Category Archives: Iraq

How many have been wounded in Iraq?

Fierce Planet Posted on by

I heard Jim Webb on This Week yesterday, and in the middle of the interview he talked briefly about how many soldiers have been wounded in Iraq. I uploaded the clip, and you can see it below. It includes a snippet from Bob Woodruff’s special on wounded soldiers. So, Paul Sullivan says over 200,000 wounded. Webb says the VA currently has a backlog of 400,000 applications. How many soldiers have actually been wounded in Iraq? I’ve heard rumors about this for years, but these are the first sources I’ve found in anything like major media. If it’s true, no wonder … Continue reading →

Get the troops out of Iraq now!

Fierce Planet Posted on by

That’s what Lt. Gen Odom (ret.) said on CNN: And here is Odom’s full analysis of the situation in Iraq. It’s titled “Strategic Errors of Monumental Proportions”. UPDATE 2/11/07: Gen. Odom has an op-ed in the Washington Post today. I think this should be required reading for anyone discussing Iraq. Victory Is Not an Option

Continue reading →

Saddam Hussein is dead

Fierce Planet Posted on by

He won’t be missed. I only hope the country doesn’t blow up even further now. But let’s not forget who helped to create him. UPDATE: Of all the posts I’ve read today about Saddam’s death, I think Ezra Klein said it best: In the end, Saddam’s execution only underscores our plight. By the time his neck snapped and his feet swung, Saddam was but a diminished eccentric. His death, once supposed to be the final, glorious denouement of the war, is just a discomfiting reminder that we know only how to destroy, not rebuild. Saddam is dead. Zarqawi is dead. … Continue reading →

LA wanted equipment returned from Iraq

Fierce Planet Posted on by

Note the date on this article: LA National Guard Wants Equipment to Come Back From Iraq Yunji de Nies August 1, 2005, 9:07 PM CDT JACKSON BARRACKS — When members of the Louisiana National Guard left for Iraq in October, they took a lot equipment with them. Dozens of high water vehicles, humvees, refuelers and generators are now abroad, and in the event of a major natural disaster that, could be a problem. “The National Guard needs that equipment back home to support the homeland security mission,” said Lt. Colonel Pete Schneider with the LA National Guard.

Continue reading →

Removing the Mayor of Baghdad

Fierce Planet Posted on by

Juan Cole has an explanation of the “coup” which recently removed the mayor of Baghdad, and his explanation is quite different from what I’ve seen in the mainstream media, so it bears repeating here: The Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq won the provincial elections in Baghdad on Jan. 30, a fact that has been little noted in the Western press. They have now moved to depose the mayor of Baghdad and install their own man. Alaa al-Tamimi left quietly. That SCIRI and the Badr Organization (this militia ran as a political party) won the election in Baghdad province … Continue reading →

My heart burns with rage

Fierce Planet Posted on by

…at those who would do this: Suicide Car Bomber Kills 18 Iraqi Kids BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) – A suicide car bomb exploded next to U.S. troops handing out candy and toys, killing 18 children and teenagers Wednesday. Parents heard the shattering explosion and raced out to the discover the worst – children’s mangled, bloodied bodies strewn on the street. Up to 27 people were killed by the blast in the Shiite Muslim neighborhood, including an American soldier. At least 70 people were injured, a newborn and three U.S. soldiers among them. Children’s slippers lay piled near the blast crater not … Continue reading →

One thing to keep in mind

Fierce Planet Posted on by

Despite the right-wing bluster, Joe Wilson was right. The Niger documents were forged (we’re not sure by whom; they’ve been traced back to Italian intelligence but the trail stops there, and of course the Republican-controlled Congress has so far refused to investigate further). Saddam Hussein did not attempt to purchase uranium from Africa. There was no current, ongoing attempt in Iraq to create a nuclear bomb, and there certainly was no bomb ready to launch within 45 minutes. There were no weapons of mass destruction other than those under seal of the United Nations (now lost to looters and insurgents). … Continue reading →