Homesickness Leads U.S. Troops in Iraq to Suicide

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20031023/ts_nm/iraq_usa_suicides_dc&cid=564&ncid=1473

TIKRIT, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. soldiers who have committed suicide in Iraq were mostly just desperate to return home, and may have meant only to injure themselves, a military combat stress officer said on Thursday.

Officials in Washington said last week at least 13 soldiers have killed themselves in Iraq, representing more than 10 percent of non-combat deaths. More case are being probed.

Captain Justin Cole, who works at a U.S. military base in Saddam Hussein's home town of Tikrit, said that while a majority of soldiers are dealing well with the stress of being away from home, for some it was proving too much.

He said he had personally dealt with two self-inflicted deaths. One soldier shot himself in the leg after being told he could not go home, hitting an artery.

more

[amish_enforcer]

1. Damn this liberal media!

Always focusing on the bad things! -gwb

:eyes:

[La_Serpiente]

2. 13 SOLDIERS!!!!

That is WAY too many.

[Spazito]

3. This is a very difficult article to read because it brings home the horror

of this whole mess.

[xultar]

4. This is SAD!

How can anyone say that Liberals were unpatriotic. We didn't want our boys and girls/men & women in uniform to go to an unjust war.
Now they are dying by their own hand.

-- Begin RANT---
THIS IS WHAT WE WERE PROTESTING AGAINST YOU MINDLESS GOP RW NEOCON FUCKERS!
---End RANT---

Protesting against the war means we do not want to lose our troops in meaningless military actions not that we don't support them.

[rocktivity]

5. Whew, what a relief!

They were "just desperate to return home" and "may have meant only to injure themselves"? Is THAT all? And here I was thinking they were killing themselves for a reason that really mattered! Well, that's a load off my mind, and I'm certainly not going to support any soldiers who are going to act so selfishly! :eyes:


rocknation

[LizW]

6. Jesus

"One soldier shot himself in the leg after being told he could not go home, hitting an artery."

If this happened to one of my sons, I swear I would be ready to tear someone apart with my bare hands. I don't know how the families of the men and women over there can stand it.

[Mari333]

7. THIS is why I am fighting so hard now to keep my son here

My next move will be getting media coverage and going on a hunger strike if they take my son anywhere and dont allow him his legal discharge..I have no problem allowing myself to die first, I would rather die before allowing my son to die. Keep you posted on my hunger strike, if it comes to that.

[duhneece]

10. And for your son, and all of our American lambs

being sent to the slaughter, I will continue to protest, write letters to representatives, financially support those I believe can get rid of these mass-murderers, meet with others is my community to try and educate our neighbors.
My thoughts & prayers are with you and your son.

[fknobbit]

8. Captain Justin Cole's strings are visible

"dealing well with homesick stress" like homesickness was more stressful than being a fish in a barrel! Next we will learn of more clever ways of self inflicted wounds, like flinging ones self into the path of sniper fire.

[Barrett808]

9. "We are in the home stretch"

Ah, the familiar sound of denial. Let's just take a trip back to 1970, shall we?

[Don_G]

11. I Wonder What The Figures Are For Afganistan?

I haven't been able to discover an independant news source nor anything coming out of that country that isn't controlled by the US yet.