U.S. military announced the death of an American soldier who was wounded in
Iraq, bringing the U.S. death toll there to 2,000.
a significant milestone??? or just a passage into the next phase of death and dying???
U.S. military announced the death of an American soldier who was wounded in
Iraq, bringing the U.S. death toll there to 2,000.
October 25, 2005
President Bush Ignores 2,000th U.S. Fatality in Iraq During Officers' Spouses Luncheon
News from the DNC:
Washington, DC - The U.S. military today crossed a tragic, painful milestone in the war in Iraq: the death of the 2,000th American soldier there. In remarks to military spouses at Bolling Air Force Base in Washington, DC, President Bush delivered yet another speech that failed to mention the mounting death toll and failed again to present a clear plan for victory in Iraq.
Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean today marked the tragic milestone and said Americans deserve better than President Bush's failed leadership in Iraq:
"Today, our nation marks one of the saddest days of the war in Iraq, the loss of the 2,000th American soldier there. Each soldier lost on the battlefield leaves behind a family forever marked by tragedy, and scarred with grief. Their loss weighs heavily on the heart of every single American. Today, we are united in reflecting on the suffering and sacrifice of the brave men and women in uniform and their families.
"Sadly, in delivering yet another speech about the war in Iraq that lacked a clear plan for victory, President Bush failed to mention the tragic milestone we mark today. This is not the type of leadership that the brave men and women serving in Iraq and their loved ones here at home expect or deserve from the Commander in Chief. Now, even though we have lost 2,000 servicemen and women and spent more than $218 billion over the last two years, just 800 Iraqi troops have been fully trained. The need for a clear plan for victory in Iraq cound not be more apparent.
"Democrats believe Americans, particularly Americans serving our nation in the armed forces, deserve leaders who honor their sacrifice by making sure that our armed forces are never sent to war without a clear plan for victory and without the resources to carry out that strategy. That is why Democrats are unwavering in our commitment to pressing President Bush for a clear plan for victory in Iraq. We will honor the service and sacrifices of our soldiers by continuing that effort."
Twenty five months after George W. Bush arrogantly taunted the Iraqi resistance with his famous “Bring 'em On” statement, the 2,000th U.S. soldier has been killed in Iraq. The Iraqi death toll is astronomical. More than 100,000 died according to a report issued nearly one year ago by the British medical journal Lancet.
Every human being killed in the “shock and awe” war and occupation has died because Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Powell, Rice, Karl Rove and Lewis Libby engaged in a calculated pattern of lies and deceit to convince Congress and the people that Iraq posed a “grave and imminent danger” to the United States. They continued their vicious campaign after the first phase of the war against any and all who tried to expose the truth.
Rove and Libby, acting on the behest of their superiors in this campaign, are now on the hot seat as the Special Prosecutor nears the conclusion of his investigation. As Bush loses all credibility, as his poll ratings drop to below 40%, as the people of this country decisively turn against the war of aggression in Iraq, it is likely that the administration will attempt to slip out of the circle of accountability.
The people of this country - not the politicians - have been exposing the crimes of the Bush Administration from day one. This has been a remarkable exercise in grass roots democracy ever since Ramsey Clark initiated the VoteToImpeach/ImpeachBush.org movement on January 18, 2003. Bush is in trouble. His arrogant in-the-saddle pose has given way to a mad scramble to divert attention and escape responsibility for the High Crimes and Misdemeanors committed during the last five years.
Whatever the outcome of the Grand Jury investigation, justice requires that Rove and Libby’s bosses be held accountable. The Constitutional mechanism is impeachment.
The People are on the Move, Demanding Impeachment!
The Time is Right to Reach Millions
Over 300,000 people joined the anti-war demonstration in Washington D.C. on September 24. “Impeach Bush” was the most popular chant. ImpeachBush.org banners and signs were everywhere. Thanks to the generous support of ImpeachBush.org/VotetoImpeach members, we were able to erect a huge tent in front of the White House emblazoned with the call for impeachment which served as a meeting place and educational materials distribution point. Immediately following the demonstration tens of thousands of letters flooded Congress demanding that Bush be impeached.
Bush: U.S. Must Brace for More Casualties
Tuesday October 25, 2005 11:01 PM
AP Photo DCLJ103
By DEB RIECHMANN
Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush tried Tuesday to begin reviving U.S. support for the war in Iraq and reinvigorating his troubled presidency as the U.S. military death toll topped 2,000.
``I know this is a trying time for our military spouses,'' Bush said at a Joint Armed Forces Officer Wives' luncheon at Bolling Air Force Base. ``We've lost some of our nation's finest men and women in the war on terror.''
``And the best way to honor the sacrifice of our fallen troops is to complete the mission and lay the foundation of peace by spreading freedom,'' he said.
A few hours after Bush spoke, the Pentagon announced a fatality that raised The Associated Press count of military fatalities in the Iraq war to 2,000.
The Senate observed a moment of silence in honor of the fallen. ``We owe them a deep debt of gratitude for their courage, for their valor, for their strength,'' Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said. Then, one-by-one, Democrats spoke on the Senate floor to memorialize the dead and criticize the president's Iraq policies.
``Our armed forces are serving ably in Iraq under enormously difficult circumstances, and the policy of our government must be worthy of their sacrifice. Unfortunately, it is not, and the American people know it,'' said Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts.
Added Dick Durbin of Illinois: ``Words of tribute are in order to honor the sacrifice of these brave men and women and their loved ones. But words are not enough. We owe them leadership and a clear strategy to bring our troops home with their mission truly accomplished.''
Outside the White House, peace activist Cindy Sheehan - whose 24-year old son, Casey, died in Iraq last year - said she and others plan to ``die symbolically'' there over the next four days to protest U.S. involvement in Iraq.
MoveOn.org Political Action unveiled a new television ad that asks ``How many more?''
In his 45-minute speech on Iraq, the president hailed the announcement in Baghdad that an election 10 days ago resulted in the adoption of a new constitution. There were some allegations of fraud in the Oct. 15 referendum, but election officials said the voting was fair.
The charter is considered a major step, clearing the way for the election of a new, full-term parliament on Dec. 15. Such steps are important in any decision about the future withdrawal of U.S.-led forces.
``Iraqis are making inspiring progress toward building a democracy,'' Bush said.
Public support for Bush's handling of Iraq is at its lowest point, 37 percent, roughly where it has been since early August, according to AP-Ipsos polling.
Bush's approval rating also is being weighed down by a special prosecutor's inquiry into the leak of a CIA operative's name, the rocky Supreme Court nomination of White House counsel Harriet Miers, high gas prices, hurricane reconstruction costs and declining consumer confidence.
The president's schedule this week tracks these topics: An economic speech in Washington on Wednesday, a tour of hurricane damage in Florida on Thursday and a speech on the war on terror Friday in Norfolk, Va.
Bush, who contends that setting a date for troop withdrawal would aid the enemy's cause, said that to fight Islamic radicals, the U.S. must work to prevent terrorist attacks before they occur, keep weapons of mass destruction out of the hands of ``outlaw regimes'' and deny radical groups the support and sanctuary of such governments.
``State sponsors like Syria and Iran have a long history of collaboration with terrorists and they deserve no patience from the victims of terror,'' he said. ``The United States makes no distinction between those who commit acts of terror and those who support and harbor them. Any government that chooses to be an ally of terror has chosen to be an enemy of civilization and the civilized world must hold those regimes to account.''
Bush sought to emphasize Iraq's progress in a second event of the day, appearing in the Oval Office beside Massoud Barzani, the president of the autonomous region of Kurdistan in northern Iraq. The two stood to offer reporters and photographers a view of Barzani's traditional Kurdish outfit - a khaki jacket tucked into matching, loosely pleated pants adorned by a knotted sash at his waist and a red-and-white headdress.
``It wasn't all that long ago if he had of worn this outfit and was captured by Saddam Hussein's thugs he would have been killed for wearing it,'' Bush said. ``He feels comfortable wearing it here because we're a free land. He feels comfortable wearing it in his home country because Iraq is free.''
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Hank C Cheyenne said:...2000 dead and every one of those lives lost is heartbreaking, and god bless them for giving their lives to protect our families, their families.....one must also not forget that in a single act of terrorism almost 3000 lives were taken on Sept 11. Fighting the enemy away from the homeland is my choice...
Hank C Cheyenne said:...2000 dead and every one of those lives lost is heartbreaking, and god bless them for giving their lives to protect our families, their families.....one must also not forget that in a single act of terrorism almost 3000 lives were taken on Sept 11. Fighting the enemy away from the homeland is my choice...
Hank C Cheyenne said:well...we will see what will happen 5 or 10 years down the road when the democratic country of Iraq has its way.....and the will of the people overrides the terrorists.
...but lets jsut wait and see...I mean most you will be alive in 10 years won't ya
None of us can be sure of this future
No. None of us can be sure what the future will hold, but unless human nature takes a radicle 360 degree shift, you can be pretty damn certain that not one single remaining Iraqi who remembers a brother or sister, a mother or father, a son or daughter, a neighbour or fellow worker who was eviscerated by an American fragmentation bomb, or carbonised by one of their incendiary devices dropped from half a mile above, in an effort to liberate him from his former dictator, will have a heart filled with gratitude.jimmoyer said:But what if, the process as long as it begins and takes gives this country a new chance ?
We won't know.. . .
Hell, no!jimmoyer said:. . . It would be a mistake to assume these Iraqi's will honor anyone in the west (Europe and Canada) . . .
October 27, 2005
So there's maybe a third of all Americans who are still wavering behind George W. Bush and his murderous attack, invasion, occupation and massacre on-going in Iraq. (It never ever was a war) And half of all Americans voted Democrat in the last election, -for a brain-dead, visionless party that's got no intention of stopping the gruesome, losing atrocity which has slaughtered more than 100,000 people to date. And then there's the American Peace Movement, currently rallying around the theme, "Support the Troops -Bring them Home!" That pretty much covers the American political spectrum.
Currently, all across the USA, peaceniks are conducting vigils to commemorate 2000 dead soldiers. Here's Medea Benjamin and Gayle Brandeis in their current Commondreams post, "2000 Too Many":
"The grim milestone of the death of the 2000th American soldier should be a time for national reflection. As the families of our soldiers know all too well, 2000 is not just a number. These are 2000 human beings we've lost; 2000 people with names, with grieving families; 2000 people with hopes and dreams that will never be realized. Let's honor them by stopping more soldiers from dying. Let's honor them by giving Iraqis a chance to run their own country. Let's honor them by bringing their buddies home."
The American military, from top to bottom is a hideous blight on our planet. There are no innocents in this massive killing machine. There's no 'honour' in volunteering for the worlds largest terrorist organization, now under the command of the deceitful, criminal cabal led by George W. Bush. American soldiers are well trained to kill, and obviously, to torture, and they go off to Iraq all of their own 'free will." They know that they will kill, and that they may die. There will not be any "honour," or "glory" for these stupid youngsters who continue to volunteer themselves for 'duty' in Bush's appalling adventure. These soldiers, including the 2000 dead, by taint of their volunteer status, are each personally responsible for the murder of 100,000 innocent Iraqi's.
True, there are several heroic, courageous and righteous American soldiers, -namely Brandon Hughey, Jeremy Hinzman and others who have revolted against the criminal, inhuman behaviour they were expected to participate in. When will all those 'Gold Star Families' start recognizing that these are the only true heroes coming out of the USA military? The idea that you can "Support the Troops" and be against what they do in the world is simply irreconcilable. The terrorist mastermind of their deaths says exactly the same thing every day: "We've lost some of our nation's finest men and women in the war on terror," Bush said. "Each of these patriots left a legacy that allowed generations of their fellow Americans to enjoy the blessings of liberty."
Some people are finding similarities between the Iraq and Viet Nam 'quagmires,' perhaps most glaringly seen in their common grass-roots defeat of the American military behemoth. But there's a single fundamental difference between these two heinous crimes against humanity which nobody is talking about. In Viet Nam, young Americans were forced to participate in the slaughter, whereas in Iraq those troops all go there voluntarily. In Viet Nam, more than a few times, courageous soldiers shot their own commanders, rather than comply with some atrocious order. I dreamed recently that the worlds most humoungous terrorist weapon of mass destruction, the aircraft-carrier USS Abraham Lincoln had been sunk by inside mutineers. For those who love what America is supposed to stand for, that would be a supreme act of military heroism.
The American Peace Movement would do well to bite the bullet and stop adding to the litany of phoney glorifications heaped on those who are 'serving,' and those who have died in the American attacks on Iraq and Afghanistan. They need to put out the message that joining the American military is a vulgar, stupid offence against humanity. The soldiers should be actively discouraged from participating in the first place.