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Been There	1,100 Days Posted: Friday, May 05, 2006 2:39 PM Today we've reached another important milestone in the presidency of George Dubya Bush. Exactly 1,100 days have gone by since he donned his presidential flight suit and flew fron San Diego to San Diego to make his Iraq "Mission Accomplished" speech. What, exactly, was accomplished? Today's headlines tell the story: Three U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq blast. BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Insurgents killed three U.S. soldiers Friday south of Baghdad and a police officer in the Iraqi capital, and authorities found five slain bodies around the city, the U.S. military and Iraqi police said. The three soldiers died when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb in Babil province, a military statement said. Eleven American troops have died in the first five days of the month in Iraq -- all but one in hostilities. The figures were compiled from Pentagon news releases. Other reported deaths this week include: Three soldiers died in roadside bombings -- one Monday south of Baghdad and two Thursday in the capital. Three Marines were killed in combat in Anbar province in separate incidents Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. An Army National Guardsman died Wednesday in Tammin, also in Anbar, when a suicide bomber in a vehicle detonated a bomb. A soldier died Wednesday in a noncombat-related incident. In the wake of the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, 2,415 U.S. military troops and civilians have been killed in the Iraq war. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,686 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." Exactly 1,100 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Iraq News Posted: Saturday, May 06, 2006 10:45 AM Iraqis Kill More Occupation Soldiers BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Crowds of Iraqis attacked British troops after a military helicopter crashed in the southern city of Basra on Saturday. At least two Iraqis were killed as young men clashed with British personnel sent to the scene, Basra police said. Shortly after the crash, video showed young men hurling rocks and at least one flaming Molotov cocktail at armored vehicles carrying personnel sent to secure the area. British officials said there were casualties from the British military helicopter crash, which occurred in a residential area, but they declined to give details or speculate on why the aircraft came down. The Associated Press quoted Police Capt. Mushtaq Khazim as saying the helicopter went down after apparently being hit by a missile or a rocket. "All I can tell you now is that there have been casualties," British military spokesman Maj. Sebastian Muntz told CNN. [Descriptions of a long list of killings and kidnappings] A U.S. soldier was killed on Friday when his vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb, according to a statement from the Joint Operations Center released on Saturday. His identity was not released, and an investigation into the incident is under way, the statement said. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,687 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,101 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Iraq News Posted: Monday, May 08, 2006 9:10 AM 3 G.I.'s Killed by Bomb South of Baghdad BAGHDAD, Iraq, May 5 (AP) — A roadside bomb killed three American soldiers south of Baghdad on Friday. The American military also reported that its forces had shot dead three insurgents on Thursday in Samarra, the site of the bombing of a Shiite shrine in February that set off a wave of sectarian killings in Iraq. The United States command provided few details about the bomb that killed the three soldiers, in Babil Province. But Capt. Muthana Khalid, of the provincial police, said the explosion heavily damaged a Humvee in an American military convoy about 11:30 a.m. near Mahaweel, 35 miles south of Baghdad. American and Iraqi forces placed Samarra under a curfew on Friday as they searched homes looking for insurgents, said a police spokesman, Capt. Laith Muhammad. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,689 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,103 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Mission Accomplished Posted: Wednesday, May 10, 2006 8:57 AM Suicide Bomber Kills 17; Another U.S. Soldier Killed in Iraq BAGHDAD, Iraq, May 9 — A suicide bomber in a pickup truck drove into a public market in a Shiite neighborhood in the northern city of Tal Afar on Tuesday and blew himself up, killing 17 people and wounding as many as 65, officials said. ... An American soldier was killed in a roadside bomb attack in eastern Baghdad on Monday, the American military said in a statement. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,691 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,105 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Mission Accomplished Posted: Friday, May 12, 2006 10:41 AM 12 U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq So Far This Week Three U.S. Army soldiers were killed Thursday when roadside bombs hit two U.S. convoys southwest of Baghdad, the military said. The U.S. command also announced that an American soldier died Tuesday from wounds not suffered in combat. The deaths brought to at least 12 the number of U.S. service members who have died in Iraq this week, according to an Associated Press count.   ...   Their deaths raised to at least 2,434 the number of members of the U.S. military who have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. Three months ago, Iraq's freely elected Parliament took office, but the country's complex mix of Shiite, Sunni-Arab and Kurdish politicians are still trying to form a Cabinet that will make the government fully operational. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,693 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,107 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Mission Accomplished Posted: Saturday, May 13, 2006 9:36 AM Son of Top Iraqi Judge Killed in Baghdad; Another U.S. Soldier Killed BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Gunmen killed the son of Iraq's top judge along with two of his bodyguards and dumped their bodies in Baghdad, officials said Saturday. Other attacks outside the capital killed five Iraqis and a U.S. soldier, police said.   ...   A U.S. Army soldier died in a roadside bombing south of Baghdad at 4 a.m., officials said. His death raised to at least 2,437 the number of U.S. military members who have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,694 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,108 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Mission Accomplished Posted: Monday, May 15, 2006 10:34 AM 7 U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq This Weekend BAGHDAD, Iraq May 15, 2006 (AP)— Insurgents shot down a U.S. helicopter south of Baghdad and killed two soldiers, the U.S. military said Monday. Their deaths, along with those of three other soldiers and two Marines, brought the weekend toll to seven U.S. service members. The mothers of those soldiers experienced a tragic Mother's Day this year. Losing a child is terrible, but losing a child because of a politician's blunder is unconscionable. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,696 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,110 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Mission Accomplished Posted: Tuesday, May 16, 2006 1:25 PM Violence Claims 24 Iraqis, 3 GIs BAGHDAD, Iraq - Militants raided a parking lot in a predominantly Shiite neighborhood of Baghdad on Tuesday, killing 18 people with gunfire and a car bomb, police said. Earlier, fighting between suspected insurgents and Iraqi police killed at least six civilians in the capital, and roadside bombs killed three U.S. soldiers, officials said. ... One U.S. soldier died when a roadside bomb exploded near Rasheed airfield, a former Iraqi air force installation in southern Baghdad, damaging a Humvee and also wounding an Iraqi civilian, said police Lt. Mohammed Hanoun. The soldier was on a foot patrol near the convoy at the time, the U.S. command said. Two other soldiers from 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, were killed Monday when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb near Balad, 50 miles north of Baghdad. The attacks raised to at least 2,448 the number of members of the U.S. military who have died since the start of the war in 2003, according to an Associated Press count. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,697 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." Exactly 1,111 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	1,700 Days Posted: Friday, May 19, 2006 9:36 AM Today we commemorate 1,700 days since president Bush made his pledge to bring Osama bin Laden to justice "dead or alive." Here is a transcript of his remarks to Pentagon employees on September 17, 2001: I want justice. Q    Do you want bin Laden dead?      THE PRESIDENT:  I want justice.  There's an old poster out west, as I recall, that said, "Wanted: Dead or Alive." Q    Are you saying you want him dead or alive, sir?  Can I interpret --      THE PRESIDENT:  I just remember, all I'm doing is remembering when I was a kid I remember that they used to put out there in the old west, a wanted poster.  It said:  "Wanted, Dead or Alive."  All I want and America wants him brought to justice.  That's what we want. If he had followed up on that pledge, we would be much safer today. Instead, he dropped the ball on bin Laden, telling the terrorists that we'd get involved somewhere else if they held out long enough. The result is -- and will continue to be -- an increase in terrorism around the world. Been There
Been There	Iraq News Posted: Friday, May 19, 2006 9:44 AM 4 U.S. Soldiers and 1 Sailor Killed in Iraq Elsewhere in the capital, four U.S. soldiers with the Multi-National Division - Baghdad and an Iraqi interpreter died Thursday "when a roadside bomb struck their vehicle northwest of Baghdad," the military said. The names of the soldiers were being withheld pending notification of next of kin. Since the start of the war, there have been 2,443 U.S. military fatalities in Iraq. Seven American civilian contractors of the military also have died in the conflict. The bombing came amid reports Thursday of violence that resulted in the deaths of 26 people, including a U.S. sailor, Iraqi police and civilians. The reports included: A U.S. sailor was killed in Anbar province Wednesday "due to enemy action," a military statement said. The sailor was deployed with the Marines' Regimental Combat Team 5. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: Exactly 1,700 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,114 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Agent	Iraq News Posted: Friday, June 02, 2006 10:10 AM Have you really been there?
Been There	Iraq News Posted: Tuesday, June 06, 2006 2:00 PM The stupidity of using our soldiers to occupy a country for "nation-building" purposes, rather than for defending our nation, is beginning to dawn on even the fuzzy-brained voters who supported extending the Bush administration's time in office: Getting Used to War as Hell. According to the Haditha survivors, a small number of marines shot 24 civilians, in cold blood after a roadside bomb exploded as their platoon left their isolated base in the city, killing a 20-year-old lance corporal. Some accounts given to Western news organizations by survivors and by those familiar with the military investigations say that the killings extended over several hours, and involved several family homes next to the site of the bombing. The victims included women and children. Many were said to have died by gunshots to the head and torso. The longer foreign soldiers occupy a country, the more "incidents" happen that inflame the hatred of those suffering under the occupation. That always happens, and everyone with common sense knows it. By this time in Iraq, the only Iraqis who want us there are crooks who hope to make great profits now at our expense, to be enjoyed later on island resorts all over the world. There they will clink glasses with the rich Republicans who started the Iraq war fully intending to create profits from the blood of our young people. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,718 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,132 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Iraq News Posted: Thursday, June 08, 2006 9:58 AM Good news: al-Zarqawi Killed in Iraq BAGHDAD, Iraq, June 8 — Al Qaeda's leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, was killed in an American air strike on an isolated safe house north of Baghdad at 6.15 p.m. local time on Wednesday, top United States and Iraqi officials said today. Bad news: More U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq As of Wednesday, at least 2,482 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,720 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,134 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Iraq News Posted: Thursday, June 15, 2006 12:00 PM Pentagon: U.S. death toll in Iraq reaches 2,500 BAGHDAD, Iraq - The number of U.S. military deaths in Iraq has reached 2,500, the Pentagon said Thursday, more than three years into a conflict that finds US-led forces locked in a struggle with a resilient insurgency. In addition, the Pentagon said 18,490 U.S. troops have been wounded in the war, which began in March 2003 with a US-led invasion to topple President Saddam Hussein. Tens of thousands of Iraqis have been killed. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,727 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,141 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Iraq News Posted: Sunday, June 25, 2006 12:24 PM Our young people keeping dying in Iraq because of President Bush's blunders: 4 U.S. Soldiers Die; Cleric Is Freed After Protests. BAGHDAD, Iraq, June 24 — Three American soldiers were killed in combat here, and a fourth died from injuries unrelated to fighting, the military said Saturday, bringing the number of American soldiers killed in Iraq this month to 46. ... The area south of the capital has been unusually violent this week, after insurgents captured and killed two American soldiers. The soldiers were taken prisoner on June 15 after an ambush, and their mutilated bodies were found four days later, bearing signs of torture. The American military dispatched 8,000 soldiers to look for them, and in the process stirred up a flurry of guerrilla activity. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,737 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,151 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Iraq News Posted: Saturday, July 01, 2006 9:51 AM Good people continue to die for the blunders made by President George W. Bush: 60 More U.S. Soldiers Killed in June in Iraq. At least 60 American soldiers died in Iraq in June, a slight decline from 69 in May and 76 in April. Yet, that was almost twice as many as in March, which, at 31, had the second-lowest monthly fatality count of the war. ... Deaths of Iraqi civilians dropped in June from previous months, according to a rough estimate by the Iraq Coalition Casualty Count, an independent Web site. At least 840 Iraqi civilians died in June, compared with an all-time high of 1,100 the previous month, according to the site, which counts deaths from news reports. The June toll was about the same as that in February, the month that hundreds of civilians were killed in sectarian bloodletting after the bombing of a sacred Shiite shrine. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,743 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,157 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Iraq News Posted: Monday, July 10, 2006 9:39 AM Everyone with real military experience warned George W. Bush that he needed a much larger force to occupy Iraq. He had more than enough firepower to kick out Saddam Hussein, if necessary to save our country from weapons of mass destruction. But he did not have the numbers to indulge his utopian "nation-building" dream. Instead, our president listened to the chicken-hawk advisers he feels most comfortable with and ignored the warnings he got from military realists. More than three years later, the mess in Iraq drags on: Massive Violence Flares in Baghdad. BAGHDAD, July 10 — A mob of gunmen went on a brazen daytime rampage through a predominantly Sunni Arab district of western Baghdad on Sunday, pulling people from their cars and homes and killing them in what officials and residents called a spasm of revenge by Shiite militias for the bombing of a Shiite mosque on Saturday. Hours later, two car bombs exploded beside a Shiite mosque in another Baghdad neighborhood in a deadly act of what appeared to be retaliation. Violence continued in Baghdad today, as a bomb killed 10 people and wounded at least 49 in the Sadr City section, a Shiite stronghold. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki responded with a plea for Iraqis to "unite as brothers," Reuters reported. "Our destiny is to work together in brotherhood to defeat terrorism and insurgency," he told the Kurdish regional parliament in northern Iraq, While Baghdad has been ravaged by Sunni-Shiite bloodletting in recent months, even by recent standards the violence here on Sunday was frightening, delivered with impunity by gun-wielding vigilantes on the street. In the culture of revenge that has seized Iraq, residents all over the city braced for an escalation in the cycle of retributive mayhem between the Shiites and Sunnis that has threatened to expand into civil war. The violence coincided with an announcement by American military officials that they had formally accused four more American soldiers of rape and murder, and a fifth soldier of "dereliction of duty" for failing to report the crimes, in connection with the deaths of the 14-year-old Iraqi girl who was raped and three members of her family. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,752 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,166 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Iraq News Posted: Tuesday, July 18, 2006 12:02 PM Car Bomb Kills Dozens Near Shiite Shrine in Iraq; 3 More U.S. Soldiers Killed: BAGHDAD, Iraq, July 18— A bomb killed 53 people and wounded more than 100 in the Shiite city of Kufa today, a day after at least 48 people died as dozens of gunmen suspected of being Sunni Arabs went on a rampage through a mostly Shiite market area in the town of Mahmudiya, according to Iraqi officials. News services said that the blast was the work of a suicide bomber who pulled a minivan into a market where day laborers had gathered and lured some on board with the promise of work. The attack in Kufa and other violence brought to about 150 the number of civilians killed in three days in the country, making it one of the deadliest periods since the appointment of the current government in May. ... The American military said a soldier was killed by small-arms fire in western Baghdad, another soldier died in a bombing south of the capital, and a third soldier was killed by “enemy action” in western Iraq. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,760 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,174 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Iraq News Posted: Monday, July 31, 2006 11:11 AM As depressing as we all find the news from Iraq these days -- the Pentagon extends soldiers' tours of duty again and Baghdad faces increasing violence -- it follows a totally predictable script. Everyone with an ounce or more of sense saw this coming from the beginning. When George W. Bush failed in business after business, only a few people were hurt by each failure. But his failures as President of the U.S. have caused thousands of unnecessary deaths, and the toll continues to rise: 8 U.S. Marines Killed In 3 Days. In the continuing violence, the American military said four marines were killed in combat on Saturday in Anbar Province, a volatile region west of Baghdad where Sunni Arab insurgents have fiercely fought coalition forces. A total of eight marines have been killed in the province since Thursday, highlighting the danger still present in outlying regions as the Pentagon begins shifting American troops to Baghdad in an effort to quell rampant violence here. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,773 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,187 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Iraq News Posted: Monday, August 07, 2006 2:47 PM Rape and Murder in Iraq; 3 More US Soldiers Killed: Three American soldiers were killed Sunday by an improvised bomb planted along a road southwest of Baghdad, the American military said in a statement early Monday. A suicide bomber wrapped in explosives detonated himself in the middle of a crowd of mourners attending the funeral of a member of the Tikrit city council, an Interior Ministry official said. Five people were killed and 15 wounded, the official said. At least 15 bodies, all with their hands tied behind their backs and gunshots to the head, were found in different Baghdad neighborhoods, according to the ministry official. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,780 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,194 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Iraq News Posted: Thursday, August 10, 2006 6:39 AM 17 U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq So Far This Month The deaths brought to at least 17 the number of American service members killed in Iraq this month. All but five died in Anbar, indicating the ongoing threat from Sunni insurgents at a time when attention has been focused on violence between Sunnis and Shiites in Baghdad. On Wednesday, deputy Health Minister Dr. Sabah al-Husseini said about 1,500 violent deaths were reported last month in the Baghdad area -- excluding members of the U.S.-led coalition. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,783 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,197 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Iraq News Posted: Wednesday, August 16, 2006 9:31 AM Number of Iraq Civilian Deaths Highest in July BAGHDAD, Iraq, Aug. 15 — July appears to have been the deadliest month of the war for Iraqi civilians, according to figures from the Health Ministry and the Baghdad morgue, reinforcing criticism that the Baghdad security plan started in June by the new government has failed. An average of more than 110 Iraqis were killed each day in July, according to the figures. The total number of civilian deaths that month, 3,438, is a 9 percent increase over the tally in June and nearly double the toll in January. The rising numbers suggested that sectarian violence is spiraling out of control, and seemed to bolster an assertion many senior Iraqi officials and American military analysts have made in recent months: that the country is already embroiled in a civil war, not just slipping toward one, and that the American-led forces are caught between Sunni Arab guerrillas and Shiite militias. ... United Nations officials and military analysts say the morgue and ministry numbers almost certainly reflect severe undercounting, caused by the haphazard nature of information in a war zone. Many casualties in areas outside Baghdad probably never appear in the official count, said Anthony H. Cordesman, a military analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a research group in Washington. That helps explain why fatalities in Baghdad appear to account for such a large percentage of the total number, he said in a recent report. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,789 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,203 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Our Iraq Nightmare Posted: Thursday, August 17, 2006 12:06 PM The situation in Iraq continues to deteriorate, exactly as everyone with common sense knew it would when George W. Bush announced that U.S. forces would occupy Iraq for "nation-building" purposes after Saddam's weapons of mass destruction proved to be illusory: Bombs Aimed at G.I.’s in Iraq Are Increasing. WASHINGTON, Aug. 16 — The number of roadside bombs planted in Iraq rose in July to the highest monthly total of the war, offering more evidence that the anti-American insurgency has continued to strengthen despite the killing of the terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Along with a sharp increase in sectarian attacks, the number of daily strikes against American and Iraqi security forces has doubled since January. The deadliest means of attack, roadside bombs, made up much of that increase. In July, of 2,625 explosive devices, 1,666 exploded and 959 were discovered before they went off. In January, 1,454 bombs exploded or were found. The bomb statistics — compiled by American military authorities in Baghdad and made available at the request of The New York Times — are part of a growing body of data and intelligence analysis about the violence in Iraq that has produced somber public assessments from military commanders, administration officials and lawmakers on Capitol Hill. “The insurgency has gotten worse by almost all measures, with insurgent attacks at historically high levels,” said a senior Defense Department official who agreed to discuss the issue only on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak for attribution. “The insurgency has more public support and is demonstrably more capable in numbers of people active and in its ability to direct violence than at any point in time.” ... Bush administration officials now admit that Iraqi government’s original plan to rein in the violence in Baghdad, announced in June, has failed. The Pentagon has decided to rush more American troops into the capital, and the new military operation to restore security there is expected to begin in earnest next month. Yet some outside experts who have recently visited the White House said Bush administration officials were beginning to plan for the possibility that Iraq’s democratically elected government might not survive. “Senior administration officials have acknowledged to me that they are considering alternatives other than democracy,” said one military affairs expert who received an Iraq briefing at the White House last month and agreed to speak only on condition of anonymity. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,790 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,204 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Iraq News Posted: Thursday, August 24, 2006 8:28 AM 2 U.S. Soldiers Killed South of Baghdad One U.S. soldier was killed Wednesday during a raid to capture "foreign terrorists," the U.S. military command said. Two of the militants also were killed, it said, without elaborating. The other American soldier died Thursday when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb, the military said. In Baghdad, a car bomb in the mixed neighborhood of al-Mashtal in eastern Baghdad killed two civilians and injured five others, police said. The explosion occurred about 100 yards from a police station, police said. Another car bomb -- targeting a police patrol in the Sunni neighborhood of Azamiyah -- killed two civilians and wounded four people, included two policemen, police said. Elsewhere in the capital, five day laborers were wounded when a bomb hidden in trash exploded outside a paint shop in downtown Tayaran Square, while a roadside bomb exploded next to an Iraqi police patrol, wounding two policemen. In the Azamiyah neighborhood, gunmen opened fire on a police patrol, killing one policeman and wounding another, police said. To the north, a bomb in a minivan killed three policemen and wounded a minivan driver in Baqouba, about 35 miles northeast of Baghdad, police said. On the outskirts of that city, a roadside bomb struck an Iraqi army convoy, killing three soldiers and destroying their armored vehicle, said Baqouba army commander Brig. Salman al-Talabani. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,797 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,211 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Iraq News Posted: Tuesday, August 29, 2006 11:01 AM Violence in Iraq Increases; 9 More U.S. Soldiers Killed The American military announced Monday the deaths of nine American service members in attacks on Sunday. In Baghdad, a car bomb killed at least 13 people on Monday and wounded dozens at a checkpoint just outside the Interior Ministry headquarters. Over all, more than 100 Iraqis were killed Sunday and Monday. With sectarian violence soaring, American generals and the American ambassador, Zalmay Khalilzad, say that militias are now the single greatest threat to the stability of Iraq and that the Iraqi government must disband them. But, of course, the Iraqi government has neither the will nor the power to disband them. Our young soldiers are caught up in a foreign civil war triggered by the foolish actions of their commander in chief. And everyone with common sense saw this coming from the beginning. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,802 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,216 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Iraq News Posted: Thursday, August 31, 2006 7:26 AM Bush's Blunders Kill Another U.S. Soldier The U.S. military reported an American soldier was killed in a bomb blast north of the capital while conducting a security mission Wednesday. It did not give details of the location. ... Violence across the country left dozens dead Wednesday. Twelve prospective army cadets were killed Wednesday in Hillah, about 60 miles south of Baghdad as they waited outside a recruiting center. A bomb also ripped through a Baghdad market, and police said 24 people died. But the Iraqi Defense Ministry reported that 13 people had been killed in the blast. The reason for the discrepancy was not immediately clear. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,804 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,218 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
ZoneIII	Iraq News Posted: Wednesday, October 11, 2006 11:28 AM Wow!  You are actually carrying on a conversation with yourself!   That's kind of pathetic when you think about it.  I guess nobody is interested in the rants of a whining crybaby and terrified little girl.   I hope you aren't "thin skinned" and a "weakling" too.    Maybe you should spend your time growing a spine.
Been There	Mission Accomplished Posted: Monday, October 23, 2006 1:05 PM Hi ZoneIII,   I can see where you're coming from, and I appreciate your cogent analysis of the problems facing our country. It's not just that we have an incompetent sleazeball as a president. It's that our country has enough idiots to elect a scumbag like George W. Bush (and I say that with all due respect to him and to you).   86 U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq Already This Month BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Militants targeted police recruits and shoppers rounding up last-minute sweets and delicacies for a feast to mark the end of the Ramadan holy month, the highlight of the Muslim year. At least 44 Iraqis were reported killed across the country. The U.S. military announced the deaths of a Marine and seven soldiers, raising to 86 the number of American servicemembers killed in October -- the highest monthly toll this year. The pace of U.S. deaths could make October the deadliest month in two years. Six soldiers were killed Sunday, three by small arms fire west of the capital and three by roadside bombs within Baghdad, the military said. On Saturday, a Marine was killed during combat in restive Anbar province and another soldier died in fighting in Salahuddin province. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,857 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,271 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Mission Accomplished Posted: Thursday, October 26, 2006 10:09 AM 4 More U.S. Marines and 1 More Sailor Killed in Iraq for Bush's Blunders: BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- The number of American troops killed in Iraq in October reached the highest monthly total in a year Thursday after four Marines and a sailor died of wounds suffered while fighting in the same Sunni insurgent stronghold. The U.S. military said 96 U.S. troops have died so far in October, the most in one month since October 2005, when the same number was killed. The highest monthly death toll prior to that came in January 2005, when 107 U.S. troops were killed. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,860 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,274 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Mission Accomplished Posted: Saturday, October 28, 2006 10:52 AM 98 U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq So Far This Month BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Embattled Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki told the U.S. ambassador that he was Washington's friend but ''not America's man in Iraq,'' ratcheting up his increasingly bitter dispute with the Bush administration, an aide said Saturday. The U.S. military, meanwhile, announced the death of a Marine in the restive Anbar province west of Baghdad on Friday, raising to 98 the number of American forces killed in Iraq in October, already the fourth deadliest month since the Iraq war began in March 2003. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,862 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,276 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Mission Accomplished Posted: Monday, October 30, 2006 10:59 AM Baghdad Bomb Kills at Least 26; U.S. Toll Hits 100 for October At least 26 Shiite laborers were killed and 60 were wounded in a bomb blast in Baghdad today, as the American death toll in Iraq reached 100 for the month with the announcement by the military that a marine had been killed in al-Anbar province. Four other bombs killed at least 10 people and wounded 26 around the capital today, and a geology professor who is a member of a Sunni political group was gunned down on his way to his college. The outbreak of violence comes despite the hopes of American military officials that the killings, which increased during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, might slacken following its end last week. The military said in a statement today that the marine died on Sunday from wounds suffered in combat in al-Anbar, the western province where the Sunni insurgency is based. October has become the deadliest month for American forces in Iraq since January 2005. And every one of these deaths was completely unnecessary, caused by the foolish actions of our worthless president, George W. Bush. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,864 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,278 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Mission Accomplished Posted: Tuesday, October 31, 2006 1:14 PM U.S. Death Toll in Iraq Hits 103 for October BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- U.S. troops on Tuesday abandoned checkpoints around the Shiite militia stronghold of Sadr City on orders from Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, the latest in a series of moves by the Iraqi leader to assert his authority with the U.S. administration. The U.S. military announced the deaths of two soldiers in fighting in the Baghdad area on Monday, one from small arms fire, the other from a roadside bomb. Those brought the number of troops killed in Iraq this month to 103. U.S. forces disappeared from the checkpoints within hours of the order to remove the around-the-clock barriers by 5:00 p.m. (1400 GMT), setting off celebrations among civilians and armed men gathered on the edge of the sprawling slum that is under the control of the Mahdi Army militia run by radical anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Iraqi troops loaded coils of barbed wire and red traffic cones onto pickup trucks, while small groups of men and children danced in circles chanting slogans praising al-Sadr, who earlier Tuesday had ordered the area closed to the Iraqi government until U.S. troops lifted what he called their "siege" of the neighborhood. Extra checkpoints were set up last week as U.S. troops launched an intensive search for a missing soldier, who has yet to be found. Those of us who served our country during the Vietnam war know what it is like to put our lives on the line because of the stupidity of our so-called "leaders." George W. Bush is a chickenhawk who hid behind his daddy's skirt when it came time for him to fight, and our White House today is full of cowards just like him. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,865 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,279 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Mission Accomplished Posted: Thursday, November 02, 2006 1:25 AM U.S. Death Toll in Iraq Reaches 105 in October The U.S. military reported the deaths of two service members on Tuesday in Anbar province, an insurgent stronghold. A total of 105 American service members died in Iraq in October, the fourth deadliest month since the Iraq war began in March 2003. There have been only three months in which more U.S. forces died in Iraq: 107 in January 2005; at least 135 in April 2004, and 137 in November 2004. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,867 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,281 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Mission Accomplished Posted: Saturday, November 04, 2006 12:51 PM 7 U.S. Troops Die in Iraq BAGHDAD, Nov. 3 — John D. Negroponte, the director of national intelligence, met here with Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki on Friday, the second high-level visit by an American official in a week. The American military, meanwhile, announced the deaths of seven more American troops. All were killed Thursday, three in a roadside bomb in eastern Baghdad and four in the roiling western province of Anbar in sniper and bomb attacks. Hidden killing continued across the capital, with 83 bodies and a severed human head found in the two days ending Friday. At least nine other Iraqis died in violence on Friday, Reuters reported, including a freelance journalist, a singer, a taxi driver and a gas station employee. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,869 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,283 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Mission Accomplished Posted: Monday, November 06, 2006 1:29 PM 18 Americans Killed In Iraq In November Monday's deaths push to 18 the number of U.S. troops killed in the first six days of this month. An unofficial tally by The Associated Press shows that at least 2,839 Americans have died in Iraq since the U.S. invasion. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,871 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,285 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Mission Accomplished Posted: Friday, November 10, 2006 9:22 AM U.S. Death Toll in Iraq at 23 for November BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Two U.S. soldiers and a Marine were killed in Iraq, the U.S. military said Friday, bringing the number of Americans who have died in the country so far this month to 23. ... The two American soldiers, assigned to the 89th Military Police Brigade, died when the vehicle they were traveling in was hit by a roadside bomb Thursday in western Baghdad, the U.S. command said. Another soldier was wounded, it added. The Marine, assigned to Regimental Combat Team 5, died Thursday from wounds suffered in fighting in Anbar province. At least 11 of the 23 American deaths in November were in Anbar province. Most of the others died in the Baghdad area.   ... Since the beginning of the war in 2003, 2,843 members of the U.S. military have died, according to an Associated Press count. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,875 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,289 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Mission Accomplished Posted: Monday, November 13, 2006 10:30 AM Blasts Kill Dozens of Iraqi Police Recruits; 3 More U.S. Soldiers Killed BAGHDAD, Nov. 13 -- Two suicide bombers detonated explosives Sunday as a crowd of men gathered in front of a police recruiting center in central Baghdad, killing at least 35 people and wounding 56 in one of the deadliest suicide attacks in Iraq this year. The blasts, coming hours before Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki announced plans for a major cabinet shake-up, delivered the latest blow to U.S. and Iraqi efforts to strengthen the country's fledgling security forces. Such efforts are a key element of the U.S. strategy to draw down troop strength and contain the sectarian violence that is pushing the country toward civil war. ... In other violence, the U.S. military announced the combat-related deaths of three U.S. soldiers in Anbar province, bringing to 27 the number of American troops killed this month. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,878 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,292 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Iraq News Posted: Wednesday, November 15, 2006 12:43 PM Bush Seeks Iraq Help from Clinton WASHINGTON, Nov. 14 — The bipartisan commission examining strategic options for Iraq reached out on Tuesday to top Democrats from the Clinton White House — beginning with former President Bill Clinton himself. The Iraq Study Group interviewed at least four other members of the Clinton administration: both of Mr. Clinton’s secretaries of state, Madeleine K. Albright and Warren Christopher; the former ambassador to the United Nations, Richard C. Holbrooke; and the former national security adviser, Samuel R. Berger. The group also spoke Tuesday by video link with Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain. The Iraq Study Group is led by James A. Baker III, former secretary of state under the first President Bush, and Lee H. Hamilton, a former Democratic congressman. The panel is expected to issue recommendations by the end of the year. Iraqi Government Death Squads Run Amock; 6 More US Soldiers Killed Considerable confusion remained about the incident, which was carried out by gunmen in uniforms resembling those of police commandos and which led to the arrest of five police officials. According to news service reports, officials of the Ministry of Higher Education insisted today that many more people had been kidnapped, and that as many as 80 hostages were still being held. They quoted the minister of higher education, Abed Thiab al-Ajili, a Sunni politician, as saying that he was stepping down from his post until the remaining hostages are freed. Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, Brig. Gen. Abdul Kareem Khalaf, said that security forces were continuing to search for victims and their kidnappers, and that it was unclear how many people had been seized because no list was kept of visitors to the office building that was raided. Also today, the American military announced the deaths of six American troops on Tuesday. Three marines and one soldier were killed in combat in Anbar province, the center of the Sunni insurgency in the country’s west, and two soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb during combat operations in northwestern Baghdad, the military said in a statement. US Soldier Admits Raping and Killing 14-Year Old Iraqi Girl One of four Army infantrymen charged with raping a 14-year-old girl last March in Iraq and then killing her and her family will plead guilty today in a military court in Kentucky, his lawyers said. The plea to charges of rape and premeditated murder will make the soldier, Specialist James P. Barker, 23, the first to resolve the charges against him in one of the most gruesome cases of illegal killings of Iraqi civilians. Specialist Barker and three other members of Company B of the First Battalion, 502nd Infantry, 101st Airborne Division, were each charged with raping the girl and killing her, her parents and her 7-year-old sister in the family’s home in Mahmudiya, southwest of Baghdad, a volatile area known among American soldiers as the “triangle of death.” Pfc. Jesse V. Spielman, Pfc. Bryan L. Howard and Sgt. Paul E. Cortez are also charged with rape, premeditated murder and arson; military prosecutors accused them of burning the teenager’s body with kerosene in an effort to conceal evidence. A fifth soldier, Sgt. Anthony W. Yribe, is charged with dereliction of duty for failing to report the crimes. Specialist Barker’s plea bargain means that he will not face the death penalty, his lawyers said yesterday, and although he will probably be given a life sentence, he could be released on parole in 20 years. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,880 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,294 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Iraq News Posted: Friday, November 17, 2006 9:14 AM 44 U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq So Far This November The American military command announced that four American soldiers had been killed. One was killed on Tuesday by small-arms fire in Baghdad, the military said. The other three were killed on Wednesday in Diyala, two when a bomb exploded near their vehicle and one by small-arms fire. At least 44 American soldiers have been killed this month. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,882 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,296 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Iraq News Posted: Thursday, November 23, 2006 12:30 PM At Least 150 Killed in Deadliest Attack Since Start of Iraq War; 3 More U.S. Marines Dead BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- In the deadliest attack on a sectarian enclave since the beginning of the Iraq war, suspected Sunni-Arab militants used three suicide car bombs and two mortar rounds on the capital's Shiite Sadr City slum to kill at least 150 people and wound 238 on Thursday, police said. The Shiites responded almost immediately, firing 10 mortar rounds at the Abu Hanifa Sunni mosque in Azamiya, killing one person and wounding 14 people in an attack on the holiest Sunni shrine in Baghdad. ... In another development, the U.S. military on Thursday reported the deaths of three Marines who were killed while fighting in Anbar province, where many Sunni-Arab insurgents are based. So far this month, 52 American service members have been killed or died. The families of those soldiers face a bleak Thanksgiving today. So do the families of all the others killed in Iraq because of the foolish actions of a president who refused to listen to the adults around him offering honest, common-sense advice. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,888 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,302 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Iraq News Posted: Monday, December 04, 2006 9:54 AM 8 More U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq The American military said Sunday that American forces killed two women, one child and six insurgents on Saturday in assaults on two buildings in the town of Garma, in the hostile Anbar Province. The women and child were killed, along with five insurgents, in an airstrike on one house, the military said. The American military announced eight deaths of service members on Sunday. Two soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb while on patrol in Anbar on Saturday, and three Marines died the same day in Anbar from combat wounds. Another soldier was killed Saturday by a roadside bomb near Taji. A soldier died in combat in Baghdad on Sunday. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,899 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,313 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	1,900 Days Posted: Tuesday, December 05, 2006 2:21 PM Today we commemorate 1,900 days since president Bush made his pledge to bring Osama bin Laden to justice "dead or alive." Here is a transcript of his remarks to Pentagon employees on September 17, 2001: I want justice. Q    Do you want bin Laden dead?      THE PRESIDENT:  I want justice.  There's an old poster out west, as I recall, that said, "Wanted: Dead or Alive." Q    Are you saying you want him dead or alive, sir?  Can I interpret --      THE PRESIDENT:  I just remember, all I'm doing is remembering when I was a kid I remember that they used to put out there in the old west, a wanted poster.  It said:  "Wanted, Dead or Alive."  All I want and America wants him brought to justice.  That's what we want. If Bush had followed up on that pledge, we would be much safer today. Instead, he dropped the ball on bin Laden, telling the terrorists that we'd get involved somewhere else if they held out long enough. The result is -- and will continue to be -- an increase in terrorism around the world. The headlines each day demonstrate the depth of his failure: 30 Killed in Baghdad Violence; Another U.S. Soldier Slain About 30 people were killed in car bomb and gunfire attacks in Baghdad today, Iraqi officials and the American military said, as Iraq’s prime minister was quoted as saying he would call for a regional conference to search for solutions to the violence in Iraq. ... An American soldier was killed and five others were injured on Monday when their patrol was attacked in Baghdad, the American military reported today. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: Exactly 1,900 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,314 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Iraq News Posted: Thursday, December 07, 2006 11:12 AM 11 U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq Yesterday The attacks followed a particularly bloody weekend and raised to at least 31 the number of U.S. troops who have died in the first week of this month. At least 69 troops were killed in November and 105 soldiers were killed in October -- the highest monthly toll since January 2005. "Our thoughts are with all 11 families who lost family members yesterday. Taking care of them right now is the military's highest priority," U.S. spokesman Lt. Col. Christopher Garver said. The last time 11 Americans were killed in one day was Oct. 17. At least 2,919 service members have been killed since the war started in 2003, according to an AP count. At least 75 people were killed or found dead across Iraq on Wednesday, including 48 whose bullet-riddled bodies were found in different parts of the capital. Gunmen also broke into a school in western Baghdad, killing its Sunni headmaster in his office, then instructing teachers not to return, an Iraqi army officer said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to security concerns. Back home, politicians work to find a way to get out from under the mess Bush created without losing face. The Baker-Hamilton report released yesterday is a prominent example. While the politicians ponder, our young soldiers die. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,902 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,316 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Iraq News Posted: Tuesday, December 19, 2006 10:10 AM Attacks in Iraq at Record High, Pentagon Says WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 — A Pentagon assessment of security conditions in Iraq concluded Monday that attacks against American and Iraqi targets had surged this summer and autumn to their highest level, and called violence by Shiite militants the most significant threat in Baghdad. The report, which covers the period from early August to early November, found an average of almost 960 attacks against Americans and Iraqis every week, the highest level recorded since the Pentagon began issuing the quarterly reports in 2005, with the biggest surge in attacks against American-led forces. That was an increase of 22 percent from the level for early May to early August, the report said. While most attacks were directed at American forces, most deaths and injuries were suffered by the Iraqi military and civilians. U.S. Death Toll in Iraq for December Reaches 60 In violence on Monday, a car bomb killed five people and wounded at least 19 near a vegetable market in Sadiya, a Sunni area in the south of Baghdad. At least 44 bodies were found around Baghdad, many showing signs of being bound and tortured. The United States military said three American soldiers had been killed. That raised the American death toll in December to 60, The Associated Press reported. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,914 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,328 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Iraq News Posted: Friday, December 22, 2006 12:31 PM 5 More U.S. Soldiers Die in Iraq as Festive White House Celebrates Holidays As Gates spoke to reporters at the American military headquarters here, reminders of the continuing conflict were evident in the sounds of gunfire and artillery in the distance as well as the roar of American jets overhead, according to news service accounts. Also, the American military today announced the death of five soldiers, four of whom died in combat in Anbar province on Thursday, and one who was killed west of Baghdad today when a patrol came under mortar and machine-gun fire. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,917 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,331 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Iraq News Posted: Sunday, December 24, 2006 1:34 PM Explosions Kill 4 More U.S. Soldiers in Iraq BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Four American soldiers were killed in weekend explosions, the U.S. military said Sunday, and a suicide bomber killed at least seven Iraqi policemen north of the capital. Three soldiers from the 89th Military Police Brigade, were killed Saturday in east Baghdad when a roadside bomb detonated, the U.S. military said. The fourth, assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, died Saturday in an explosion in Diyala east of the Iraqi capital. With their deaths, at least 2,969 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,919 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,333 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
Been There	Iraq News Posted: Tuesday, December 26, 2006 8:37 AM 6 More U.S. Soldiers Killed in Iraq The U.S. military on Tuesday announced the deaths of six more American soldiers, pushing the U.S. military death toll since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003 to at least 2,978 -- five more than the number killed in the Sept. 11 attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. The milestone came with military announcement that three soldiers had been killed Monday, Christmas Day. Three more service members were killed Tuesday in roadside bombings near Baghdad, the military said. The following facts underscore some important truths about our president: 1,921 days have now passed since since September 17, 2001, when President Bush pledged to take Osama bin Laden "dead or alive." 1,335 days have now passed since May 1, 2003, when President Bush gave his Iraq "mission accomplished" speech. Been There
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