U.S. Deaths
As of Tuesday, at least 3,842 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.
Baghdad — The monthly toll of U.S. service members who have died in Iraq is on track to be the lowest in nearly two years, with at least 36 troop deaths recorded as of Tuesday, but the military cautioned it's too early to declare a long-term trend.
Iraqi civilians, meanwhile, faced more attacks on Tuesday.
At least four mortar rounds slammed into a village near Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit, killing a woman and wounding five other civilians, police said.
In Baghdad, gunmen in a speeding car tossed a hand grenade into a crowd of shoppers in eastern Baghdad, killing one person and wounding five, according to an officer in the capital. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to release the information.
At least 36 American service members have died so far in October, nearly a quarter from noncombat causes. Among them were three soldiers killed Tuesday when a bomb exploded as they patrolled southeast Baghdad, the military said.
It is the lowest number since 31 troops died in March 2006 and the second-lowest since 35 troop deaths in March 2005, according to an Associated Press count based on military figures.
That would be the second consecutive drop in monthly figures, after 65 Americans died in September and 84 in August.
Maj. Winfield Danielson, a military spokesman in Baghdad, pointed to a number of likely reasons for the decline, including a U.S. security push that has driven militants out of former safe havens and a change in strategy that has placed troops closer to the population. That, in turn, has caused a rise in the number of tips from residents about roadside bombs and other dangers.
He also singled out the cease-fire call by radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who in August ordered his fighters to cease attacks against U.S.-led forces and other Iraqis for up to six months. Danielson said Iraqi forces also were increasingly taking charge of security operations.
He welcomed the lower numbers but stressed it was too early to say it was a downward trend.
"Have we turned a corner? It might be a little too early to say that," he said. "It's certainly encouraging."
In August, the U.S. Army expressed concern that repeated deployments and tours of duty that have been stretched to 15 months were putting increasing pressure on military families and creating record suicide rates among soldiers.
There were 99 Army suicides last year - nearly half of them soldiers who hadn't reached their 25th birthdays, about a third of them serving in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Comments
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just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…
The death toll 2 years ago was really bad. Returning to it is nothing to cheer about, but I guess for you sycophants combing for anything you can classify as "good news," this is a good as you'll find.
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…
"Sycophants? When you try to use the big words, consult a dictionary first."
I know what the word means, so the only thing I need to consult is the content of your posts.
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…
When the full withdrawal of US forces is announced, at which time the death toll will soon reach zero, that's when I'll cheer. But if you'd like breathlessly cheer the ups and downs of an ongoing disaster, knock yourself out.
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…
"Let's return to the Hugo Chavez threads."
Since you spent most of your time arguing with yourself in those threads, you don't need me to return to them. Once again, knock yourself out.
badger (anonymous) says…
I certainly won't dismiss a low death toll as unimportant or not noteworthy. I much prefer that this is the second consecutive month of decrease as opposed to a second consecutive month of increase, certainly. I won't say I'm happy about the death toll numbers, though. It seems obscene to use words like 'only' when talking about the number of soldiers who won't see their families again - and it would even if that number was 5, or 2, or 1.
The last line of the article, on the rising number of suicides, bears consideration. We're not taking care of the emotional health of our troops. That's as serious a concern as the lack of adequate armor, because low troop morale not only relates to suicide, but also to the decreased alertness and unit functionality that can increase deaths from hostile fire as well. Depressed, stressed, frazzled soldiers make mistakes, and mistakes can be fatal.
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…
"Don't worry, bozo, they are "brown people" so you don't have to care."
You already have that well covered.
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…
"Caring for and about "brown people?" You're right, I do."
Mouthing the words might gain you "brownie" points towards your BushCo Secret Decoder Ring, but it accomplishes little else.
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…
This how much this war is based on a "concern for brown people."
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Tomgram: Michael Schwartz, Iraq Policy Floating on a Sea of Oil
http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/174856
Excerpt--
And beyond this set of radical changes in the Middle East lay another set for the rest of the world. In the twenty-first century, expanding energy demand will, sooner or later (probably sooner), outdistance production. The goal of unfettered American access to sufficient Middle Eastern oil would, if achieved and sustained, deprive other countries of sufficient oil, or require them to satisfy U.S. demands in order to access it. In other words, Greenspan's conservative effort to preserve American access implied a dramatic increase in American leverage over all countries that depended on oil for their economic welfare; that is, a radical transformation of the global balance of power.
Notice that these ambitions, and the actions taken to implement them, rested on a vision of an imperial America that should, could, and would play a uniquely dominant, problem-solving role in world affairs. All other countries would, of course, continue to be "vulnerable to economic crises" over which they would have "little control." Only the United States had the essential right to threaten, or simply apply, overwhelming military power to the "problem" of energy; only it had the right to subdue any country that attempted to create -- or exploit -- an energy crisis, or that simply had the potential and animus to do so.
None of this was lost on the unipolar-minded officials who made the decision to invade Iraq -- and were more ready than any previous administration to spell out, shock-and-awe style, a new stronger version of the Carter Doctrine for the planet. According to Treasury Secretary O'Neill, Rumsfeld offered a vision of the grandiosity of these goals at the first Bush administration National Security Council meeting:
"Imagine what the region would look like without Saddam and with a regime that's aligned with U.S. interests. It would change everything in the region and beyond."
An even more grandiose vision was offered to the New York Times by presidential speech writer David Frum a few days later:
"An American-led overthrow of Saddam Hussein, and the replacement of the radical Baathist dictatorship with a new government more closely aligned with the United States, would put America more wholly in charge of the region than any power since the Ottomans, or maybe even the Romans."
beatrice (anonymous) says…
I know how we can really lower the death toll of our soldiers --
Bring them home!!!
I also know how to avoid such death tolls in the future --
No More Unnecessary Wars!!!
beatrice (anonymous) says…
The death toll is at a level equivalent with two years ago. Does this mean it is time to dust off the four year old "Mission Accomplished" banner?
yourworstnightmare (anonymous) says…
Look, death rates naturally flucuate up and down, just like global warming.
Prove to me in a controlled lab situation that this reduced death rate is not random and is due to policies on the ground. Otherwise, pipe down about lowered death rates.
sfjayhawk (anonymous) says…
Why is 36 American Soldiers dead in Iraq this month a good thing? We must be in the middle of a total failure if we consider this good news. This war will eventually end - most likely in early 09 - and it is sad that we will continue ask men to die for a failure. Perhaps if Bushy had not skipped out on Vietnam (he even was AWOL from the national guard!) he would understand that the lives of soldiers are the most valuable commodities our nation has - and would do more to protect them from harm or death. Mr Bush, history will judge you as you deserve - and you being history cant come soon enough.
sfjayhawk (anonymous) says…
No, 36 more needless deaths is not a good thing. I find it revolting that any Americans would celebrate 36 dead US soldiers.
It is actually tragic that more continue to die - every day - for a needless war that will ultimately end without victory at such a staggering cost.
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…
"That shows that the enemy is becoming less efficient at killing our troops. That shows the enemy is losing."
That's what you want it to show. Unfortunately, there is more evidence of your wishful thinking than there is of some sort of imminent victory, whatever "victory" might mean.
"To some, that's good news."
Will you still consider it good news if the death toll rises again, or if over the next year and a half, it remains steady at more than one dead a day?
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…
"What did I say here about victory?"
Considering that there quite often appears to be no meaning attached to the words you use, it would be pointless for me to even attempt an answer.
gogoplata (anonymous) says…
If you want the Iraq war to end. Vote for Ron Paul
sfjayhawk (anonymous) says…
not even Maj. Winfield Danielson mentioned that this was an indication that the enemy is losing. He even cautioned that it was too early to say that this was a trend.
Moreover, he "singled out the cease-fire call by radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who in August ordered his fighters to cease attacks against U.S.-led forces and other Iraqis for up to six months". Hardly a sign of victory.
And if anyone inside the military or the administration thought this meant 'they' were losing, believe me, Bushy would be at a aircraft carrier photo op as we speak - with a humongous "Mission Accomplished' banner in the background.
How can anyone draw from this article that we are 'winning' or that the enemy is 'losing'. No, Im afraid we are still stuck in the never ending quagmire of Iraq. And every day at least one more US soldier will die for a war that will end without victory. What a shame.
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…
Well, PA, if the enemy is losing (which you have stated) then it means we are winning, which is synonymous with being victorious. The only other possible itnerpretation is that we are in an endless stalemate in which both sides are losing, in which case your "good news" is equally devoid of meaning.
dirkleisure (anonymous) says…
p-a, are you saying that, when it comes to Iraq, you have been to the mountaintop?
Have you looked over? Have you seen the promised land?
p-a loves brown people...
dirkleisure (anonymous) says…
PA has been to the mountaintop.
gogoplata (anonymous) says…
**If you want Yellowstone and Yosemite auctioned off to the highest bidder, vote for Ron Paul.
If you want ANWR to be a giant oil spill, vote for Ron Paul.
Ron Pauls environmental policies may not be something you agree with but they are also not what he is running on. This article is about Iraq and if you want a President who will end it, Ron Paul is your man. You are also laying it on a little thick to say that a vote for Ron Paul is to vote for ANWR becoming a giant oil spill. His priorities are liberty, a humble foreign policy, and sound money. I don't agree with him on everything but he is such a breath of fresh air compared to the rest of the 2008 contenders. Just look at who he is.
He has never voted to raise taxes.
He has never voted for an unbalanced budget.
He has never voted for a federal restriction on gun ownership.
He has never voted to raise congressional pay.
He has never taken a government-paid junket.
He has never voted to increase the power of the executive branch.
He voted against the Patriot Act.
He voted against regulating the Internet.
He voted against the Iraq war.
He does not participate in the lucrative congressional pension program.
He returns a portion of his annual congressional office budget to the U.S. treasury every year.
This is a man with integrity. He believes in something and is actions back his beliefs. He wants to make this country better, not just be president.
gogoplata (anonymous) says…
He has never voted to raise taxes.
He has never voted for an unbalanced budget.
He has never voted for a federal restriction on gun ownership.
He has never voted to raise congressional pay.
He has never taken a government-paid junket.
He has never voted to increase the power of the executive branch.
He voted against the Patriot Act.
He voted against regulating the Internet.
He voted against the Iraq war.
He does not participate in the lucrative congressional pension program.
He returns a portion of his annual congressional office budget to the U.S. treasury every year.
His actions thunder.
jonas (anonymous) says…
"His actions thunder."
Like Zues!! He hath come!!!
On a side note, while a drop in the troop casualties is certainly a good thing, I would venture to say that it hardly excuses the last four years of combat casualties. It's kind of like 'sure, we may be a few years and a few thousand deaths more than we initially predicted, but things are kind of starting to look up for us.
On the other hand, it is a good thing that we were/are the richest country in the world, and have a huge amount of resources. They should certainly be enough to see this through till the end, whichever way that end takes.
Rationalanimal (anonymous) says…
"When the full withdrawal of US forces is announced, at which time the death toll will soon reach zero, that's when I'll cheer. But if you'd like breathlessly cheer the ups and downs of an ongoing disaster, knock yourself out."
******************************************************************************************************************
We are cheering breathlessly bozo because when our troops finally do come home after honorably completing the mission you and other traitors have worked so hard to thwart at every turn, their victory, their honor, their glory will be all the greater and your cowardice malcontent all the lower and dishonorable. Sadly, what our victory in Iraq will mean is the utter philosophical failure of the Moveon Socialist Committee dba Democratic National Committee. What is my evidence, the smear of a wartime General printed by the socialist New York Times, the instaneous and dismissal of any good news, blame America at every turn, Congressional approval ratings at all time lows. You will go down in history remembered by "Betray US," the surge isn't working, "suspend all disbelief," and facist Islam doesn't exist rhetoric whereas our military men and women will be remembered as vanquishing our enemy and removing a lethal threat to the generations despite your intentional resistance at every turn. The fact is, and MSC dba DNC, bozo and all the other socialist blame America traitors just can't bring themselves to admit, the surge is working, we are systematically dismantling Al-Qaida, and last, there hasn't been a terrorist attack on American soil since 9/11. Bad news for the MSC dba DNC. Sad news for hate America bigot bozo.
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…
Wow, RA, that's one of the best distillations of reality-free hate-talk radio I've ever seen. Tell me, how many consecutive days can you go without thinking?
ndmoderate (anonymous) says…
":.they almost exclusively report about Blackwater, alleged rapes, destroyed infrastructures, dead women and children, a struggling Iraqi government. " -- R_T
Yeah, god forbid the news channels report the news. How dare they!?
You're like Kevin Bacon in Animal House when he's trying to do some crowd control in his little ROTC uniform.
ndmoderate (anonymous) says…
Or was that Kevin Bacon? Hell, I can't remember. More coffee....
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…
The idea that BushCo is in Iraq to install democracy is purely delusional. The Palestinians very legitimately elected Hamas, but BushCo supports the extermination of Palestinians, not their right to elect who they want into their government.
BushCo is in Iraq soley for oil and to establish bases to replace those that they have lost in Saudi Arabia to help secure control of oil resources in the larger region. Saddam was just hunky dory as long as he was seen to be useful in securing oil resources for multinational oil corporations. If a dictator that multinational oil corporations can "work with" takes over in Iraq, the BS about establishing democracy will disappear.
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…
"Giving them 400 million dollars is "exterminating" in this sentence."
As always, your analysis is very superficial.
sfjayhawk (anonymous) says…
RationalAnimal - your right - its all a conspiracy of the DNC. George Bush is actually an android programmed by the DNC to be extra buffoonish, incompetent, unable to use proper grammar or diction, and to fail at both foreign policy and the response to Katrina. The goal of the evil DNC is to seize control of America and to turn it into a socialist state where everyone gets healthcare and education for free.
Seriously though, is it hard being fully consumed with paranoia? Double up on your dose and come
back to reality.
sfjayhawk (anonymous) says…
RT - Are there actually people out there other than you that still believes that we have a victory in Iraq? Who are you and where have you been for 4+ years? Admit it, after seeing the 'mission accomplished' banner you decided it was over and tuned out.
sfjayhawk (anonymous) says…
Bush is on the hook for katrina for hiring a political hack to run FEMA. Heckava job Brownie!
sfjayhawk (anonymous) says…
PA - is there anything, in your mind, that bush not done absolutely perfectly? Seriously, is he accountable for anything that has gone wrong over the past 6+ years or are you like RT and the other Gestapo that blindly follow the leader without any question, and blame all the serious screw ups on some vast communist conspiracy. I dare you, name one failure of the bush administration..
badger (anonymous) says…
r_t:
Maybe they don't give him credit for improvements in the economy because when it tanked he refused to accept any of the blame. I can't say I think it's unreasonable for them to figure if he's not accepting responsibility for the economic downturn, he's not responsible for any upturns, either. I mean, in 2003 and 2004 he had all sorts of reasons why the President's not responsible for a sluggish economy, but if he had the capacity to be credited for positive change, why wasn't he making it then?
You deny responsibility for something when it's going badly, then you don't get credit for when it improves, sorry. His rush to escape blame was his own choice, and now he gets to live out some repercussions on that choice.
sfjayhawk (anonymous) says…
While the stock market has soared, the dollar is at near record lows, the housing market and mortgage industry are in a death spiral and skyrocketing oil prices, inflation budget and trade defects are very troubling.
I would give mixed reviews on the economy.
jgragg (anonymous) says…
It's good to know the death toll has dropped over the past two years. It's not enough but it's looking a little better. How many more military lives will it take for our government to realize it is not worth the pain and loss. My husband is in Iraq for the next 13 months and the last thing I want to open my door to is a soldier with a folded flag. I feel for the families and I thank our troops.
sfjayhawk (anonymous) says…
summers - I am committed to a withdrawal from Iraq - failure happened long ago. Each death has been for nothing, and every one from here on out - chasing a lost cause - gets more and more tragic. I hope our troops leave now, and not another gets maimed or killed in this utter disaster.
jonas (anonymous) says…
Sigh
The humorous attempt bore no fruit. So Here we are, a direct question.
This is printed as a vindication of foreign policy, at least according to some. So, does the idea of actually making progress in this war still seem to some of you as a vindication of the Bush admin agenda? If you recall, it's the one that thought, seriously, that this was over in late 2003, 2004, can't remember which. While I must say from the start my view was something to the effect of what it is now, I seem to recall some people thinking this would be a quick and relatively painless war. I'm curios if someone can defend this war, that is neither quick, painless, or relatively cheap, or give an idea, bases on previous discussion, as to why our drop in casualties now is somehow a vindication of this (average core) terribly horrible of a war.
knowtoomuch (anonymous) says…
Could Marietta N. Parker & Terra D. Morehead U.S District Attorney's be Involved in Missing Evidence Found for Sale In Local Pawn Shops In Lawrence kansas ?
The Yellow House Fencing investigation had turned ugly for the Lawrence police dept.
Officer's Jay Bialek and Officers Mickey Rantz interviewed yellow house costumers while impersonating FBI agents in a effort to intimidate these costumers. The media picked up the story and Marietta Parker and Terra Morehead both U.S. assistants District Attorneys for the state of Kansas tried to help the Lawrence police Chief Ron Olin cover up the impersonations by launching a Fake FBI investigation into the Lawrence Police dept. complete with a fake FBI agent named Mr. Bob Schaefer.
Mr. Bob Schaefer had several meetings with the media, attorneys, and officials from the Lawrence police dept. Mr. Schaefer was sent here from K.C. When Lawrence in in the jurisdiction of the Topeka FBI office. Mrs. Marietta Parker is in some hot watter with the real FBI now and it has come to the attention of the real FBI that the Lawrence police dept. has evidence missing from the Police evidence room and some of this missing evidence have turned up in both local pawn shops here in Lawrence.
The property missing from the evidence room consisted of firearms, drugs,tools ect..
Could this missing property be the reason the federal prosecutor's Parker and Morehead violated the law posing as FBI agency and conspired to impersonate a FBI agent by sending Mr. Schaefer here to smooth things out ? (a fake FBI agent)
Could these Federal prosecutors be involved in the illegal removal of property from the police evidence room and the selling of it to the local pawn shops ?
Think about it for a min. when the dirty Lawrence police officers arrest someone and get the Justice dept. to charge them on the federal level based on lies it could be a nice gig , yep once your case go's to federal court most attorneys advice is to plea and take the deal, this will allow the cops to keep your seized property to sell to the pawn shops and it allows the dirty Justice dept. prosecutors to Take your home and business through forfeitures just to keep a winning conviction record
and everybody's happy except the poor person who was intimidated and now is going to jail as a innocence person because he listened to his dirty attorney who never believed in him in the 1st place.
Just how much money is worth violating a federal prosecutor's oath of offices ?
How much missing evidence from the evidence room is worth violating your oath office as a law enforcement officer ?
Do you think these Dirty law enforcements officials will be held accountable for their actions , its a sad day when the law enforcement officers and the Justice dept. Federal officials are not held to the same strict code of conduct they hold the public to.
erod0723 (anonymous) says…
Dotsline says,
That being said, I've been pretty clear that I really could have cared less whether he still had the weapons, that there were other reasons justifying the use of force in Iraq. I never said that was what "the war was about."
Just curious, what were those other reasons for the war?
GretchenJP (anonymous) says…
My god, where is livingstone??
gogoplata (anonymous) says…
Ron Paul has raised around $2 million since midnight 11-5-07.
badger (anonymous) says…
I'm kind of looking forward to Ron Paul's inevitable Dean-style flameout.
It should be...interesting.
badger (anonymous) says…
Hey, someone's giving Ron Paul all that money. He has to have some supporters.
I just see a lot of similarities:
Primary area of support is on the web
Mostly grass-roots donations
Has a few good soundbites that are pulling in people who don't look too deep
Rabid fan base trying to build hype with blog and forum spamming and Googlebomb-style tactics
Little of substance to say beyond well-rehearsed hot button bullet points
Relative unknown who made a few unpopular decisions that hindsight has colored positively
No one's really taking him seriously yet, so he hasn't had a chance for whatever skeleton lives in his closet (like Dean's whole 'back injury' thing) to surface and heat things up for him, but in the next few weeks if he keeps gaining popularity, look for some stupid thing he said or did (more stupid than his plan to abolish the Federal Reserve...) to show up in the news. If he weathers that, he'll build some more support and then flame out horribly later in the race.
That's the part I'm saving my popcorn for. If you'll recall Ross Perot's "People were sent to kill my family," you'll know that when Texans flame out, they don't go half measures. It should be *spectacular*.
gogoplata (anonymous) says…
Ron Paul up to 3.8 million raised on 11-5-2007
gogoplata (anonymous) says…
Ron Paul finished the day with 4.2 million raised in 24 hours.
badger (anonymous) says…
Aaaaand, over on the NYT blogs there's a bunch of Paulite commenters going on about 9/11 conspiracies and Bilderbergers...
Yeah, they really make me want to support their candidate.
gogoplata (anonymous) says…
Maybe you should look at the man and not a group of his supporters.
gogoplata (anonymous) says…
Can we get a story from the LJWorld about Ron Paul?
gogoplata (anonymous) says…
A presidential candidate raises 4.2 million in 24 hours from 37,000 different people. That is news just in case the LJWorld news columnists were not aware.
sfjayhawk (anonymous) says…
2007 - worst year in Iraq yet. This is one of the worst disasters in our history, and the disaster seems to keep getting worse and worse. I look forward to the day when no more US soldiers need to die for a lost cause, bulls**t war - that is as close to victory as we are going to get.
"The grim record came despite lower death rates in recent months, which were not enough to offset death tolls that topped 100 during three months in the spring."
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/1...