Death Toll of U.S. Troops in Iraq Rising (at least 334 over past 4 months)

[sabra]

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=2855404

Death Toll of U.S. Troops in Iraq Rising
AP: More U.S. Troops Died in Iraq Combat Over Past 4 Months Than in Any Similar Period of War


WASHINGTON Feb 7, 2007 (AP)— More American troops were killed in combat in Iraq over the past four months at least 334 through Jan. 31 than in any comparable stretch since the war began, according to an Associated Press analysis of casualty records.

Not since the bloody battle for Fallujah in 2004 has the death toll spiked so high.

The reason is that U.S. soldiers and Marines are fighting more battles in the streets of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, and other cities. And while hostile forces are using a variety of weaponry, the top killer is the roadside bomb.

In some respects it is the urban warfare that U.S. commanders thought they had managed to largely avoid after U.S. troops entered Baghdad in early April 2003 and quickly toppled the Saddam Hussein regime.

[LynnTheDem]

1. Send your "gratitude" to George W. bUsh for his brilliant

es-kah-LAY-shun.

George W. bUsh; voted 2006 Villian of the Year. Even beat the pants off Osama bin Laden & Saddam Hussein for the honor.

George W. bUsh; voted Biggest Threat to World Peace

George W. bUsh; voted Worst President in US History.

George W. bUsh; responsible for the deaths & dismemberments of hundreds of thousands of people for his lies.

George W. bUsh; motherfucker extraordinaire.

[uppityperson]

2. Haven't a whole big bunch of Iraqis been killed recently too?

Thanks Mr.bush, freedum on the march. More urban warfare coming up.

[maddezmom]

3. from Sunday: Iraqi Interior Ministry estimates 1,000 killed in one week

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=2716592

:(

[uppityperson]

5. that is one I read. Thanks. Appalling, disgusting.

[jefferson_dem]

4. FUCK!

:grr:

[Beetwasher]

6. IOW, There's a SURGE in US Deaths

n/t

[classysassy]

7. Impeachment

what are you waiting Nancy?.Men and women are dying while the congress fiddle around.Get rid of those two criminal,Bush?Chaney.

[llmart]

8. Why can't they report the good news?

Where are all those purple-fingered voters now? Come on. Show us your big smiles and purple fingers. Aren't you thrilled with "democracy" a la Bush/Cheney? Don't bother your beautiful minds with dead people.

[stanwyck]

9. Didn't you get the latest rightwing talking point on this?

The casualties aren't nearly as high as traffic deaths in the U.S., so why the concern? Really. This has been the whack-o talk-radio rhetoric for the last couple of weeks. "You could just as easily die here in a car accident." We even had a bizarre letter to the editor in Monday's Atlanta Constitution stating this "drop in the bucket" rationalization.
(and these people just LOVE the troops, don't they? Wonder what the troops think of their blithe remarks about dying in Iraq?)
So, if that's the metaphor, let's put this into perspective. The Bush administration is the drunk driver coming toward us. They lied us into war. They squandered our troops by rushing in on the cheap. They didn't listen to the military. Or the advisory boards.
Yeah, OK, you could die from a car accident in the U.S. Or from an IED in Iraq.
But this administration is the irresponsible, drunken driver causing the deaths through arrogance and incompetency.