Monday, December 01, 2008

Lowest U.S. Casualty Toll Since 2003 Invasion

Women look at Iraqi soldiers on a patrol on the outskirts of Basra, 420 km (260 miles) southeast of Baghdad November 23, 2008.
REUTERS/Atef Hassan


October saw U.S. combat-related deaths in Iraq at 8; November saw the number drop down to 6 combat-related deaths.

The difference between 8 and 6 are rather insignificant; and these numbers might go up and down again. But what is important is whether or not there's a consistent pattern, trending in a positive direction here. And I do think we are on the right path.

Monday in Baghdad saw 30 more civilians killed as there are still elements within Iraq who wish to reignite sectarian violence and derail the democratization of Iraq:

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Blasts at Baghdad's police academy and in the northern city of Mosul killed 30 people and wounded dozens more on Monday, hours after a roadside bomb wounded a senior Iraqi official, police said.

Violence has fallen sharply over the past year as successive security crackdowns dealt insurgent groups a heavy blow, but officials say militants are now concentrating their efforts on attention-grabbing attacks ahead of elections next year.

The attacks were likely aimed at reigniting sectarian bloodshed between minority Sunni Arabs who dominated Iraq under ex-dictator Saddam Hussein and Shi'ites who are now in control.


296 Iraqis died from violence last month; in October it was 238. Part of the rise in violence was related to the attempt by those who were not happy with the SOFA.

What's ironic here, is that those opposed to any agreement to keep U.S. forces in Iraq, who want the U.S. and Coalition Forces out of Iraq NOW, are probably prolonging our presence there. You want us out of Iraq as soon as possible? Solution: Cease with the violence and sabotage of the budding Iraqi government.


Iraqi soldiers carry coffins bearing remains of fellow Iraqi soldiers during a ceremony at the Iraq-Iran Shalamcha Border Crossing, in southern Iraq November 30, 2008.
REUTERS/Atef Hassan


Cross-posted at Flopping Aces
(Including story of female suicide bombers turning themselves in)

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16 Comments:

Blogger The Griper said...

the use of women as weapons says a lot about their numbers too or willingness to die for the cause.

Monday, December 01, 2008 12:18:00 PM  
Blogger shoprat said...

They want to sabotage our claim to victory as well as get us out. Us leaving is not enough; we must be defeated.

Monday, December 01, 2008 12:43:00 PM  
Blogger Average American said...

Deaths 8 and then only 6? That can't be right, the surge didn't work, the messiah said so! Are you sure? Better not let NObama hear you say that.

Monday, December 01, 2008 1:04:00 PM  
Blogger Bloviating Zeppelin said...

And with Obama's appointments today of Hillary Clinton as secretary of state, Robert Gates as defense secretary, Eric Holder as attorney general, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano as homeland security secretary, his campaign's foreign policy adviser Susan Rice as United Nations ambassador, and former Marine Gen. James Jones as national security adviser -- he ain't gonna be making any pullout like the Left desires.

Can you imagine what the Left would have said had Obama announced that he'd be KEEPING Bob Gates, and appointing a Marine General as NSA? He'd had been kicked to the curb in an instant.

The Left is FOAMING today.

BZ

Monday, December 01, 2008 4:39:00 PM  
Blogger Marie's Two Cents said...

I agree Word,

If they want us out of there sooner then quit attacking the civilians!

Monday, December 01, 2008 7:05:00 PM  
Blogger Chuck said...

It'd be nice to see GWB get credit for this, fat chance though.

Monday, December 01, 2008 7:09:00 PM  
Blogger Tapline said...

Word, Things keep getting better, or so it seems. They still have a long way to go to get religion out of politics....stay well....mayhaps they can't being that their religion is a way of life......stay well...

Monday, December 01, 2008 8:11:00 PM  
Blogger cube said...

A brand new democratic government springing up in the middle east. Go figure.

I hope the naysayers eat their hats.

Tuesday, December 02, 2008 1:03:00 PM  
Blogger Karen Townsend said...

The withdrawal has begun. We will leave in victory, despite the Democrats. Keeping Sec. Gates, who today said at his press conference that he considers himself a Republican, and Jim Jones, a McCain supporter, will assure a reasonable withdrawal continues.

Tuesday, December 02, 2008 1:14:00 PM  
Blogger WomanHonorThyself said...

good news..ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!:)

Tuesday, December 02, 2008 7:30:00 PM  
Blogger christian soldier said...

The women of Iraq -from the looks on the faces in the photo -seem to appreciate our Best of the Best!

I'll not forget the Iraqi woman who-with tears in her eyes-asked to touch the face of one of our soldiers-saying that she wanted to touch the "face of grace"...
C-CS

Wednesday, December 03, 2008 12:21:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I must have missed this in my daily newspaper today...LOL

Wednesday, December 03, 2008 2:23:00 PM  
Blogger Bloviating Zeppelin said...

Just like you missed that Black Friday purchases were UP 7.9%! Oh yes, our economy is lousy all OVER, just ask the Defeatist, Elitist Media.

BZ

Wednesday, December 03, 2008 4:49:00 PM  
Blogger Pasadena Closet Conservative said...

This goes against Dyn-O-Bama's talking points. Stop it!

Thursday, December 04, 2008 11:48:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sorry but Obama will get all the credit for ending the war. Gates has already said that the speed up has begun and by June all of the US forces will be out of the cities. Victory ?? that is a word that Gen Petraeus said he would never use I am not going to leave a link for that better google it yourselves

Friday, December 05, 2008 4:34:00 PM  
Blogger The WordSmith from Nantucket said...

anon,

Obama might get credit, but deserves none of it. He would have lost Iraq if he had his way in 2006; as it stands, there's very little difference between the Bush plan, the McCain plan, and the Obama plan for Iraq.

You're right about "victory"; not only Petraeus, but Bush also has said there will be no clear-cut end-date. Really, part of this is a victory over those who opted for the defeatist roadmap to leaving Iraq. Thanks to Bush, McCain, Petraeus, etc., we will leave in "victory".

Obviously, you didn't really read my post, as I wasn't one of the advocates for declaring a "Victory in Iraq Day". I think it's premature; but I understand the sentiments that motivate it.

Here's another good piece, by Totten.

Friday, December 05, 2008 9:21:00 PM  

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