BAGHDAD (AP) - The U.S. military death toll in March, the first full month of the security crackdown, was nearly twice that of the Iraqi army, which American and Iraqi officials say is taking the leading role in the latest attempt to curb violence in the capital, surrounding cities and Anbar province, according to figures compiled on Saturday.
The Associated Press count of U.S. military deaths for the month was 81, including a soldier who died from non-combat causes Friday. Figures compiled from officials in the Iraqi ministries of Defense, Health and Interior showed the Iraqi military toll was 44. The Iraqi figures showed that 165 Iraqi police were killed in March. Many of the police serve in paramilitary units.
According to the AP count 3,246 U.S. service members have died in Iraq since the war began in March 2003.
At least 83 American forces died in January and 80 in February, according to the AP tabulation.
Per King George, there's absolutely no reason to start planning for removing troops from Iraq. In fact, it's so important we stay, he's willing to impact its funding.
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In a time of war, it's irresponsible for the Democrat leadership -- Democratic leadership in Congress to delay for months on end while our troops in combat are waiting for the funds. The bottom line is this: Congress's failure to fund our troops on the front lines will mean that some of our military families could wait longer for their loved ones to return from the front lines. And others could see their loved ones headed back to the war sooner than they need to. That is unacceptable to me, and I believe it is unacceptable to the American people.
Really George? Really? The only thing you truly find unacceptable is the placement of responsibility of this war on your shoulders. Hence the redirect of blame onto the Democrats... As for the implication that setting a timetable for removal of troops will simply cause them to remain longer is the most crass act of using our troops' lives for political maneuvering, ever.
What's the reality?
WASHINGTON (Army News Service, April 4, 2007) - More than 7,000 servicemembers will deploy to Iraq in the coming months, including two units that will not have been back at their home stations for the year they expected when they returned home from their last deployments, Defense Department officials said Monday
The rotations will enable commanders in Iraq to maintain 20 brigade combat teams in the theater through the end of August, officials said.
The 3,500 Soldiers of the 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y., will return to Iraq 47 days before their one-year stateside "dwell break" is finished. The headquarters of 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas, will return to Iraq 81 days early.
So we've got him in another lie here. The surge is impacting the troops in precisely the manner in which he states his petulant veto (caused of course by the Democrats) will.
George, let us in on your secret. What's it going to take to succeed then in Iraq? How will we measure success? What will succeeding look like and how will we gauge when it's time to withdraw?
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Can we succeed? I know there are some who have basically said it is impossible to succeed. I strongly disagree with those people. I believe not only can we succeed, I know we must succeed.
Oh, by succeeding. Well then.
Posted by kerry at April 4, 2007 08:11 AM