Baghdad -- The U.S. military announced the deaths of four U.S. soldiers: two in fighting Sunday in Baghdad and two Saturday -- one in western Baghdad and one near the capital. The latest deaths bring to at least 3,668 U.S. military personnel -- including 93 with Indiana ties -- who have died in Iraq since the war started in 2003.
Gates discusses stability
Washington -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates acknowledged Sunday during a round of news talk show appearances that political stability in Iraq won't likely happen before the Bush administration makes its critical September assessment on whether its war strategy is working.
-- Star news services
Realize when there are 'improvements' in statistics there is a reason and not necessarily due to USA military strategy successes. The 'reporting' of deaths in Iraq is grossly insufficient to rely on any numbers to be correct. My guess is there are at least one million dead civilians, innocent people in Iraq by now. The attacked in the article below aren't even reportable UNLESS there are at least 20 dead. It's outrageous to realize how many die one by one as well. They aren't counted. Then realize the deaths occuring due to destroyed Iraqi infrastruture.
Iraqi Deaths in Major Blasts Rose in July (click title of entry for link)
During July, 378 people were killed in mass-casualty bombings, defined as attacks that kill more than 20 people. That figure, nearly three times the number of casualties in similar attacks in June, breaks a three-month downward trend, a troubling development for security forces just six weeks before President Bush is scheduled to receive a progress report on conditions in Iraq.
Divers continue the search for bodies among the debris of the collapsed Interstate 35W bridge on Saturday, Aug. 4, 2007. (AP / Brandi Jade Thomas)
The infrastructure:
THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. New Orleans' DESTRUCTION due to Katrina should not have happened. People cannot lose sight of that when they go to the polling booths whether local, state or federal. Local officials and state officials need 'to make' the priorities of the people known as well as the people themselves making their priorities known. The truly sad aspect of this reality is that people are completely innocent in the failure of their government. They trust people they elect to carry out the business of their homes beyond what they understand within their daily lives. And. It's the innocent that suffer. The unwitting. The unknowledgeable. The average citizen is supposed to be protected by government, not allowed to be victims. The victims of any of these tragedies are completely innocent in their ability to stop their own demise at the hand of negligent government.
The people in office now, need to be eliminated from making these same mistakes at the next elections. Just that simple. All these tragedies are unforgiveable. This is what government is supposed to protect citizens from on a daily basis.
The projects that were in place but not acted on, resulting in deaths of Americans and catatrophic damage to the nation, were 'set aside' for corrupt Republican 'pork.' All these issues and those such as major spending that would bring a new energy infrastruture, a new transportation infrastructure are deferred. This administration has been the Executive Branch to this nation of people since January of 2001. Stop to realize the damage the USA has suffered and continues to suffer at the hands of incompetents that are NOT WILLING to conduct the nation's business. In order to do the nation's business, elected officials have to BE WILLING to listen to scientists and engineers. If they aren't then they aren't worth having in office no matter how much of 'a nice person' they are. That nice person will kill you or those you love.
It's UNACCEPTABLE in the year 2007 the Republicans are STILL reactionaires, learning from THEIR MISTAKES. It's outrageous to realize the level of forgiveness Bush actually expects from the citizens of this country. Where does that come from? He should be ashamed when these preventable tragedies happen, but, instead he 'glows' in the aftermath as if a savior to the victims. It's disgusting the politiking that occurs over dead American bodies.
Maybe it's because 'the dead' can't speak and those still alive can't find the words. It's easy to get the upper hand over the dead and the surviving victims.
Families of missing bridge victims tour site (click here)
Updated Sun. Aug. 5 2007 3:48 AM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
Families of eight people believed to be missing after the collapse of a major Minneapolis bridge got a first-hand look at the difficulties searchers are facing in trying to recover their loved ones' bodies.After the visit to the Interstate 35W site, "they had a better depth of understanding of ... the challenges that the rescuers are facing now that they've seen it first hand," Melanie Tschida, a Red Cross spokeswoman,...
Spying on Americans:
Nothing has changed here. Not. A. Thing. Bush has been spying illegally on Americans since September 12, 2001 and STILL TODAY, the Republicans 'defer' responsibility to new comprehensive law that protects the rights of Americans while spying on those that intend to hurt us.
Why?
Why have they deferred their responsibilities? There is a reason. So why then?
Bush Signs Law to Widen Legal Reach for Wiretapping (click on)
...The new law, which is intended as a stopgap and expires in six months, also represents a power shift in terms of the oversight and regulation of government surveillance....
What about the 'same exact' reasons why everything that is adverse to Americans happen? In other words, what if they are just incompetent and are scratching their heads trying to legislate good programs. What if they have an idea of the 'infrastruture' that has to occur to allow privacy for Americans while looking for those that want to hurt us; yet it isn't in place? What gives? Perhaps the monies required, including the hiring of enough trained/educated people to the federal government to carry out necessary surveillance WITHIN the applications of 'Privacy of Americans' are deferred for the sake of war funding. Does anyone stop to realize the 'ratio' of monies spent on war over domestic national security? Just look at the budget of DOD vs. Homeland Security and realize where the Republicans WASTE efforts for effective national security
Fact Sheet: U.S. Department of Homeland Security Announces Eight Percent Increase in Fiscal Year 2008 Budget Request (click here)Release Date: February 5, 2007
President Bush’s fiscal year 2008 budget request for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) represents $46.4 billion in funding, which is an increase of 8 percent over the FY 2007 level – excluding funds provided in emergency supplemental funding. The request targets five areas that are essential to preserving freedom and privacy, meeting future challenges, and fulfilling our mission of securing America.
According to the OMB as of August 6, 2007, the DOD has 10 times the amount of monies of DHS; as 'the base budget' for the military. That doesn't include the 'chronic emergency spending bills' that have become a staple to Bush cronies inorder to conduct war:
The President’s Budget: (click here)
Advances our ongoing efforts in the Global War on Terror;
Provides $401.7 billion for the Department's base budget, an annual increase of seven percent, for a total increase in defense spending of 35 percent since 2001;
Makes measurable strides in transforming the Department to meet new threats; and
Continues improvements in the quality of life for our military personnel and their families.
And then there is the Department of Transportation budget. A tad bit more than DHS:
...According to a press release, the Administration (click here) is requesting $67 billion for fiscal year 2008 to finance transportation...
REALIZE, the war in Iraq is illegal. It has NOTHING to do with the security of our nation and never has. The Iraq war has made the USA 'LESS SAFE' since it was embarked upon. Yet. The DOD has huge budgets that achieve absolutely NOTHING for the USA while causing a genocide within the borders of a sovereign nation that has lost AT LEAST 1 million to death, 2 million to refugee status AND a full ONE THIRD of the nation of Iraq, 8 million to poverty and near stravation and thirst. That is at least 11 million people victimized to refugee status and/or death or near death. All because Bush and Cheney wanted oil from Iraq. There is no other reason, the ONLY preparedness the USA military exhibited post invasion was securing the oil fields while Halliburton and Bechtel waited in Kuwait to take over the Iraqi oil operations.
When it comes to national security and the USA military budget, it is ALL wasted money.
When the USA invaded Iraq in March 2003 there was a 25 million populous (click here) (not billions, not even close to billions - Iraq is about the size of Texas) in that country. There is now less than 22 million and 'in that' 8 million on the verge of collapse due to a humanitarian crisis. All this, in less than five years. And the infrastructure of the USA is in ruins. The USA needs a huge shift in focus of it's priorities. It's not coming from the Republicans, I guarantee you that.
