CNN: Nine more U.S. troops die in Iraq; Reuters: 11 dead

[Renew Deal]

Sunday, April 18, 2004 Posted: 11:16 AM EDT (1516 GMT)

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Nine U.S. troops have died from combat wounds over the weekend, the U.S. military announced Sunday.

Since the start of the war, 698 Americans have been killed, 502 of them in hostile actions.

Three Marines were killed in fierce fighting Saturday near Iraq's border with Syria, the military said.

And three U.S. soldiers were killed Saturday when their 1st Armored Division convoy was ambushed near the southern Iraqi town of Ad Diwaniyah.

A seventh American, who was assigned to the 1st Marine Expeditionary Unit, also was killed Saturday in fighting west of Baghdad in the violent Al Anbar province.
<snip>

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/04/18/iraq.main/index.html

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&e=1&u=/nm/20040418/ts_nm/iraq_dc

Report: 11 U.S. Troops, Dozens of Iraqis Killed
41 minutes ago Add Top Stories - Reuters to My Yahoo!

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Five U.S. Marines were killed in a day-long battle and six U.S. soldiers were killed in other clashes during a weekend of bloodletting across Iraq (news - web sites), a U.S. newspaper and the military said.

A reporter for the St Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper wrote that dozens of Iraqis were killed along with the five Marines in 14 hours of fighting Saturday in western Iraq near the Syrian border. There was no official confirmation of the deaths.

Marine intelligence told the reporter traveling with the Marines that nearly 300 Iraqi fighters launched an offensive, setting off a roadside bomb to lure Marines from their base and then firing 24 mortar rounds.

"It doesn't feel real. It doesn't look real," Lance Corporal Dustin Myshrall told the newspaper. At least nine Marines were wounded and more than 20 Iraqi fighters were captured and taken to the main Marine base near the western town of al-Qaim.
<snip>

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&e=1&u=/nm/20040418/ts_nm/iraq_dc

[Mari333]

1. children who died for nothing . nothing. nothing. n/t

[LizW]

2. We'll hit 700 today or tomorrow

http://lunaville.org/warcasualties/Summary.aspx

:cry:

[PROGRESSIVE1]

3. It could be 800 by months end.

:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:


:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:


:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:


:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

[LizW]

5. Stephanopolis is doing his weekly tribute right now

He said 11 today, 25 this week. Before long, they'll have to lengthen the show.

Or start showing "representatives" of the dead, like they used to do during Viet Nam.

[wndycty]

4. But according to Rumsfeld. . . .

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1430115

Clarence Page: Rumsfeld's candor can be too revealing
American soldiers are not "fungible" to their loved ones
Published April 18, 2004

WASHINGTON -- Every so often a high-profile Washington figure gets himself or herself in trouble by inadvertently revealing what he or she really thinks. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld knows. In a town where candor can be a crime, he's a repeat offender.

His latest score came during a Pentagon news conference Thursday when he revealed a new Rummy-ism: "People are fungible."

My dictionary says "fungible," which is pronounced with a soft "G" as in "sponge," refers to something that can be satisfactorily replaced, either in part or in whole, with some other part or quantity of similar value. "Oil is fungible," experts say, in arguing why no country or cartel can quite corner the market on it. If the price is too high in one place, you can buy it someplace else and the price in the first place will come down in order to compete.

Now, Rumsfeld wants you to know, our troops are fungible, too. His bold pronouncement came during an exchange with a reporter in a news conference during which Rumsfeld announced that about 20,000 American troops are about to have their tours in Iraq extended for at least three months.
-snip-

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-0404180403apr18,1,70...

Wes Clark's life is simply an American story, but he will make an extraordinary American President.

[Old and In the Way]

6. drip,drip,drip

The blood of our sons and daughters slowly seeping into the sands of Iraq.....for no good reason.

[NoPasaran]

8. Not just "for ne good reason" but for the worst of reasons

Bush's obsession with Iraq is the sort of petty personal dynastic feud that led the Founders to give the power to make war and peace to Congress.

"He tried to kill my daddy." If * wasn't a miserable coward he would have settled accounts with Saddam mano a mano as Saddam offered. Instead he smashed Iraq apart, starting a fire that may well engulf the whole world. I certainly hope there is a Hell, because only there can this evil, evil diabolical scumbag receive retribution for his crimes.

[the Kelly Gang]

7. I remember so well the outrage when it was 200 since "Mission etc "..it's

a bloody disgrace.

G.Bush & Co will rot in hell.