Iraq's Failed Transition

[Owlet]

The numbers pretty much speak for themselves.

http://www.ips-dc.org/iraq/failedtransition/index.htm

" A Failed 'Transition' is the most comprehensive accounting of the

mounting costs of the Iraq war on the United States, Iraq, and the

world. Among its major findings are stark figures about the escalation

of costs in these most recent three months of "transition" to Iraqi

rule, a period that the Bush administration claimed would be

characterized by falling human and economic costs.

1. U.S. Military Casualties Have Been Highest During the

"Transition": U.S. military casualties (wounded and killed) stand at a

monthly average of 747 since the so-called "transition" to Iraqi rule

on June 28, 2004. This contrasts with a monthly average of 482 U.S.

military casualties during the invasion (March 20-May 1, 2003) and a

monthly average of 415 during the occupation (May 2, 2003-June 28,

2004).

2. Non-Iraqi Contractor Deaths Have Also Been Highest During the

"Transition": There has also been a huge increase in the average

monthly deaths of U.S. and other non-Iraqi contractors since the

"transition." On average, 17.5 contractors have died each month since

the June 28 "transition," versus 7.6 contractor deaths per month during

the previous 14 months of occupation.

3. Estimated Strength of Iraqi Resistance Skyrockets: Because the

U.S. military occupation remains in place, the "transition" has failed

to win Iraqi support or diminish Iraqi resistance to the occupation.

According to Pentagon estimates, the number of Iraqi resistance

fighters has quadrupled between November of 2003 and early September

2004, from 5,000 to 20,000. The Deputy Commander of Coalition forces in

Iraq, British Major General Andrew Graham, indicated to Time magazine

in early September that he thinks the 20,000 estimate is too low; he

estimates Iraqi resistance strength at 40,000-50,000. This rise is even

starker when juxtaposed to Brookings Institution estimates that an

additional 24,000 Iraqi resistance fighters have been detained or

killed between May 2003 and August 2004.

4. U.S.- led Coalition Shrinks Further After "Transition": The

number of countries identified as members of the Coalition backing the

U.S.-led war started with 30 on March 18, 2003, then grew in the early

months of the war. Since then, eight countries have withdrawn their

troops and Costa Rica has demanded to be taken off the coalition list.

At the war's start, coalition countries represented 19.1 percent of the

world's population; today, the remaining countries with foces in Iraq

represent only 13.6 percent of the world's population.

[Jacobin]

1. "Transition?" What transition?

Ya mean the transfer from Bremer to that CIA guy Allawi?....the one who had his speech to congress written by BushCo's political team?


bwaaahahahahahaha

yeah, right, 'transition' that's it....i like that, let's call it a 'transition'....bwaaahahahahaha

[skylarmae]

2. how on earth could georgie porgie have ever graduated from

Harvard and Yale. Everything he has touched since becoming Selected
has turned to mush and later down the pike to shit. It boggles the mind to think this guy has a Masters. The only explanation might just be the BIG A like I have read is being suggested. Or maybe its
just plain evil deeds and lies catching up with him?

[leftchick]

3. I think "Iraqi resistance strength at 40,000-50,000" is too low.....

The US creates thousands more fighters daily with every bomb they drop. This offensive into Samarra was a huge recruiting tool for the resistance. I would bet there are closer to several hundred thousand people willing to die so the US occupiers leave.