U.S. says undeterred in Iraq

[Khephra]

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S. military has vowed to do everything possible to safeguard Iraq's January 30 election, undeterred by the deaths of nine troops in the deadliest day for American forces since an attack on a U.S. base last month.

Seven U.S. soldiers were killed on Thursday when their Bradley fighting vehicle hit a roadside bomb on a patrol in northwest Baghdad. Two Marines were also killed in action in the restive Anbar province west of the capital.

"These are tragic incidents but they don't lessen our resolve to complete our mission ... of securing the streets, going after insurgents and providing a safe environment for the coming election," Lt.-Col. Steven Boylan, a senior military spokesman, said on Friday.

Iraq's U.S.-backed interim government extended a state of emergency by 30 days to battle Sunni Arab guerrillas who are escalating bombings and assassinations aimed at sabotaging the national ballot, which majority Shi'ites are poised to dominate.

http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=650309

[LynnTheDem]

1. WE LAUNCHED THIS ILLEGAL SUPREME CRIME WAR OF AGGRESSION

DAMMIT!

AND BY GAWD WE ARE NOT GONNA BE DETERRED!!!!

WE KNOW WHERE THEY ARE THERE IS NO DOUBT MUSHROOM CLOUDS THERE IS NO DOUBT!!!

[lebkuchen]

2. I have an idea for a political cartoon

Bush standing in Banda Aceh, surrounded by sand, rubble, and dead bodies, saying, "I will not be deterred!"

Incidently, CNNI reports 163,000 deaths from the tsunami. How many more US military deaths is Bush willing to risk to bring Iraq to its knees?

[Tweed]

7. What a great message that would send

You should make it and send it to papers.

[jmcgowanjm]

3. Fatwa issued Iraq's al-Anbar Province-forbidden to catch fish

in the parts of the Euphrates river that pass through al-Fallujah, ar-Ramadi, al-Hit

because there have been reports that the Americans dispose
of the bodies of their mercenaries by throwing them into the
river. Some of the fish then feed upon the bodies, and in fact,
the statement says, there has been an increase in the number
of fish lately, indicating that they are indeed feeding off
the human carrion.

The fishermen expressed their anger over such actions by
the US forces, since it amounts to an attack on their source
of livelihood and income for their
families.

IRR010505

[jmcgowanjm]

4. “We also succeeded in capturing 18 US troops

three of them wounded,” said Shaykh Abu 'Abdallah.
This followed 26 who were captured early in the day in
the an-Nazal neighborhood who were later killed when
the Resistance was forced to evacuate that area, since it
would have been extremely difficult to transport them out of
there.

As to the prisoners, Shaykh Abu 'Abdallah said, “we will
once again try to exchange them for our prisoners. If
the occupation forces refuse, then we will kill them, for we
will have no
choice.

IRR010605

[bemildred]

5. I expect that Lt. Col. Boylan, being "undeterred",

will prompty volunteer for convoy guard duty.

[teryang]

6. That's easy for him to say

In reality things are much worse in Iraq than depicted in the press. It's possible that there already have been this week more than one "spectacular" incident in which multiple Americans have been killed. Only one has been reported to prepare the public. This is what prompted the four star review mission. The notion that changes in "military policy" can fix a history changing foreign policy blunder of unlimited magnitude by the civilian leadership is laughable.

The strength and scope of the resistance is as great as the resentment of American occupiers in the heart of the Arab world.

The emphasis on material and technical means rather than human culture which is inherent in our outlook and application is the blind spot which the resistance is exploiting well. The cultural and political capabilities of the Armed Forces are extremely limited when viewed objectively and in the case of a war lacking in justification or moral righteousness, compromised almost to the point of complete political impotence.

Contrary to the pronouncements that we will do everything to safeguard the elections, I heard a mainstream media Pentagon reporter describe a process that sounded a great deal like Vietnamization with the objective of getting the Iraqis to provide their own security both at the polls and after. Reducing the American profile is what is desired at the Pentagon. All these comments are reported but not for attribution to any officers. No professional is predicting success in Iraq at this point.

[gardenista]

8. kick for Khephra

[DemonFighterLives]

9. This is not going to work

Almost 3 years into this quagmire and it seems that we have gone backwards since the start. Besides, any election with oversight by the B*sh junta is bound to be crooked anyway.
:mad:

[miss_kitty]

10. kick for Khephra

[Scout]

11. kick