US deaths rise in wake of Saddam capture

[Emillereid]

By Charles Clover in Baghdad

Published: January 29 2004 19:41 | Last Updated: January 29 2004 19:41

US combat deaths in Iraq have risen sharply during January despite a drop in the number of attacks and the capture of former dictator Saddam Hussein over a month ago.
<snip>

The figures appear to show that the security situation in Iraq is not improving, contrary to earlier claims from the US military and politicians.

The US casualties are also mounting Afghanistan, where seven US soldiers were killed on Thursday in an explosion near an ammunition dump in the south of the country.... more.
Overall, January has been one of the bloodiest post-war months for the coalition. Combat deaths in the first 28 days of January alone exceeded those in every post-war month except October (35) and November (94), according toIraq Coalition Casualty Count - a website devoted to tracking coalition deaths.....


http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1073281412068&p=1012571727088

Are we safe now? More secure? We report, you decide!

[POed_Ex_Repub]

1. Didn't they say the reverse just a few days ago?

I seem to remember the reporting saying that attacks were down 22% (or some such number) since Saddam's capture. Of course, they were reporting on a span of about a week... but hey, it made for good spin at the time.

The tide is turning on the whole Iraq thing. Six months ago you'd have to be careful on criticizing the war in public lest getting beat up by an angry mob. Now the stupidity of the invasion has become almost a given.

I suppose at least public opinion is moving towards the realm of sanity. Better late than never right?

[Kenneth ken]

2. number of attacks down

deaths up.

You're saying the same thing the story says, maybe what you remember didn't mention deaths being up?

[POed_Ex_Repub]

4. Yeah.. that sounds right. nt

[Terran]

10. Yes, that was the short-lived spin.

Hey, attacks are down! We're winning!

Oh, um, but we forgot to mention that the attacks are getting ever more efficient and deadly, so, er, deaths are up. Oops.

[Barrett808]

15. And, remarkably, the slope of the casualty curve is exactly the same

http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~stephan/USfatalities.html

It seems that no matter what the US does, the slow bleed continues at a surprisingly constant rate.

[aquart]

3. I guess we're not safer.

Like Dean said.

[LittleDannySlowhorse]

5. I will never for the life of me understand

why it was considered a "gaffe" when he said that. It seemed blatantly, obviously, 500% true to me when he said it, and the fact that we went to Orange Alert the next day should have vindicated him.

At what point will the public at large finally accept that this war was complete bullshit and was not waged to protect a single American or Iraqi life anywhere?

I swear to god I feel like I am living in a nation of fucking retards sometimes. If Bush wins in November the wife and I are moving to Norway and never looking back --- shit like this is why.

[TolstoyAndy]

14. You are living in a nation of fucking retards

Present company excepted, of course.

[ixion]

6. so much for the 'Saddam loyalist' excuse

BushCo keeps making excuses and people continue to die needlessly.

Tragic. :-(

[Mari333]

7. as one returning soldier told me ITS HELL

and my completely clueless stepson is walking right into this. Right into this next week..they send him out..the lowliest of the grunts are put out there in the worst possible scenario..
God help us, if he isnt killed or wounded, god help us he doesnt come back so terrified and psychotic from the horrors he has to face..
He is just a weekend warrior who doesnt know a damned thing about this culture, what he will see, what to look out for..they train these kids for a month..just a month...for gods sake..they dont know what they are headed for and believe me its going to be horrible.
This is so much like Vietnam...

[PATRICK]

8. Predictable

They are trying harder with less. Probably lives have been saved by getting at the military units, but try telling that to the war widows. Actually, right now is a lull until Al Qaeda recruiters take up the slack with their chosen tactics like suicide bombings. The US is stuck with giving into the Shiites who have thus far restrained more mainstreamed action, the Kurds likewise, who though the friendliest to the US have also some of the most experienced and dangerous terrorist ties in the region(not directed at us though so that's different).

This is Palestinian occupation times 1000, but hey, its for the oil and dominance. Bushco is scarily stubborn about pushing and gambling despite all signs to the contrary. After all, what real consequences have they had to face in their march? Who has faced Bushco headon and lived? What are a few fatalities of suckers outside their fold to the PNAC imperialists?

[JohnyCanuck]

13. Don't count on the Kurds maintaining a friendly attitude for long

The US is stuck with giving into the Shiites who have thus far restrained more mainstreamed action, the Kurds likewise, who though the friendliest to the US have also some of the most experienced and dangerous terrorist ties in the region(not directed at us though so that's different).



On another thread (I think it was yesterday) someone mentioned a news story reporting that the US was reassuring Turkey the Kurds would not be allowed autonomy in a new Iraqi government. I would guess this is going to piss the Kurds off mightily as prior to the war under the UN sanctions they had a great deal of autonomy and ran their own affairs without interference from Saddam's government in Baghdad. Plus I am sure they were counting on controlling the oil and the oil revenues from the oilfields in Kurdish territory. I think you guys are screwed. This puts Uncle Sam between the proverbial rock and a hard place. No matter which way he leans, the shit is gonna fly at some point. I just hope our new Canadian PM is not such a brown noser that he feels it necessary to get Canada's military involved in this mess. To US DUers my sympathies, especially if you have family members in the military.

[Just Me]

9. Mainstream media is watering down the fire in Iraq,...

,...and, as usual, avoiding facing the real possibility that our presence is fueling ever greater danger and destruction.

[havocmom]

11. So, Iraqis are fighting for their homeland security?

Sounds like a reasonable and honorable endevour. Wouldn't most of us do the same against an invading force?

Remind me again, who are the good guys?

And yes, I feel deep and profound saddness at what this does to our military personell. They believe they are serving the good of our nation and the reality is gonna cause a rift that makes 'Nam look like a cakewalk. Then they get to find out what the neocons have done to VA benifits they thought would help heal their wounds.

I was a young when my friends came home from Southeast Asia. I am old now and hope we do better as a nation at really understanding the horrors our troops have had to witness. Let us come together to comfort them when they see how they were used by so many men without honor. Let us offer soothing words when they wake, sweating and shaking night after night, from the nighmares which will be with them.

[bemildred]

12. More casualties with fewer attacks == better tactics. nt