U.S. troop deaths up 21 percent in Iraq

[babylonsister]

http://www.thevictoriaadvocate.com/428/story/39584.html

U.S. troop deaths up 21 percent in Iraq
Civilian deaths down in Baghdad but up elsewhere since start of security operation
April 14, 2007 - Posted at 12:00 a.m.
ROBERT H. REID - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BAGHDAD - Iraqi civilian deaths have fallen in Baghdad in the two months since the Feb. 14 start of the U.S.-led offensive, according to an Associated Press tally.
Outside the capital, civilian deaths are up as Sunni and Shiite extremists shift their operations to avoid the crackdown.

And the sweeps have taken a heavy toll on U.S. forces: Deaths among American soldiers climbed 21 percent in Baghdad compared with the previous two months.

Since the crackdown began Feb. 14, U.S. military officials have spoken of encouraging signs that security is improving in the capital but have cautioned against drawing any firm conclusions until at least the summer.

Figures compiled by the AP from Iraqi police reports show that 1,586 civilians were killed in Baghdad between the start of the offensive and Thursday.

That represents a sharp drop from the 2,871 civilians who died violently in the capital during the two months that preceded the security crackdown.

Outside the capital, 1,504 civilians were killed between Feb. 14 and Thursday, compared with 1,009 deaths during the two previous months, the figures show.

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[TwilightGardener]

1. Makes sense--send more troops into that grinder, and more troops die.

[Joanne98]

2. I'm beginning to think the plan for Iraq, is to stay there till all the Iraqi's

are either dead or have moved to another country. Complete victory is an empty country!

[babylonsister]

5. My husband said the exact same thing; the Iraqi citizens are being

brutally thinned out. Soon, it will be our soldiers vs. their insurgents. Fine job we've done.

[Joanne98]

7. Maybe this was the plan all along. They can change the name of the country

to Bushco and make George the King of Babylon..

:nuke:

[marmar]

6. Normally I'd think that was a far-fetched theory, but with this group.....

it's definitely within reason.... It certainly would make it easier to take the oil, wouldn't it?

But the United States has not learned from every other Western nation that has gone in there to exploit and been humiliated: You can't, and won't, succeed.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. Could it be because the Iraqis want the US out?

Watch and listen to the Daho Debates (Political Videos here at DU)-the people in this debate program, which is really a debate with two clearly defined sides and with real proponants and opponants, ALL say that the problem is the US presence. The Iraqis on the program all felt that the problems between Sunni and Shia were exacerbated by the way the US has handled things, and that the first step in making everything better is for us to leave.

[gaspee]

4. Boy

No one could have seen *this* coming a mile away. Sigh.

[billybob537]

8. I hope all these lying assholes die

a horrific death after what they've done to our soldiers and our country.

[Name removed]

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