Seven years ago today

Iraq Coalition Military Fatalities By Year

Year	US	UK	Other	Total
2003	486	53	41	580
2004	849	22	35	906
2005	846	23	28	897
2006	822	29	21	872
2007	904	47	10	961
2008	314	4	4	322
2009	149	1	0	150
2010	15	0	0	15
Total	4385	179	139	4703

Documented Iraqi civilian deaths from violence
95,680 – 104,382
Latest incidents	Latest identified
Mar 06: Woman by roadside bomb in al-Karma Details	Son of Hashmiya ? Adult; Male Details
Recent events
Monday 15 March: 13 killed Falluja: 8 by bomb Al-Khaldiya: 1 by bomb Mosul: 2 by bomb and grenade, 1 by gunfire Kirkuk: 1 by gunfire More

h/t noweasels for reminding me.

Iraq: December first month without U.S. combat death

Wow. That's almost unbelievable. Now if we could only say the same about civilian deaths in Iraq.

BAGHDAD (AP) — December was the first month since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq nearly seven years ago in which no U.S. forces died in combat in the country.
Gen. Ray Odierno called it a significant milestone and said it speaks to how the violence in Iraq has diminished. Odierno is the commanding general in Iraq.

There were three U.S. troops who died in December as a result of non-combat related incidents.

According to an Associated Press count, 149 U.S. troops died in Iraq in 2009. That includes combat-related deaths and those not related to fighting.

That's the lowest number of U.S. deaths for a year since the Iraq war began in 2003.

Video- How The US Funds The Taliban

Via Cspan Junkie.

VIDEO: President Obama's speech at Ft. Hood

By GottaLaff

Tears:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

What a speech. Wow.

Final-(ly)

By GottaLaff

Via TPM/Dover AFB:

Photos courtesy of the U.S. Air Force

Media Witness Arrival of Soldiers' Remains

First time in 18 years.

This Did Not Have To Happen

08-Feb-2009
US NAME NOT RELEASED YET

06-Feb-2009
US NAME NOT RELEASED YET

31-Jan-2009
US Specialist Darrell L. Fernandez

26-Jan-2009
US Chief Warrant Officer Jr., Philip E.
Windorski
US Chief Warrant Officer Matthew G. Kelley
US Chief Warrant Officer Joshua M. Tillery
US Chief Warrant Officer Benjamin H. Todd

Latest incidents	Latest identified
Jan 29: Bodies of kidnapped election candidate and 2 relatives found shot dead, Mohammed al Malih Details	Cousin of Abbas Farhan al-Jabouri Adult; Male Details
Recent events
Saturday 7 February: 5 dead Diyala Al Odhem: roadside bomb kills policeman. Kanan: gunmen kill lawyer. Ninewa Mosul: 1 dies during clashes. Makhmour: 1 body found. Qadisiyya Diwaniya: US troops open fire and kill 8-year-old Sa'adiya Saddam. More

Statistics via ICasualties and Iraq Body Count.

This Did Not Have To Happen

11-Jan-2009
US NAME NOT RELEASED YET

10-Jan-2009
US NAME NOT RELEASED YET

06-Jan-2009
US Staff Sergeant Anthony D. Davis

03-Jan-2009
US Lance Corporal Chadwick A. Gilliam

Latest incidents	Latest identified
Dec 27: 24-25 by car bomb, possibly suicide, Al-Zahra Square, Kadhimiya, Baghdad Details	Abdul Ghaini al-Dulaimi Adult; Male; Police chief Details
Recent events
Sunday 11 January: 9 dead Baghdad: gunmen kill 2 men in money exchange shop. Ninewa Mosul: gunmen kill 3 policemen; 2 bodies found. Wassit Suwayra: 2 bodies found in Tigris. More

Statistics via ICasualties and Iraq Body Count

This Did Not Have To Happen

28-Dec-2008
US NAME NOT RELEASED YET

25-Dec-2008
US Master-at-Arms Seaman Apprentice Joshua D.
US Major John P. Pryor

24-Dec-2008 3
US Staff Sergeant Christopher G. Smith
US Specialist Stephen M. Okray
US Specialist Stephen G. Zapasnik

21-Dec-2008
US Lance Corporal Thomas Reilly Jr.

Latest incidents	Latest identified
Dec 13: Child and four police in car accident following shooting by security forces, Baiji Details	Hussein Derwish Alwan / Hussain Darwish Aluan Adult; Male; Interior Ministry officer Details
Recent events
Sunday 28 December: 7 dead Ninewa Mosul: suicide bomber kills 4 (inc. 1 child) at demonstration. Anbar Falluja: car bombs kill 3. More

Statistivs via ICasualties and Iraq Body Count.

This Did Not Have To Happen

U.S. Confirmed Military Deaths
Reported Deaths: 4211
Confirmed Deaths: 4208
Pending Confirmation: 3
DoD Confirmation List

Latest incidents	Latest identified
Dec 03: One by roadside bomb near Al Saada bakery, Al Ameen, Baghdad Details	Cousins of Hashim al-Karawi Adult; Male Details
Recent events
Sunday 21 December: 1 dead Ninewa Mosul: Civilian killed More

Statistics via ICasualties and Iraq Body Count

Bush On Al Qaeda Not Existing In Iraq Before Invasion: ‘So What?’

Via Think Progress. No words.

BUSH: One of the major theaters against al Qaeda turns out to have been Iraq. This is where al Qaeda said they were going to take their stand. This is where al Qaeda was hoping to take–

RADDATZ: But not until after the U.S. invaded.

BUSH: Yeah, that’s right. So what? The point is that al Qaeda said they’re going to take a stand. Well, first of all in the post-9/11 environment Saddam Hussein posed a threat. And then upon removal, al Qaeda decides to take a stand.

This Did Not Have To Happen

25-Nov-2008
US Captain Warren A. Frank Baiji

24-Nov-2008
US Master Sergeant Anthony Davis
US 1st Lieutenant William K. Jernigan

Recent events

Sunday 30 November: 6 dead

Baghdad: 1 body found.

Diyala
Al-Salam: 5 more bodies found in mass grave.
November Total: 482 Civilians killed (inc 31 children)
14 were killed by US Forces.

Statistics via Iraq Body Count and ICasualties.

Can they come home now?

By GottaLaff

Bush said that if the Iraqis wanted us out, we'd be out. So what's the problem again?

A U.S. Marine and a soldier were shot to death Tuesday while conducting a humanitarian mission north of Baghdad, the U.S. military said. [...]

Sixteen U.S. troops have been killed in Iraq in November, bringing the total number of U.S. service member deaths in the Iraq war to 4,206.

This Did Not Have To Happen

15-Nov-2008
US NAME NOT RELEASED YET
US NAME NOT RELEASED YET

14-Nov-2008
US NAME NOT RELEASED YET

13-Nov-2008
US Specialist James M. Clay
US Specialist Armando A. De La Paz

12-Nov-2008
US Sergeant Jose Regalado
US Specialist Corey M. Shea

Recent events

Sunday 16 November: 23 dead

Baghdad: roadside bomb kills 3, Shaab; US forces shoot dead 2 men resisting arrest; 1 body found.

Diyala
Jalawla: suicide car bomber kills 15.

Ninewa
Mosul: roadside bomb kills policeman.

Babil
Hilla: car bomb kills policeman.

Statistics via Iraq Body Count and ICasualties.

Hey Gramm-pa McCain, IWRC* Palin: Specialist Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan died for his country

By GottaLaff

Elsheba Khan at the grave of her son, Specialist Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan.

Colin Powell had something to say about those evil, terrrorist, scary Muslims... You know the ones, the very Muslims who died in service for the United States, our country, their country, Gramm-pa McCain's/IWRC* Palin's country:

First off, Powell said, Obama is a Christian. But more to the point, he said, "is there something wrong with being a Muslim?" He worried about the message the GOP was sending to a hypothetical 7-year-old Muslim American who thinks he can grow up and be president some day.

He then referenced a photograph he saw in a recent magazine photo essay -- presumably a New Yorker photo essay from the photographer Platon -- showing the mother of a fallen Muslim-American soldier clutching her son's grave. (See the photo HERE.)

The reference was to Specialist Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan (1987 - 2007) who earned the Purple Heart and a Bronze Star in Iraq, and was killed at age 20. Learn more about Khan HERE & or HERE.

"We have got to stop polarizing," Powell said.

He died for you, Gramm-pa/IWRC. What did you ever do for him?

*"In What Respect, Charlie?"