Free Republic

WASHINGTON (Map, News) - The violent assault on Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo’s home late last month was certainly not the first bungled raid by a government SWAT team, but the bad publicity it generated should make it the last time these trigger-happy squads target innocent civilians. Tracking a 32-pound package of marijuana that had been addressed to Calvo’s wife, Trinity Tomsic, Prince George’s sheriff’s deputies forcibly entered the mayor’s home on July 29 and killed his two dogs before handcuffing him and his mother-in-law. But like so many other SWAT team raids across the country, this one turned out...

GORI, Georgia — On the day that Russia declared an end to its war in Georgia, Jumberi, a taxi driver who gave only his first name, took a long drag on a Marlboro Red cigarette and said that after the first bomb hit, all he saw was body parts. He motioned to the shattered windshield of his Toyota Corolla and the bloody handprints on the side of the car — left there when the wounded and dying collapsed as they begged him to take them to the hospital. "I heard the sound of the jets, but I did not see...

TANGRAI, Pakistan - U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan fired across the border into Pakistan in a strike targeting Taliban militants, and the Pakistani army said Thursday that civilians were killed. The attack illustrates Washington's concern the Taliban and al-Qaida are using Pakistan's lawless frontier as a base for attacks in Afghanistan. But anger at civilian deaths could lead to a review by the incoming Pakistani government of the country's counterterrorism strategy and its U.S.-backed policy of using military force to root out militants. A spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan said troops used "precision-guided munitions" to strike a compound about...

If you know someone who isn't a blog reader, have I got a scoop for you. The media, playing zealous advocate for the candidacy of Barack Hussein Obama (and yes, I used his middle name. Get used to it. Daring to do so makes all the right people irrationally mad), has totally ignored his lack of foreign policy experience. About the only thing anyone knows is that Obama favors invading Pakistan — apparently he doesn't realize Pakistan is a nuclear power. One of the areas that Obama is more and more showing his cluelessness on is Afghanistan. In August of...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26, 2008 – Fourteen Defense Department civilians became the first to receive the Secretary of Defense Medal for the Global War on Terrorism during a ceremony at the Pentagon today. The medal, approved Aug. 7, 2007, recognizes the contribution of DoD civilians operating in direct support of military forces engaged in the war on terror. According to Pentagon statistics, seven DoD civilians have been killed in the line of duty in operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Since Sept. 11, 2001, more than 16,000 DoD civilians have qualified for the award, according to Patricia Bradshaw, the deputy undersecretary...

RAMADI, Iraq – Iraqi civilians helped Iraqi Security Forces and Coalition Forces discover numerous caches 60 kilometers northeast of Ramadi Jan. 24. Acting on information provided by locals, the Iraqi Army alongside Company B, 3rd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment discovered four caches, including the largest cache found in the Thar Thar region in 2008. The combined four caches included 2,550 pounds of homemade explosives; 10 pounds of plastic explosives; three mines; 1,500 feet of detonation cord; two mortar tubes; more than 300 rocket propelled grenade warheads; six 120mm mortar rounds; four 107mm rockets; and one heavy machine gun. One cache...

(IsraelNN.com) MK Reuven "Ruby" Rivlin wrote Wednesday in a column at Nrg that Israel needed to bomb Gaza civilians in response to the ongoing "Kassam" fire coming from Gaza. Rivlin thinks Israel should transfer a certain amount of money to the PA so that it can build shelters on the streets of Gaza. At the same time it will build improvised rockets that will resemble the fire power of the PA "Kassam" and "Grad" missiles. Israel will announce that from now on, every time the sirens sound in Sderot, Ashkelon and the Gaza perimeter, identical rockets will fall on the...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7, 2008 – Media outlets portray a version of the U.S. military as seen from the outside, but Americans across the country can access the primary source: hearing the military experience described by a soldier, sailor, airman or Marine who lives it. At universities, high schools and rotary clubs in scores of U.S. cities, “Why We Serve,” a Defense Department outreach program, is connecting men and women in uniform to the American public they serve. Started in July 2006, the program provides a platform for servicemembers recently returned from operations in Afghanistan, Iraq or the Horn of...

If Congress doesn't approve $196 billion for the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan, he says, bases may partly shut down and civilians may lose jobs. Democrats point out he's said this before. WASHINGTON —Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Thursday that he will have to lay off 200,000 civilian employees and contractors, terminate military contracts and partially shut down U.S. military bases unless Congress acts quickly to approve additional funding for the Iraq war. Echoing similar warnings from past funding battles, Gates said the Army and Marine Corps will develop plans for sharp spending cuts unless Congress moves to...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15, 2007 – There is no “wiggle room” in the Defense Department budget, and Congress must pass the emergency supplemental spending bill as soon as possible to avoid halting operations and furloughing civilian employees, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said today. (Video) During a Pentagon news conference, Gates reinforced the message he delivered to Congress yesterday, when he and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Capitol Hill and briefed members of both houses. Gates strongly urged Congress to pass a global war on terror funding bill that the president would sign, he said. The secretary said the...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 12, 2007 – A coalition air strike yesterday that killed terrorists also claimed the lives of a large number of innocent victims, military officials said. During an operation to pursue senior al Qaeda leaders in the Lake Thar Thar region, troops encountered small-arms fire from the target building. Responding in self-defense, coalition aircraft engaged the enemies inside the building. After the air strike, ground forces discovered that 15 terrorists, six women and nine children had been killed. Troops determined that two suspects, one woman and three children also were wounded. Ground forces also detained one suspected terrorist after...

Good Deeds - Iraq Small video put together for the families in the US, of a soldier's team helping out some displaced persons in a refugee camp in Baghdad. (GO TO SOURCE URL LINK FOR VIDEO)

Civilian deaths rose slightly in August as a huge suicide attack in the north two weeks ago offset security gains elsewhere, making it the second deadliest month for Iraqis since the U.S. troop buildup began, according to figures compiled Saturday by The Associated Press. U.S. deaths remained well below figures from last winter when the U.S began dispatching 30,000 additional troops to Iraq.

Civilians, soldiers serve side by side in Iraq Opinion | Editorial Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch | Monday, July 30, 2007 at 12:30 am Two months ago I celebrated my 30th anniversary with the Army. During all those years, I've been privileged to command fine American Soldiers, Marines, Airmen, and Sailors. All are patriotic servants in our uniformed services. The fight in Iraq is truly a joint effort- Navy electronic warfare officers and explosive ordnance disposal teams are helping to keep our roadways clear. The Air Force is providing amazing support to ground commanders. And our Marines are fighting side-by-side with...

BAGHDAD (AP) - Two suicide car bombings struck soccer fans in Baghdad as they were celebrating Iraq's victory in the Asian Cup semifinal on Wednesday, killing at least 50 people and wounding more than 100, officials said. The victims were among the thousands of revelers who took to the streets of the capital after the country's national soccer team beat South Korea to reach the tournament's final against Saudi Arabia on Sunday in Jakarta, Indonesia. The first attack took place about 6:30 p.m. when a bomber exploded in a crowd of people cheering near a well-known ice cream parlor in...

CAIRO, Egypt - An al-Qaida propaganda video posted Saturday on an Islamic Web site claimed the network's Afghanistan wing had called off a purported attack on a U.S. military convoy to save the lives of innocent Muslim civilians. Entitled "Holocaust of the Americans in the land of Khorasan," which is a militant name for Afghanistan, the 38-second tape appears to be the latest in a series of videos released by the terror group to back up claims its fighters are faring well in the Afghan war. The tape's authenticity could not independently be verified, but it was posted on a...

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - U.S.-led airstrikes targeting Taliban militants who had attacked NATO forces slammed into civilian homes in southern Afghanistan, killing both civilians and insurgents, Afghan and Western officials said Saturday. Like most battles in the dangerous and remote regions of Afghanistan, casualty estimates varied widely. Local government officials said up to 60 civilians and 35 insurgents had been killed. NATO did not give an estimate of casualties, but one Western military official said privately that around eight civilians had been killed. It was not possible to independently verify the casualty claims. The U.S. acknowledged some civilians were killed during...

WASHINGTON, June 10, 2007 – A tip from citizens led Afghan National Police, along with coalition forces, to a munitions cache 15 kilometers southeast of Chamkani in Afghanistan’s Paktya province yesterday, military officials said. Afghan village elders informed Chamkani police of a possible improvised explosive device facilitator operating in the area. Police located and searched the suspect’s compound, where they discovered an underground tunnel containing 30 Afghan National Police uniforms, more than 30 improvised explosive devices, 25 mortar rounds, 18 rocket-propelled grenade rounds and four RPG launchers. All serviceable munitions were recovered, but the IED facilitator was not found. Elsewhere...

WASHINGTON, May 29, 2007 – The Defense Department is preparing a pandemic flu guide for civilian managers and rank-and-file employees, a senior official said. The Defense Department released its Pandemic Influenza Implementation Plan in April, Patricia S. Bradshaw, deputy undersecretary of defense for civilian personnel policy, said May 25 in an interview with the Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press Service. The department’s plan is part of the president’s initiative to prepare the nation for a potential mass outbreak of deadly flu virus. “And now, we’re going to top that off with a DoD civilian human resources guide with...

NAHR AL-BARED, Lebanon (AFP) - Fears for thousands of civilians caught in the Lebanese army's siege of Islamist militants grew Sunday as those brave enough to escape told harrowing tales of survival. The United Nations made an urgent appeal for the safety of children among an estimated 10,000 mainly Palestinian civilians caught in the crossfire at the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp, where the Islamist gunmen are holed up. Lebanese troops encircled the camp a week ago, when fighting broke out with Fatah al-Islam militants that has killed 78 people, forced thousands to flee and trapped thousands more in unbearable conditions....

WASHINGTON, May 13, 2007 – Coalition forces detained three suspected terrorists today, including an alleged cell leader, during operations in southeastern Baghdad, U.S. military officials reported. Those captured are suspected of being part of a terrorist cell network known for its use of explosive devices and for bringing weapons and militants into Iraq from Iran. The suspected cell leader is believed to have personally coordinated and implemented the use of bombs, officials said. One terrorist was killed during the operation, officials reported. “We continue to target the secret cell network, diminishing their capability to conduct attacks against innocent Iraqis...

WASHINGTON, April 30, 2007 – After traveling nearly 18,000 miles to see the young men and women of the U.S. armed forces in Southwest Asia, members of the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference 73 have come away from the experience with a heightened respect for those who are serving the nation. The 45 participants were civic and business leaders from around the country who covered their own expenses to join in the Defense Department’s oldest public affairs program by visiting servicemembers from each branch to learn more about the military’s role in operations in the U.S. Central Command area of...

WASHINGTON, April 24, 2007 – Decked out in their new military-issue combat boots and with bags packed in preparation for a trip to 90-degree climates, 45 civic and business leaders converged on the nation’s capital April 22 to take part in the oldest public affairs program sponsored by the Defense Department. Pentagon officials invited leaders from across the nation to participate in the 73rd Joint Civilian Orientation Conference, a weeklong journey covering 18,000 miles to introduce civilians to members of the armed forces who carry out military operations in Southwest Asia and the Horn of Africa. Defense Secretary James...

WASHINGTON, April 15, 2007 – Coalition forces killed and captured several extremists in Afghanistan over the past few days, U.S. military officials reported. Coalition forces detained an extremist and discovered makeshift bomb-making material in a compound in Afghanistan’s Paktika province today. The compound consisted of multiple safe houses that use natural terrain to facilitate the movement of fighters from Pakistan. The bomb-making materials were destroyed in place. No shots were fired and no one was injured during the operation, officials said. Meanwhile, Afghan National Army and coalition troops operating in Afghanistan’s Helmand province received rocket-propelled grenade and small-arms fire...

FORT HUACHUCA — The Intelligence Center has added another top facility to its list of accomplishments — the Department of Defense’s Human Intelligence Training Joint Center for Excellence. “Fort Huachuca is the natural place for the joint training,” said Army Lt. Gen. Michael Maples, the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency. Although a class has completed a course at the facility in Tallmadge Hall, the official ceremonial ribbon-cutting opening for the facility was held Tuesday, with a number of senior intelligence officials — military and civilian — in attendance. Maples said the facility is needed because it will enable America’s...

WASHINGTON, March 28, 2007 ? Coalition forces in Iraq this morning captured 19 suspected terrorists in various operations, Iraqi forces repelled an attack in Fallujah, and attacks on civilians continue across the country, military officials reported. -- Coalition forces east of Karmah captured five suspected terrorists with alleged involvement in al Qaeda terrorist operations. -- Forces detained an additional five suspected terrorists, reportedly tied to foreign fighter facilitation, during a raid northwest of Haditha. -- In southwest Baghdad, coalition forces detained five suspects reportedly involved in car-bomb operations. -- Three more suspects with alleged ties to al Qaeda were...

WASHINGTON, March 18, 2007 – About 350 Iraqi civilians and six coalition force members were treated for chlorine gas exposure after suicide bombers detonated chlorine- laden dump trucks in three separate incidents March 16, military officials reported. The first suicide truck bomb containing chlorine gas detonated at a checkpoint northeast of Ramadi, injuring one coalition service member and an Iraqi civilian. The second explosion occurred south of Fallujah near the town of Amiriyah. The Amiriyah police department reported that two policemen were killed in the blast and estimated that as many as 100 local citizens showed signs of chlorine...

WASHINGTON, March 15, 2007 – Coalition forces killed four terrorists and detained 11 suspected terrorists during raids over the past several days targeting al Qaeda networks in Iraq, military officials reported. Two armed terrorists began firing on coalition forces this morning east of Balad, officials said. Precision fire from a coalition aircraft killed both terrorists. Forces also detained eight suspected terrorists during the raid. Elsewhere in Iraq today, an insurgent vehicle bomb struck a bus full of workers at a bus factory. Iraqi police and soldiers of the 8th Iraqi Army Division reacted quickly to the attack, immediately securing...

CAMP STRIKER — On almost every camp, forward operating base and patrol base, renovations are being made to improve the quality of life for the Soldiers who work and reside there. To assist with the many renovations, civilian contractors are in country to help Soldiers get the job done. Recently, civilians from Kellogg, Brown and Root, a company that assists the military, have helped to make the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) Tactical Operation Center feel more like home. “I am here to help the Soldiers,” said Randy Frnka, a KBR carpenter and native of Austin,...

WASHINGTON, March 12, 2007 – Coalition and Iraqi forces captured 48 suspected insurgents and killed eight, and insurgents killed more than 20 civilians in several attacks over the past few days in Iraq, military officials reported. Coalition forces captured 22 suspected terrorists during operations today targeting al Qaeda and foreign fighter facilitators. During operations in Mosul, coalition forces captured four suspected terrorists allegedly involved in the planning of improvised-explosive-device attacks on friendly forces. A senior foreign fighter facilitator was captured north of Habbaniyah, and two suspects who are reportedly involved in weapons facilitation were detained in Baghdad. Northeast of...

WASHINGTON, March 4, 2007 – A coalition servicemember was injured, eight Afghan civilians were killed and 35 civilians were wounded today when militants assaulted a coalition forces convoy as it moved east along Highway 1 in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province, military officials reported. Earlier accounts said as many as 16 civilians caught in the crossfire had been killed, but an updated release early this afternoon from Combined Joint Task Force 76 headquarters at Bagram Air Base contained what officials called “the most accurate numbers to date.” The five-vehicle convoy was moving through a crowded market place near Bari Kot, located...

After more than 60 years of silence, World War II's most enduring and horrible secret is being nudged into the light of day. One by one the participants, white-haired and mildmannered, line up to tell their dreadful stories before they die. Akira Makino is a frail widower living near Osaka in Japan. His only unusual habit is to regularly visit an obscure little town in the southern Philippines, where he gives clothes to poor children and has set up war memorials. Mr Makino was stationed there during the war. What he never told anybody, including his wife, was that during...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27, 2007 – Special Iraqi army forces detained 16 suspected militiamen during operations today with coalition advisors in Sadr City, and insurgents killed 15 Iraqis and wounded nine in a car-bomb attack in Ramadi yesterday. The operations in Sadr City were targeting the leadership of several rogue militia cells operating against Iraqi civilians, officials said. Iraqi forces targeted several individuals who allegedly control multiple illegal militia cells and direct and perpetrate sectarian murder, torture and kidnapping, officials said. The wanted individuals are reported to operate out of Sadr City and are linked to attacks on coalition forces...

WASHINGTON — Americans are keenly aware of how many U.S. forces have lost their lives in Iraq, according to a new AP-Ipsos poll. But they woefully underestimate the number of Iraqi civilians who have been killed. Far from a vague statistic, the death toll is painfully real for many Americans. Seventeen percent in the poll know someone who has been killed or wounded in Iraq. And among adults under 35, those closest to the ages of those deployed, 27 percent know someone who has been killed or wounded. For Daniel Herman, a lawyer in New Castle, Pa., a co-worker's nephew...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 2007 – Coalition forces killed one terrorist and detained 17 in operations across Iraq this week. In addition, car bombs in Iraq have killed 10 locals and wounded 26 in the past three days. In raids in Iraq today: -- In Karabilah, coalition forces killed one terrorist and detained two suspected terrorists while targeting a foreign fighter cell. -- Coalition forces North of Tarmiyah detained two suspected terrorists reportedly associated with an al Qaida foreign fighter network. -- Three individuals with suspected ties to a car bomb cell operating near Karmah were captured. -- During a...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 31, 2007 – Iraqi and coalition forces responded and provided medical care yesterday in Balad Ruz, Iraq, when a suicide bomber attacked a procession moving to a Shiite mosque. About 20 Iraqis died in the attack, and some 60 more were wounded. "The terrorists attacked a place of harmony and people that believe in peace," said U.S. Army Col. David W. Sutherland, commander of 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. "The killing of innocent men, women and children is contemptible and not in keeping with the teachings of Islam, only the teachings of hatred for others,"...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 15, 2006 -- The commander of a U.S. Army brigade that partners with and trains Iraqi soldiers and police in Iraq’s Diyala province today praised the recent actions of local security forces and civilians there. Terrorists in Diyala province continue to try to destabilize the democratic Iraqi government through the use of improvised explosive devices, snipers, kidnappings and threats to innocent Iraqis, Col. David Sutherland, commander of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, told Pentagon reporters during a satellite-carried news conference from his headquarters in Baqubah, Iraq. “However, it does not mean that they have won the battle...

DALLAS, Dec. 1, 2006 -- While most Americans plan to spend the next few weeks eating, shopping and generally having a great time with friends and family, many Defense Department civilians will be leaving their homes and families for 6- to-12 month voluntary deployments to support Army and Air Force Exchange Service post and base exchanges throughout Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Friends for more than 25 years, graphic designers Gloria Michael and Kelly Northcutt have talked about deploying to live and work with the troops. With Michael getting closer to retirement, the two friends who live only...

12 October 2006 Study: 2,660 civilians slain in Baghdad last month By Tom Healy MORE than 2,660 Iraqi civilians were killed in Baghdad in September, figures showed yesterday, as a controversial study estimated a massively higher death toll in the three-year conflict than previous studies indicate. Last month’s deaths came amid a wave of sectarian killings and insurgent attacks, and are an increase of 400 over the month before, according to figures from the Iraqi Health Ministry. The study claimed that nearly 655,000 Iraqis have died in the three-year-old conflict in Iraq — more than 10 times higher than other...

On August 21, The Jerusalem Post reported that the Rabbinical Council of America (RCA), an association of Orthodox rabbis, had called on Israel to reevaluate its military rules of war in light of Hizbullah's "unconscionable use of civilians, hospitals, ambulances, mosques and the like as human shields, cannon fodder and weapons of asymmetric warfare." Rabbi Basil Herring, executive vice-president of the RCA, was quoted as saying, "Our traditional sensibilities tell us that it is not right to risk the lives of our soldiers to minimize civilian deaths on the other side." We beg to differ. Surely Rabbi Herring is not...

TROUBLE IN THE HOLY LAND Shrapnel-filled rockets used on civilians Israel documents civilian-targeted weapons from Syria, Iran Posted: August 31, 20065:00 p.m. Eastern By Jerome R. Corsi © 2006 WorldNetDaily.com School-zone sign in northern Israel shows evidence of lethal metal balls from Hezbollah rockets (photo: Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs) Steel balls and other lethal fragments were encased in rockets from Syria and Iran that were used by Hezbollah on Israeli civilian areas during the recent war, the Israeli Ministry of Defense confirmed to WND today. Photographs of the anti-personnel "flying metal" damage done by Syrian-made 220-mm rockets fired by Hezbollah...

A Marine officer was charged Wednesday with assaulting three civilians in the Iraqi town of Hamdania last spring. The Marine Corps said that 2nd Lt. Nathan P. Phan beat the three men so severely on April 10 they could have died. He is accused of choking two victims and putting a loaded M9 service pistol into the mouth of one of the men. Phan, 26, also is charged with making a false official statement. Defense attorney David Sheldon said Phan denies the charges. "We stand by the fact that these charges are baseless and have no merit," Sheldon said. "Lt....

I'm watching the TV pictures from Haifa and the people are speaking Arabic. Hezbollah have hit an Arab neighbourhood and I'm seeing religious Jews and Arabs, side by side, digging people out and saving lives. The TV news (Sky and Fox at least) don't know that this is an Arab building. I don't care, they are people and they are Israelis. Hezbollah are just as happy to directly kill Muslims in Israel as they are to ensure that Muslims in Lebanon are killed. Either way they are happy. I don't have the language to describe these people. Pray for a...

Witness: Victims did not take shelter after siren; at least 5 rockets hit Haifa residential areas Three people were killed and some 40 others were wounded in Haifa on Sunday evening in what was described as the heaviest rocket strike on Israel's third city since the attacks began on July 12. The strikes came several hours after 12 Israel Defense Forces reservist soldiers were killed and 12 others were wounded, four of them seriously, in a direct hit on an open area in the northern community of Kfar Giladi, as Hezbollah renewed its rocket fire against Israel with an enormous...

Massacre In Israel - Lebanon Hezbollah Rockets Murder 14 By Joel Leyden Israel News Agency Tel Aviv----August 6......Hezbollah terror Katusha rockets continued to rain down on Israel civilians, murdering 14 this afternoon in Kfar Giladi. "It was a direct hit on a crowd of people," Dan Ronen, the chief of the Israel northern police command, told Israel Army Radio. Convoys of police and rescue vehicles raced to the scene of the massacre. "This was the most difficult thing I could have imagined in my career. There are nine bodies here covered in blankets, around us cars are going up in...

Eight people were killed and dozens wounded in a massive rocket barrage on northern towns Thursday afternoon. Police reported that 130 rockets were fired into Israel within 90 minutes between 16:00 p.m. and 17:30 p.m. on Thursday afternoon. Five were killed in Acre when a rocket hit near a home while residents stood on a balcony. Bringing another city under Hizbullah's sights, A Khabar-1 rocket landed near Beit She'an Wednesday. Israel, which claims the rocket is Iranian-made, confirmed the hit and said at least seven people were wounded. Beit Shean is about 70 kilometers (42 miles) south of the Lebanese...

A Marine Corps staff sergeant who led the squad accused of killing two dozen civilians in Haditha, Iraq, will file a lawsuit today in federal court in Washington claiming that Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) defamed him when the congressman made public comments about the incident earlier this year. Attorneys for Frank D. Wuterich, 26, argue in court papers that Murtha tarnished the Marine's reputation by telling news organizations in May that the Marine unit cracked after a roadside bomb killed one of its members and that the troops "killed innocent civilians in cold blood." Murtha also said repeatedly that...

Fuzzy Moral Math Editor's Note: The fiction of 100,000 Iraqi civilian casualties has survived to this day in part because of the tantalizing propaganda value of such a large number. How many lightly informed people have tossed this number at you in debate without even realizing that the Lancet study doesn’t measure casualties at all? Now the number of 100,000 Iraqi civilians has new relevance, as the Iraqi Survival Count has surpassed the Lancet tally of "excess deaths." While I am not hopeful that the Iraqi Survival Count will enjoy the same exposure in the media as the Lancet death...

WASHINGTON, July 16, 2006 – Two Afghan civilians were killed and one was injured July 15 in a drive-by shooting in Zambar in Khowst Province. "This was a senseless attack on Afghan civilians," said Col. Thomas Collins, spokesman for Combined Forces Command Afghanistan. "For extremists to dress like women and kill innocent civilians shows the lengths the extremists will go to to threaten the safety of the Afghan people. The coalition remains committed to putting an end to such senseless violence and those who would commit these atrocities." Three people disguised as women who were wearing burkas and driving in...

WASHINGTON, July 11, 2006 – Three bombs detonated just north of Baghdad's international zone today, killing a reported 15 Iraqi civilians and an Iraqi policeman, U.S. military officials said. Reports indicate two terrorists wearing suicide vests blew themselves up, and a makeshift bomb was detonated. Four local nationals also were wounded. Iraqi soldiers from 5th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division and coalition forces responded to the scene. In other news from Iraq, soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 2nd Iraqi Army Division, captured an entire terrorist bomb-making cell during a series of raids in Mosul yesterday. Working on a tip...