Pfc. Peter Mikolajewski scans his sector(click here for link to photo) for during a combined cordon and search operation with 1st Battalion, 4th Brigade, 1st Iraqi National Police Division, in the Kamaliya area of eastern Baghdad. Mikolajewski is assigned to Company B, 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment. The 2-16th Infantry is operating in Baghdad under the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Bronco Suzuki, 2nd IBCT, 2nd Inf. Div. Public Affairs)
The photo above is not an image. It is not a mirage. It is real. An American soldier risking his life for the country he pledges allegiance, loyalty and within those two words is 'love for all his country and the citizens within it.' The 'flip side' of this is the 'image' Bush attempts to put forward which lacks credibility, loyalty and love of the USA. This soldier is on a mission he believes is important...
U.S. Military Deaths in Iraq at 3,609 (click here)
Wednesday July 11, 2007 1:31 AM
By The Associated Press
As of Tuesday, July 10, 2007, at least 3,609 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 figure includes seven military civilians. At least 2,966 died as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers.
The AP count is the same as the Defense Department's tally, last updated Tuesday at 10 a.m. EDT.
The British military has reported 159 deaths; Italy, 33; Ukraine, 18; Poland, 20; Bulgaria, 13; Spain, 11; Denmark, seven; El Salvador, five; Slovakia, four; Latvia, three; Estonia, Netherlands, Thailand, two each; and Australia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Romania, South Korea, one death each.
Since the start of U.S. military operations in Iraq, 26,695 U.S. service members have been wounded in hostile action, according to the Defense Department's weekly tally....
...but, he is undermined by the politics of the president/commander and chief of the USA whom depends on this soldier's loyalty to his mission to define legitimacy for the image of Bush.
Mr. Bush is "W"rong. Let's understand that his speech today has absolutely no basis in fact/credibility based in the role of his office as stated in the USA Constitution. Bush literally spoke 'past' the USA Constitution to his 'base' in the Senate and House to continue to override the Constitution's legitimacy through opposing the will of the USA people to facilitate the agenda of cronies. That is 'politics' not government. They are all impeachable to that reality. Why shouldn't they stand together? If the country ever forced hearings on the 'wrong-doing' of current legislators in their responsibility to the Constitution, it would be found many Republicans in both branches of the Legislature qualify for impeachment based on their opposition to the will of the people of this country.
Bush is in the Executive Branch of the USA. The Executive Branch carries out the business of the country as represented by the Legislature. It's just that simple. Bush is obstructing the will of the people by standing in defiance to the legislation he now has to answer to as Commander and Chief of the USA military. He is attempting to further his coup by forcing the 'image' of the Legislature into subserviency as a 'funder' to his illegal and illegitmate war. The Legislature answers to no one but the people of this country. They don't have to answer to Bush, he has to answer to them, a place he feels uncomfortable with because Frist and DeLay no longer can run a corrupt legislature to facilitate the Bush coup.
continued below...
Bush: Mixed progress but victory still possible in 'ugly war'
by Mark Silva
President Bush, delivering a mixed report today about the progress of what he conceded is “an ugly war’’ in Iraq, called on Congress to allow the U.S. military time to show that his escalation of military forces can bring stability to the violence-wracked nation.
The president’s report, the first of two progress reports on several “benchmarks’’ that Congress demanded when it reluctantly approved $100 billion more for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan earlier this year, ranks the Iraqi government on 18 measures. Bush reported “satisfactory’’ progress on eight, unsatisfactory progress on eight and mixed reviews on two.
The president insisted that he, as commander-in-chief, and not the Congress, as financiers of the military, will run the war in Iraq. Yet he also acknowledged growing congressional and public opposition to the war in an hour-long press conference in the West Wing of the White House today.
“I understand why the American people’’ are concerned about the war, the president said. “They’re tired of the war. There is war fatigue in America. It is affecting our psychology…. It’s an ugly war.
“It doesn’t surprise me that there is deep concern amongst our people,’’ Bush said. “Part of that concern is whether or not we can win… I know we’ve got to achieve our objective.’’
And Bush, asked how he can continue to prosecute a war which has lost the support of a majority of the American people said he will retire – at the end of next year – comfortable that he has hewed to “principle.’’
“The question now is, do we pull back and allow the polls, allow the Gallup Poll or whatever, to determine the fate of our country?’’ Bush said. “Sometimes, you just have to make the decisions based upon what you think is right…. My most important job is to help secure this country.’’
“Everybody wants to be loved,’’ said Bush, leaning into the new podium of a renovated West Wing press briefing room getting its debut press conference. “Sometimes the decisions you make and the consequences don’t allow you to be loved… (When he retires) I will be able to look in the mirror and say I made decisions based on principle, not politics.’’...
This is NOT 'war fatigue' by the American people, but, Bush is attempting through suggestion that it 'should be.' This is a redirection by the people of the USA to return legitimacy to their Constitution while returning control of it's military to the people rather than a runaway coup in DC. The American people have redefined the objective of their military. I don't know whom the 'we' is Bush refers to when he states there is an objective to be reached. The reality in Iraq and no one contests it, is that the circumstances of that country need a solution of cooperation/political if you will, by the people of Iraq to stop the violence. Everyone knows there is no military solution for Iraq, yet the 'eight' Benchmarks that have been achieved are all based in military definition. There has been NO political/social/economic progress made in Iraq. Bush is not capable of such goals because of his overfunded war which he threw more money to today. What justification did he give to put more money into a failed war? None. He provided no reason for added funding for Iraq. NONE !
Bush is right in that his more important job as president to the USA people is to secure this nation from any attack especially in the face of the attacks of September 11th and the current and past Intelligence ESTIMATES. Absolutely, that is his more important job. But, he continues to fail to achieve that goal as well. Our current 'Intelligence Estimate' is worse than last year, which is worse than the year before. Hello? Bush defines his job but fails to provide proof is he carrying it out in the face of evidence to the contrary. He is incompetent based in his own definition of his job when linked to the evidence. Incompetence is impeachable by the way. The Executive Branch has to be able to carry out their duties. This administration has never proven that they are competent and the current 'surge' is a last ditch effort to define a 'mission' to our military to salvage Bush's claim to Commander and Chief after the release of the Iraq Study Group.
The statement regarding 'longing to be loved' but aggrieved from that goal due to consequences of his job is a 'mechanism' to a well coached attempt to soften Bush's image and promote compassion for his predicament. Bush could not care less about 'being loved' by anyone except the cronies to the Republican Party. A softer image to Bush plays to women,but, this desperate act by him alone, rather than 'playing the hand' of the Bully Pulpit clearly indicates Bush under seige from every direction except his staff which shares in Bush's illegitimacy to their position in the Executive Branch.
