Posted on 10/25/2005 3:20:57 PM PDT by Hadean
WASHINGTON, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Crossing the threshold of 2,000 American military deaths in Iraq on Tuesday added to the pressure on President George W. Bush to show progress in Iraq amid waning public support for the war.
Bush launched the Iraq war in 2003 hoping for a quick victory with minimal casualties. The Iraqi army was quickly defeated and, when confronted by early attacks by militants, Bush was initially defiant, declaring: "Bring 'em on!"
But within months the attacks grew in intensity, bogging down the U.S. force of more than 100,000 troops, aircraft and armor and delaying plans for rapid reconstruction of the shattered country.
The 2,000 threshold of American miliary deaths was a grim sign that despite some progress on the political front, much work lies ahead in halting insurgent attacks and stopping the flow into Iraq of foreign fighters from around the region, including Syria.
No change in strategy appeared likely as a result of the new death toll, and Bush said the best way to honor the fallen was to "complete the mission and lay the foundation of peace by spreading freedom."
"This war will require more sacrifice, more time and more resolve," he told military wives earlier on Tuesday. "The terrorists are as brutal an enemy as we have ever faced."
Bush was already in political trouble over Iraq, the slow federal response to Hurricane Katrina and soaring gasoline prices. These problems and others have pushed his job approval rating to the lowest of his presidency.
A special prosecutor's investigation into the leak of a CIA agent's name, which has its roots in the Iraq war, is shaking the White House. It could seriously trouble Bush's second term if his top political adviser, Karl Rove, is indicted.
The agent's husband, former U.S. diplomat Joe Wilson, had accused the Bush administration of twisting intelligence when officials cited a threat of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction to justify the 2003 invasion. No such weapons have been found.
IRAQIS TO TAKE OVER FIGHT
Bush, who says it is essential to make progress on Iraq's political process to undermine the insurgency, saw some grounds for hope when millions of Iraqis turned out to vote on a new constitution that was ratified on Tuesday.
"Iraqis are making inspiring progress toward building a democracy," Bush said.
Public support for the war has eroded sharply and many Americans want to see U.S. troops brought home, a view dramatized in August by protester Cindy Sheehan in her weeks-long vigil outside the Bush ranch in Texas. Sheehan's son, Casey, was killed in Iraq.
U.S. officials say political progress and the training of Iraqi security forces are prerequisites for a U.S. withdrawal.
"I grieve for every death," Bush said at his ranch on Aug. 11 during Sheehan's protest. "It breaks my heart to think about a family weeping over the loss of a loved one. I understand the anguish that some feel about the death that takes place."
But, he said, "pulling the troops out would send a terrible signal to the enemy."
While U.S. officials cite the growing capabilities of the Iraqi security forces, there are nagging questions about how well prepared they are for combat and how much they have been infiltrated by insurgents.
Bravo. Well put.
They are all gleeful about it. katie couric was almost laughing this morning speculating when it would happen. They know 2,000 isn't that many, but since it's a Republican in office, they make it to be the most lost in any way in history. Bastard liars.
That picture is pretty accurate to how liberals feel about the death toll. That was very clevor! 8)
What I find very interresting about that, is that when there was the 1,000th death, the average rate of deaths per day was about 4.5 deaths per day in Iraq from the start of the war, to the 1,000th death. But with the 2,000th death today, it is down to 2.1 deaths per day since the start of the war to today. That's a DRAMATIC drop and the media of course never points that out. They only talk about how attacks have increased, but if the killings have decreased, that means the military is better at spotting the attacks and avoiding casualties. An attack has little significance if it isn't killing anyone. THAT is an important part of this formula that the media conspicuously leaves out all the time.
More excellent historical fact that proves that the 2,000 brave combat casualties in Iraq is VERY low compared to all other major wars. Great post! Facts of history are impossible to debunk.
I dare say there are literally thousands of families, American, European, Arab, and Asian that mourn the loss of loved ones at the hands of these terrorists.
These terrorists have to be stopped and this war on terror should have been started over 30 years ago, before they gained the support and power they have today. Appease them now and imagine the power they will have 10 or 20 years from now.
At the same time as I shed my tears over these 2,000 I also beam with pride that this latest generation has produced such fine young men and women who willingly placed themselves in harms way for the protection and liberation of others and paid the ultimate sacrifice. Their sacrifices are not to be taken lightly or denigrated but deserve to be held up to the entire world as amongst the finest people this country has ever produced.
John 15:13 Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
I liked your post (and the previous longer one) but there is a misconception out there:
"The RADICAL FOREIGN TERRORISTS in Iraq ARE the invaders!"
Defining who makes up the terrorist groups in Iraq is and has always been difficult. But the concensus is they're mostly Iraqis... Former Saddam loyalists making up the largest group amongst them. Here's one link:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/iraq_insurgency.htm
Amen. Excellent post! That says it all. And it's all the things that liberals just don't get, and will never get. They owe their freedome to the very people who's sacrifice they mock and make light of and sensationalize. Shameless way to call attention to those who made such a selfless brave sacrifice for friend and country.
Well, I base that comment on the recently elected President of Iraq, when he was here in the U.S. recently, and he said very plainly that most of the terrorists they are fighting in Iraq are non-Iraqi's, like zarkoui, mostly syrians, iranians, egyptians, jordanians, saudis, etc. I'm sure there are many radical hussein supporters among the ranks, but just like most of the remaining terrorists in Afghanistan are not Afghani, I think the same might well be true in Iraq. There sure aren't a small number of foreign terrorists involved in the attacks in any rate.
I love when you post since you're there. Thanks for your sacrifice! 8) So earlier, most of them were foreign terrorists, but more recently, most are hussein radical "saddam fedayeen" types, right? Knowing that so many of them have been wiped out by you guys is AWESOME! losing 2,000 Americans in battle there is horrible, but not compared to history, and not compared to the numbers of mongral terrorists you guys have killed. Those numbers you mentioned are at the very least, on the LOW side? That's AMAZING!!! If that was drilled into the American people, it would certainly proved beyond a shadow of a doubt just how amazing you guys are doing over there. I wish the Defense Department would pass on confirmed kill numbers. I know that's a taboo since Vietnam (my Dad was there for four tours) so I do understand why they don't do that, but I think NEVER telling the American people how many confirmed terrorists are killed is a mistake. Thanks for your post! I sure appreciate your awesome service to your country!
Sorry I didn't word that correctly, I meant since you "were" there. If you were still there you wouldn't have much time to blog huh? ;)
Give the liberals time to break out Country Joe and The Fish.
When do you figure the flip took place? Was it sometime this year that so many of the foreign terrorists had been killed that most of the terrorists in Iraq were Iraqi hussein radicals? What do you think has caused the dramatic drop off in foreign terrorists coming into Iraq? Is it because the border is more secured, because the terror states are in shock at the sheer numbers of their "holy warriors" that have been killed, or because the local countries that had been sending terrorists into Iraq have run out of 14 to 40 something recruits that are willing to go? Or is it a combination of those three things? I'm sure there are other options, but those are the three that come to mind. I'd really be curious to know your thoughts on this. Thanks! 8)
It's especially insulting, because the bottom line is, the anti-war crowd HATES the military. They despise them. To quote bill clinton they "loathe the military". They only give a tinkers damn about the military when they're over somewhere fighting and dying for the values and principles that make this nation possible, and then their "concern" is only out of their desire that no war ever be fought. I am so sick of spineless pacifist people who have no clue what it was that made their freedom they enjoy possible. It's spoiled rotten Americans like that that drive me crazy. I want the military out of Iraq and back home too, but not until the job is done, and Iraq and Afghanistan is a free representative democracy for centuries to come, so that their kids and grandkids, and my kids and grandkids don't have to go back and do it again because it was done half assed like the liberal democrats do things, or not at all like the u.n. does things.
And when they do come home, they will be praised and celebrated as the heros they are for the reality that they made an impact on history and brought real freedom to places and peoples who have NEVER known it in the history of mankind. God bless the military. Shame on the anti-war people who feign concern for their safe return as a cover for their socialistic anti-war liberal agenda.
well I think the numbers of Saddam types have been relatively stagnant. They were there (mostly) first, but when we got into the country, our first objective was to establish and solidify and then secure. So while we were doing that, all the Jihadis came in and outnumbers the Saddam guys. They have actually taken pot shots at each other too.
As for the swing, it's a couple things, all of which you listed I think. The Iraqi borders are a bit more secure, the Iraqis believe in their COUNTRY for the most part, so we are tipped off sometimes. And we have killed a helluva lot of them.
There are going to be Saddam loyalists for another generation or so. But the foreign terrorists are something we can stomp out.
That's pretty amazing. So they were turning on each other sometimes? Boy that's sure something the media NEVER reported on. Dorks. And with what you said, I have visions of F-16s, F-15s, AH-64s, and Soldiers and Marines taking out large masses of them because they're so sloppy and untrained and primative in their fighting techniques. They're dedicated but not trained and NO match for any brance of the U.S. military. I have seen a couple of video clips from friends of Apache's and Army/Marine groups hitting groups of terrorists in Iraq. It pretty clearly shows that they're not worthy opponants, though still dangerous because of their fanaticism. If it wasn't for their cowardice in planting road side bombs and other coward terrorist tactics, many of the 2,000 dead would still be alive. But even so, a 55-1 kill ratio is beyond amazing. No one has ever lost a war when they kill the enemy 55-1.
Is the reason the foreigners are so easy to kill because they are so obviously not Iraqi's and they stick out? In addition to a lot of Iraqi's that I assume turn them in because they don't want them there? Amazing how many of them have been killed in Iraq. I wonder how many of them would have launched attacks in America if they hadn't been killed in Iraq?
The MSM is an enemy of the United States which naturally works to the benefit of other enemies of this country.
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