Worst 3 months for U.S. in Iraq since war began

[sabra]

Source: MSNBC/AP

BAGHDAD - Insurgents launched a deadly coordinated attack on an American combat patrol, the U.S. military said Friday, killing five troops and making this the deadliest quarter for U.S. soldiers in Iraq since the war began.

Assailants detonated a roadside bomb, then fired guns and rocket-propelled grenades at the soldiers. Seven troops were wounded in the attack on Thursday in southern Baghdad and were evacuated to a military hospital; one has since returned to duty, the military said.

The deaths brought to 99 the number of U.S. troops to die in Iraq this month, according to an Associated Press count. The toll for the past three months — 329 — made it the deadliest such period for GIs since the war began in March 2003.

At least 3,576 members of the U.S. military have died since then, according to AP figures. The number includes seven military civilians. At least 2,936 died as a result of hostile action, according to the military’s numbers.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19497735/

[Zywiec]

1. Who can support this?

It's obvious the surge is not working. Must we really wait until September for the full report?

[atreides1]

6. "Who can support this?" You ask

At least 30% of the American population along with the majority of the US Congress, that's who!

Come September when the Congress gives Bush his money for perpetual war, and they will give it to him, it will show that they support the continuation of death and destruction, don't we all wish that they really supported the troops this doggedly???

[gratuitous]

7. Joe Lieberman says the "enemy" is on the run

I don't quite know what that means, but it's the tip-off for what you will be hearing in two months: In this or that isolated area and circumstance, things are marginally better, therefore, it's all working, it's all good. Stay the course. Give it another F.U. or two, and if you say differently, you're just a goddam dirty fucking hippy, appeasing terrorists and probably secretly in league with them.

One of the things I'd like the Democrats to be doing between now and September is buttonholing every last one of these delusional fucks, and asking them right now, what measure of "progress" will justify continuing this colossal, murderous, misguided operation. Don't tell me to wait and see, because whatever teeny, tiny favorable facts that can be gleaned amid all the carnage and destruction will be amalgamated to represent success come September. So I'm heading this nonsense off before it gets started:

How many hours a day can the people of Baghdad reliably count on having electricity?

If you turn on a tap in Mosul, can you drink what comes out?

How much money should the Oil Ministry be taking in come September?

On a typical week day in Basra, what percentage of the municipal police force scheduled to do so actually shows up for work?

I want hard, unfudgeable numbers on each of those questions. And I have more, as I'm sure you do too.

[appal_jack]

12. Good Questions Gratuitous!

Even if the Dem's feel powerless now to stop the present surge, relevant questions like yours will build the rationale for a change in policy well in advance of September.

-app

[legin]

2. And for the uk too funnily enough

22, which if consider the uk has roughly 1/20th of the troops the u.s. has, would convert to 440 dead with the same number.

The upswing in u.s. dead I can understand what with them going on the offensive in Baghdad and other areas.

The british however would seem to be twiddling their thumbs in Southern Iraq. Maybe ???

[ProgressiveFool]

3. Don't we hear this every month now?

Worst six months of the war, second worst month of the entire war, worst 5 month period of the war, worst Thanksgiving-to-Christmas period of the war.

We're getting nowhere fast :(

[ClintonTyree]

4. Hey, it's only a number.....

:sarcasm: I think Bush is getting about 5 GIs per gallon now, up from 4.5 last year. He's gotta' be happy about that. :mad:

[Karenina]

10. Just another comma.

[Tesha]

5. "Bring it on!" he said. And they did. (NT)

[truthisfreedom]

8. And likely getting worse.

It won't be long and we'll be seeing 10K dead US soldiers.

[knight_of_the_star]

9. They're getting even better

If all the insurgent factions stopped killing eachother for even a month and threw all they had at us I would bet the death toll overall for the US would double. That's probably the only thing that is keeping us from suffering worse than we already have.

[baldguy]

11. Until September