss that will finally turn the tide to a VETO PROOF majority to end this damn war. How big a tidal wave of public outrage for this policy must we see for rethugs to join the DEMS to end the BushCo regime's war machine?

Whats the saying - those that don't learn from history are condemned to repeat it...

[threadkillaz]

Surge THIS!

nt

[threadkillaz]

1. Surge THIS!

nt

[subterranean]

2. The surge is working.

"Most people would tell you that the surge is working," said Maj. Stewart Upton, a Pentagon spokesman.

Gen. Petraeus says that sectarian violence is down by two-thirds, but overall violence hasn't declined, and the number of bombings in Baghdad has actually increased. I wonder how they distinguish between sectarian and non-sectarian bombs?

[lyonn]

4. Sounds like an oxymoron! nt

[lyonn]

3. While checking the Iraqi casuality list last night there was an article

about a wounded soldier that had lost both arms, his sight and mobility and the community and others were breaking ground for a special home for him. The video showed the guy that was being led around to his spot and later he spoke briefly and it appeared that he was either speech impaired or had brain damage. So many of these injuries our troops are left with are Devastating. It is cruelty to the max.

But george speaks this a.m. about the war, injured, killed, etc. and it is unbearable. This Idiot is causing all this misery. Why do I listen to him? It damn sure isn't easy. Who in the hell believes anything he says? It's like a mentally retarded person trying to make sense to those that are not mentally impaired. I live in Okla. and there are so many with that mentality in this State. You can not reason with them. Their church has guided them with their thinking. They don't want to think! They only want a "strong", "bold" leader to prove how tough America is.

Sorry for rant. That is why DU is great, to vent the frustration that drives a person crazy.