3 Year Anniversary: 1,372,972 American Civilians Killed

[FULL_METAL_HAT]

In March 2003, under threat of America developing weapons of mass destruction, Iraq launches an invasion of the USA. Quickly securing the country, things turn from bad to worse.

Today, 3 years later, an estimated 1,372,972* American civilians have been killed with 10's of millions more injured. (*4 per 1000 killed)

The Capitol Region and most of the eastern seaboard see less than 20% of the pre-invasion electrical capacity available, despite promises by the occupying administration to reconstruct the utilities.

"Terrorists" and "Insurgents" continue to fight back against the occupying forces. Led by "Thomas Paine" and "Benjamin Franklin", the "Minutemen" and other resistance forces seem impossible to track down despite the blanketing of the country with armed forces.

Last week, in the western region of the country, the largest air assault since the 2003 invasion, called Operation Swarmer, was launched against "Wyoming". Relief workers report that over 8000 families have been displaced. Official reports no insurgents or civilians casualties, however local doctors say that at least 400 civilians including women and children have been treated at the local hospital with injuries caused by the air-strikes. In addition, 198 bodies had been taken to the hospital since 17 March .

As yet, after 3 years, there are no plans for withdrawal.

Alternate reality really makes you think, huh?

The numbers are extrapolated from real Iraqi deaths and injuries x 11.44 which is how much larger in population the USA is compared to Iraq.

Feel free to take any Iraqi invasion story you like with numbers of civilians effected, rewrite it for this alternate reality and add it to this thread. I know there are dozens that would cause all of us sheer revulsion.

Give this a vote and a kick if this makes you sick. People need to realize what our country would be like if the same thing was imposed on us.

Happy Anniversary, :sarcasm:

{B^| FULL_METAL_HAT

[HysteryDiagnosis]

1. This makes me sick. Kayed and Arred. :)

[Julius Civitatus]

45. This thread demonstrates a few things I have noticed over the years

I think this is an interesting thread, a clever exercise that may help some people put in perspective the horror and the magnitude of the tragedy that has been the invasion of Iraq. But I think the fact that we need to engage on this type of extrapolations may be an indication of some issues that we, as a society, need to face:

• We (in the good ol' USA) have a huge problem sympathizing with the human suffering of other peoples, cultures and countries. I don't mean everybody, but in general (as in public opinion, general feelings).
  
  We usually don't give two shits about any other country or culture unless we have a stake or war over there. Just like the Roman empire, we are content with the thought that only what's in the realm of our borders matters, and anyone outside these borders are uncivilized savages.
  
  
• We usually have to play rhetorical exercises like this one, extrapolating them to us, in order to make some people see that yes, violating the human rights of others is actually a bad thing. Why is it so difficult to make some of our fellow citizens see that no, not because we do it is right. And no, violating human rights in itself is wrong. Some truths are just self-evident, yet difficult to see for some.
  
  
• There is a chunk of the population with a heartless moral indifference to all this that is going on. Some people can perfectly go through life thinking all "those people" are bad, and that we are still looking for WMD that apparently Osama hid under Saddam's bed. Indiscriminate bombings, torture, rape, Abu Grahib, and the shooting of civilians doesn't seem to strike a chord with a huge chunk of the population of this country (likely the 33% that still revere Commander Coocoo-Bananas).
  
  
• Some people really think we are always the 'good guys,' no matter what we do. Things like the Ishaqi massacre can take place, and we are the good guys. No matter what. You see, our leaders tell us "freedom is messy," and we can go on through the day without a second thought about the deep, horrible cruelty of those words in the context of what they justify.

It's depressing buit true. We need to start facing the fact we have become an isolated bubble, an island that only cares (and barely) about what goes on inside, and the rest in non-existant or simply sub-human. This may be part of the problem, and something that may explain a lot of the things we are witnessing.

[Marie26]

46. Good post

It's the "They're human beings, too!" shock. Isn't that sort of what cognitive dissonance is about? We can't confront what the US has become, so we twist reality to fit our preconceived, comforting notions.

[IndyOp]

2. Really good post. People don't get the effect we are having

on Iraq - a number equivalent to 1,372,972 Americans (4 per 1,000) - that is an eye-opening number.

Is your 4 per 1,000 based on Iraq Body Count (30,000+) or estimates like the Lancet article (which estimated 100,000 over a year ago)?

Also - Operation Swarmer seems to have been a spoof - On Scene: How Operation Swarmer Fizzled

"But contrary to what many many television networks erroneously reported, the operation was by no means the largest use of airpower since the start of the war. ("Air Assault" is a military term that refers specifically to transporting troops into an area.) In fact, there were no airstrikes and no leading insurgents were nabbed in an operation that some skeptical military analysts described as little more than a photo op. What’s more, there were no shots fired at all and the units had met no resistance, said the U.S. and Iraqi commanders."

[EFerrari]

3. After a year of sitting outside of San Quentin waiting for

word of their detained family members, residents of the nearby city of San Rafael erupted in violence. Four Saudi contractors where attacked and killed on Highway 101 and one of their bodies was hung on the Golden Gate Bridge.

Immediately following this brutal assault, San Rafael was subdued with airstrikes that made it uninhabitable. An unknown number of citizens were killed in this attack. Survivors camp out in a nearby rural area without power, water, medical facilities or communications. The Red Cross has not been allowed to enter San Rafael which has been blocked off by the Coalition Forces.

Meanwhile, the round up of suspected insurgents continues and the conditions at San Quentin deteriorate as it fills well beyond capacity.

The historic Mission San Rafael was destroyed in the bombing.




/image, etc.

[IndyOp]

5. As it fills well beyond capacity...

Damn. I can see the body hung on the Golden Gate.

:shock: :pale:

[FULL_METAL_HAT]

6. Excellent! Everybody put on your creative writing hats and do like this!

sfexpat2000, this is right on the money.

Using alternate reality writing, it hammers home the REAL reality of what is going on.

Thank you!

[EFerrari]

7. Thank you, FMH. The world is a tiny place when we

cut out the deniial, isn't it?

[NanceGreggs]

4. BRILLIANTLY WRIRTTEN!!!

K'd and R'd - BIG TIME!!!

:kick: :kick: :kick:

[Catrina]

8. 12 weeks after the first phase of the invasion was completed, the bombing

phase, Iraqi troops moved rapidly towards Washington DC. Along the way they encountered American forces who were quickly eliminated and the road to DC was strewn with burned corpses.

The Iraqi forces quickly secured the US Treasury, while hospitals and museums were raided for drugs and ancient artifacts, works of art and other treasures. The Iraqi Minister of Defence, when asked about the looting, responded 'Liberation is messy'

Over 120,000 Americans were rounded up and detained in some of America's most notorious prisons ~ there was no statement given as to what charges might be filed against them or for how long they would be held.

All US law enforcement agencies and military units were disbanded ~ it was not clear at the time of this reporting, how and when they will be replaced ~

The president and his administration have not yet been apprehended but the hunt is on ~ however, several US generals have been arrested and taken to undisclosed locations for questioning ~

In one incident a cluster bomb hit a shopping Mall, killing over 350 American men, women and children. The Iraqi General in charge of the bombing mission denied the allegation that the cause of this incident was a cluster bomb. However, reporters and photographers at the scene, saw and captured pictures of pieces of an Iraqi made bomb among the rubble.

A statue of George Bush was pulled down by what appeared to be a jubilant crowd of liberated Americans, while gunshots could still be heard in the background.

Meantime, early reports that two journalists were deliberately targeted and killed by Iraqi forces in the Hilton Hotel are being denied by an Iraqi spokesperson.

On Iraqi television, President Saddam Hussein told Iraqis that the American people were jubilant and welcomed his forces into their country ~ he declared the first phase of 'Operation American Freedom' to be a resounding success and thanked his forces for their bravery and courage ~

Iraqi flags and green ribbons (symbolizing support for Iraq troops) could be seen on automobiles, on fences and in public places all over Iraq ~ the Iraqi leader denied that his pre-emptive strike on the US had anything to do with securing that country's vast resources ~ 'We are there to free the American people, and to find George Bush's WMDs. We know where they are, they are in various areas around the country and we look forward to making Iraq and the rest of the world, a safer place.

We also intend to help the American people establish a free and independent government. Thank you for your support and thank you to our allies, Saudi Arabia, The Taliban and all members of the coalition of the willing that has made this spectacular success possible.'

this report was filed by embedded journalist, Obi Wan Bin Laden

[EFerrari]

11. Well done. Chilling. n/t

[FULL_METAL_HAT]

13. Oh FCK! That is so good-- tears of (what is shame+rage?) run down my face!

leaving me speechless!

THANK YOU!

p.s. was the 120 the original number or did you already multiply by 11.44 to get the "alternate reality" numbers?? If it should be the "1372" number, please edit your post to change that since, as American, we LOVE BIG NUMBERS!

[Catrina]

14. Oops, I was mulitplying by 4 for some reason ~ I think the real number

at the time was 35 ~ you are correct, I will try to edit it ~ thank you ~

[CrazyOrangeCat]

9. K&R

:dem: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick:

[fearnobush]

10. Riots and mass killings erupted after suspected non believers

blew up the famous arched steeple of St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. Over a hundred thousand swarmed in protest immediately following the blast. So far, unconfirmed reports claim 876 bodies were recovered after coalition forces broke up the protest by spraying the crowd with automatic machine gun fire.

[DJ MEW]

12. Brilliant

THis is a brilliant way of demonstrating the abuses that Bush has brought on Iraq.

[libnnc]

15. Wow. I'm bookmarking this.

Turn the tables, switch around the language. Brilliant and so fucking sobering.

[EFerrari]

16. Today, the bodies of some 800 Americans were found

in two freight containers apparently abandoned in the Mohave Desert. Several more were found outside in the immediate area, apparently shot execution style. The Iraqi Defense Department spokesman had no comment at this time except that the find would be investigated.

[EFerrari]

17. Al Arabiya Television aired a report today showing

several hundred dangerous, hooded and shackled American prisoners being transported to a super secret prison newly built in the Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) in Pakistan.

Iraqi Maj. Gen. Abdul Qassab warned this reporter that these are the most deadly criminals in the world and every security measure at his disposal has been deployed to ensure the terrorists transport to FATA.

The prisoners have not been charged and will be held until the Global War on Terror has been won, said Qassab. "We just can't turn these people loose so they can return to the field of battle."

Amnesty International plans to protest its denied request to inspect the detention facilities.

[Catrina]

21. Wow! You can imagine the anger this would arouse, and the 'insurgency'

that would grow right here in the US were these pictures shown around the world, and ordinary American citizens were the 'dangerous, hooded and shackled' prisoners!! I wonder if freepers would consider American patriots who fought such an invasion to be 'terrorists'??

The next time a war supporter challenges me about my reasons for opposing this war, instead of arguing with him, I will write something like this, juxtaposing the 'players' and then just leave him to think about it! What a great idea this is to help the willfully blind understand why the war in Iraq can never be won!! Thank you FMH ~

Very well written sfexpat ~ :cry:

[EFerrari]

22. I'm with you but today, I can't cry.

And, it's not because I'm angry although I am very angry.

Something has clicked inside of me and I understand, when a nation can watch a whole Black community being swept away, being starved and being blamed, "terror" is not our problem.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x700927

[EFerrari]

18. Oh beautiful, for spacious skies

[autorank]

19. Credibility: "The numbers are extrapolated from real Iraqi deaths..."

...and injuries..."

THANK YOU. We needed this and need it over and over. There should be a ticker in Times Square right next to the national debt ticker with this information on it.

Face reality now! The shock and awe later when all is revealed will be one of the most formative
events in the history of this country.

While "earth was in the balance" and the opportunity of exponential advances in scientific knowledge and human healing was just over a small hill, we chose to invest all extra resources and mortgage our future on a pipe dream by a lunatic and the neoconocracy.

The pathetic logic and unformed thinking on this, the manipulation of the public BY the administration AND the press are crimes that must be addressed.

We were and are being betrayed!!!

RECOMMENDED highly as an ongoing feature.

[EFerrari]

20. autorank, what do you mean by "ongoing feature"?

I know when FMH posted it, it shook me down to my Converse AllStar hightops.

What is your thinking? :hi:

[autorank]

31. Hey you!!! One that constantly updates the numbers...a tote sheet, ...

...you know, one of those electronic things where we wake up, log on and see HOW MUCH MORE HAS BEEN SPENT OF OUR FUTURE ON BUSH'S PIPE DREAM.

God this is depressing but it's nice to see you! :hi:

[EFerrari]

32. Don't even try to draft me for that one. On the other hand

I may be already keeping a tally.


Go to sleep! We need you in the ER. :hug:

[EFerrari]

23. kick

[FreedomRain]

24. It's not all bad-

from the BBC:

Last Updated: Sunday, 14 December, 2003, 17:04 GMT

George Bush arrested in Texas

Iraq says George Bush offered no resistance

Ousted U.S.A. President George Bush is in custody following his dramatic capture by Iraqi forces

"Ladies and gentlemen, we got him," Vice President Tariq Aziz told journalists in New York City, to loud cheers from Republican Guards in the audience. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has welcomed the news, saying it "removes the shadow" hanging over the U.S.A.. George Bush was the most wanted man on the list issued by Iraqi authorities but had not been seen since Washington,DC fell to Iraqi forces in April. Video footage released by the Iraqi military showed a dishevelled-looking George with a long black and grey beard in custody receiving a medical check-up.

Iraqi military spokesman, General Ali Hassan al-Majid said the operation - involving various combined Iraqi units - was launched within 24 hours of receiving a tip-off from a member of George Bush's clan. "Over the last 10 days we brought in about five to 10 members of these families, and finally got the ultimate information from one of these individuals", he said.

George was found in an abandoned oil well and arrested at 2030 local time (1730 GMT) on Saturday - Iraq says he offered no resistance and begged for his meds. George Bush emerged from his hiding place "very much bewildered" and said "hardly anything at first", according to General Ali. U.S. Governing Council head Abdel-Aziz al-Hakim was quoted as saying that a DNA test had proved the man in custody was George Bush. George Bush had been the object of intensive searches by Iraqi-led forces in U.S.A. but previous attempts to locate him had proved unsuccessful. Iraqi officials said George Bush was co-operative after his capture and talking incoherently. In other words, in his normal condition.

Two unidentified people said to be "close allies" of George Bush were arrested and weapons and more than $7 billion cash confiscated.

People have started celebrating the capture of their former president in the streets of Washington and the northern U.S.A. city of Chicago by sounding their horns and firing into the air. The former U.S. leader was last seen in television footage shot in April at a Dallas market just before the city fell to Iraqi forces.

Iraqi authorities had offered a $25 reward for information leading to his capture. The reward was claimed by former Republican Party official Condoleeza Rice.

In October, secret police officials said they had intelligence indicating George Bush was hiding in Crawford. They said he had seemed to be moving around various safe houses with the aid of family members, often in disguise.

George Bush was born in New Haven, CT and has a tight network of family and clan ties which permeated all of his regime's main business, security and political institutions.

Iraqi Coalition authorities have said that the former U.S. President could be tried at a war crimes tribunal, with American judges presiding and Venezuelan legal experts acting as advisers.

Meanwhile, violence continued in U.S.A. on Sunday, with at least 180 people killed and 400 wounded after a powerful car bomb exploded at an Iraqi police station in Leesburg,VA about 35 miles (60 km) west of Washington.

President Hussein has been rumored to have said, "Finally the criminal that traumatized the U.S.A. for decades is made to answer for his deeds."

UPDATE:
The beard Bush supposedly had was determined to be a fake.

RELATED STORIES:
"On 22 July George's brother Jeb was killed in a raid by Iraqi forces in the south-eastern city of Tallahassee."
"Pictures of George Bush in underwear leaked to Al-Jazeera. Al-Jazeera too classy to print them."

VIDEO:
"Under arrest the deposed dictator is meek and obedient"

[EFerrari]

25. LOL! Please do NOT release the video!

:rofl:

[DemInDistress]

27. rotflmfaoooo.....found in an old abandoned oil well had a bounty

of 25.00 dollars too good !!!!

[obreaslan]

39. ANOTHER RELATED STORY:

Prison guards, currently in charge of overseeing the George W. Bush's daily routine, have told Al-Jazeera that the former strong-man has been mild tempered towards his captors and has a voracious appetite for pretzels. He is reported to be in good health and awaiting his trial.

[EFerrari]

40. From your keyboard.

:)

[FreedomRain]

56. So there's no mistake-

This was a fun bit of satire, is all. I didn't have many people numbers to multiply by 11.44 but I did play around with the money. And it is interesting that we use Hussein's first name all the time. I don't really like the idea of the overthrow of our government without due process. I don't think Hussein, Ali, et al would be interesting in reconstructing America, if by some bizarre chance they managed to invade. I am also a veteran of Gulf War I. ( Navigation Petty Officer of a Navy oiler in the Red Sea; my reserve duty was Navigator of a mine hunter on the Columbia River.) I have also lived in Jordan for a year, perhaps giving me a unique perspective. I don't even necessarily think the war was wrong, though I will happily protest on the street with you, due to its massive and unnecessary civilian casualties, mismanagement and especially its beginning which totally squandered our world political capital after 9-11. I believe if Al Gore had weighed the issues and decided Iraq had to go, he would have been able to organize a U.N. Army to do it. Bush just pissed people off everywhere.

[Imagevision]

26. A large number of "insurgents" are surviving family mambers Bush killed

everytime a family is wiped out you can count on them not exactly supporting the US. If anything they must help those reponsible for killing americans. 42% believe it's ok to kill americans...go Bush!

[FreedomRain]

57. This is what I tell my mother

Everytime someone gets killed you create 3 or 30 more people who hate us because their father,daughter,cousin, baby-sitter or whatever was killed by us.

She (a civilian contractor in Iraq)says,"But what are you going to do - just let the bad guys get away with their crimes?"

Preferably not, but do you have to be a bad guy to catch bad guys?
Any replies from you gifted folks I could give her?

[EFerrari]

28. kick for peace

[nolabels]

29. The only thing you need to cover up is your soul, Mr Metal Hat guy

The Cultural Massacre and it's body count on these United States is now quite few decades old

[EFerrari]

30. Thank you for weighing in. nt

[autorank]

42. Do you have a point? Is there something you're trying to say?

:shrug:

[nolabels]

55. Yea, the effed up colonial system was quite well entrenched with.......

that age old design of divide and conquer that pitted neighbor against neighbor is alive and well in both of our countries just like it was back then. The bankrupt U.S. garrison state that writes it's own history books is feeling no urgency for reporting real facts. It's just all about being busy filling the needs for minor corrections. Understanding who's perspective is being worked is only important if you think you can take it with you.

[northofdenali]

33. Another kick for peace.

This should be forwarded to anyone who is "uncertain" about our invasion of Iraq.

Thank you Full Metal Hat. I thank you, even as I cry.

:cry:

[Tsiyu]

34. Kicked

only because you don't need the rec now!

[Bushy Being Born]

35. How tasteful of you to equate Ben Franklin and Tom Paine with terrorists

and suicide bombers. :puke:

[LynnTheDem]

36. You haven't been paying attention and just don't get it, do you.

Or are you just one of those "American supremecists"?

Either way, how sad.

[chimpymustgo]

37. K&R. Great literary device. We should compile one essay and blast LTTE's

all over the world for this "anniversary".

[Catrina]

38. So now you know how the countires the neocons invade feel ~

how the Iraqis felt when they saw their relatives, neighbors and friends tortured, their oil ministry taken over, the 23 billion dollars that was theirs, disappear into the hands of crooked invaders ~ when they saw their cities bombed, their fellow citizens dead on their own streets ~

No matter how they felt about their leader, it is their country ~ we have no right being there ~ just like no other country would have the right to be here. Although we are giving them that right, based on George Bush's own reasoning.

[autorank]

43. Point out where that was done please? Thanks. n/t

[Marie26]

47. Well, to the British, they

were terrorists. Or at the least, guerrillas. It's all in your point of view. One man's terrorist is another man's "freedom fighter".

[enigma000]

41. America: Efforts To Form Government Crumble as Violence Escalates

BAGHDAD, March 20, 2006 – It has been 3 days since the suicide bombing of a NASCAR Rally in Dallas, Texas and the death toll has been revised upwards to 173. The bomber is suspected to be a Mexican Catholic suicide bomber.

Today, a government ban on the use of private cars in Fort Lauderdale is back in force in an effort to prevent new car bombings during "Spring Break" week.

So far, such measures and calls for calm from political and religious leaders have brought a gradual decline in the level of violence. Reverend Pat Robinson issued another call for Red-State Christians to refrain from violence. But they are far from ending a crisis that has seen the worst sectarian unrest in America since the Iraqi invasion in 2003.

Now, efforts to form a government are crumbling as a result. Red-State and Blue-State representatives said on March 15 that they will not support the dominant Democratic Leadership Council choice for Prime Minister - Howard Dean. Dean, widely seen as a pro-Iraqi puppet, was placed in power by the Iraqi government in June 2004.

They told reporters that Dean has failed to contain the sectarian violence. Specifically, they fault him for the delay in imposing a curfew last week, saying that allowed attacks to spiral out of control.

"We, the Blue-State party, support Dennis Kucinich " said Lynn the Dem an independent Blue-State parliamentarian elected in last December's controversial "elections". Kucinich, a former lawmaker in the previous US government, has been suspected of having ties to the Canadian government. Iraq has long accused Canada of supplying arms to the American resistance lead by Jordanian Al-Zaquari. Many suspect Al-Zaquari of not existing and being used by Iraq as a convenient scapegoat.

Many Blue-State leaders accuse the Fawell militia, the Army of Rightousness, of organizing reprisal attacks on their community following the bombing of churches in the US South (the Southern Triangle)

Copyright (c) 2006. Enigma000/Voice of the Resistance

[paparush]

44. KICK!! Best post I've ever read on DU!!

Keep it up!!

[FULL_METAL_HAT]

49. If you like, please take a crack at doing a reverse reality writeup!

I just posted a complete timeline of stories for you to pick and choose from.

Remember any numbers of people should be multiplied by:

x 11.44

to get the equivalent in the reverse reality!

FMH!

p.s. thanks for the compliment :)

[FULL_METAL_HAT]

48. No More Excuses! Write your own Reverse-Reality: FULL TIMELINE HERE!

From the great work at www.thinkprogress.org who've put together the complete timline: http://www.thinkprogress.org/iraq-timeline

This makes it very easy for you to find a story and REVERSE-REALITY it!!

Please take some of the examples above and contribute to this speciall anniversary effort!

FMH

(with permission...)

THREE YEARS OF WAR IN IRAQ: A TIMELINE

Comment on this timeline .

2003

MARCH 19, 2003: Bush launches invasion of Iraq
http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2006/03/launch.bmp

MARCH 30, 2003: Donald Rumsfeld: We know where the WMD are
We know where (the weapons of mass destruction) are. They’re in the area around Tikrit and Baghdad and east, west, south and north somewhat. (ABC This Week, )

APRIL 1, 2003: Pfc. Jessica Lynch recovered by U.S. forces. What the Pentagon framed as a heroic rescue was later revealed to have been staged. (Guardian, )


APRIL 9, 2003: Saddam Statue Toppled
http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2006/03/statue.bmp

APRIL 11, 2003: Donald Rumsfeld: Stuff happens
Think what’s happened in our cities when we’ve had riots, and problems, and looting. Stuff happens! … Freedom’s untidy, and free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and do bad things. They’re also free to live their lives and do wonderful things, and that’s what’s going to happen here. (DoD briefing, )

APRIL 16, 2003: Bush signs $79 billion supplemental spending bill for Iraq (DoD, )
MAY 1, 2003: Mission Accomplished
(M)y fellow Americans: Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. (Bush, )
http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2006/03/mission.bmp

MAY 9, 2003: Paul Wolfowitz: We agreed on WMD rationale for bureaucratic reasons
The truth is that, for reasons that have a lot to do with the U.S. government bureaucracy, we settled on the one issue that everyone could agree on which was weapons of mass destruction as the core reason (to go to war). (Wolfowitz, )

MAY 29, 2003: Bush: We found the WMD
We found the weapons of mass destruction. (Bush, )

JUNE 6, 2003: Rumsfeld blames Iraq problems on “pockets of dead-enders”


In those regions where pockets of dead-enders are trying to reconstitute, Gen. Franks and his team are rooting them out. In short, the coalition is making good progress. (USA Today, )

JULY 2, 2003: Bring ‘Em On
There are some who feel like — that the conditions are such that they can attack us there. My answer is, bring them on. (Bush, )

JULY 6, 2003: Joseph Wilson writes op-ed in the New York Times
It did not take long to conclude that it was highly doubtful that any such (yellowcake) transaction had ever taken place. (NYT, )

JULY 11, 2003: Condoleezza Rice: Doubts about Iraq intel were not communicated to Bush
All that I can tell you is that if there were doubts about the underlying intelligence in the NIE, those doubts were not communicated to the President. (WH Gaggle, )




JULY 14, 2003: Bush says he had good intelligence before the war
I think the intelligence I get is darn good intelligence. And the speeches I have given were backed by good intelligence. (Bush, )
JULY 22, 2003: Saddam’s sons, Uday and Qusay, are killed in a U.S. raid in Mosul (CNN, )
SEMPTEMBER 3, 2003: Report shows Bush failed to plan
A secret report for the Joint Chiefs of Staff lays the blame for setbacks in Iraq on a flawed and rushed war-planning process that ‘limited the focus’ for preparing for post-Saddam Hussein operations. (Washington Times, )

OCTOBER 19, 2003: Bush ignored the experts
A yearlong State Department study predicted many of the problems that have plagued the American-led occupation of Iraq, according to internal State Department documents and interviews with administration and Congressional officials. (NYT, )

NOVEMBER 6, 2003: Bush signs $87 billion supplemental spending bill into law (Bush, )
NOVEMBER 20, 2003: Richard Perle suggests Iraq war was illegal
I think in this case international law stood in the way of doing the right thing. (Guardian, )

NOVEMBER 28, 2003: Bush makes surprise Thanksgiving visit to Iraq, poses with fake turkey


http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2006/03/turkey.bmp


DECEMBER 14, 2003: Saddam is captured
Ladies and gentlemen. We got him! (Bremer, )

2004

JANUARY 17, 2004: 500 U.S. soldiers dead in Iraq since the invasion (Commondreams.org, )
JANUARY 22, 2004: CIA officers warn of civil war
CIA officers in Iraq are warning that the country may be on a path to civil war, current and former U.S. officials said Wednesday, starkly contradicting the upbeat assessment that President Bush gave in his State of the Union address. (Knight-Ridder, )

JANUARY 28, 2004: Iraq Survey Group inspector David Kay reports
It turns out that we were all wrong, probably in my judgment, and that is most disturbing. (Kay, )

FEBRUARY 4, 2004: 109 Iraqis die in suicide bomb attacks in Kurdish-held Irbil (AP, )
FEBRUARY 10, 2004: U.S. Military uncovers letter addressed to senior al-Qaida operatives seeking help in waging a “sectarian war”
Brigadier general Mark Kimmit: “There is clearly a plan on the part of outsiders to come into this country and spark civil war, breed sectarian violence and try to expose fissures in the society.” (Guardian, )

MARCH 5, 2004: Former chief U.N. weapons inspector declares Iraq war illegal
The former chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix has declared that the war in Iraq was illegal, dealing another devastating blow to Tony Blair. (Independent, )

MARCH 18, 2004: General Garner speaks out
Jay Garner, the US general abruptly dismissed as Iraq’s first occupation administrator after a month in the job, says he fell out with the Bush circle because he wanted free elections and rejected an imposed program of privatization. (Guardian, )
MARCH 24, 2004: Bush jokes at the Radio and Television Correspondents Association Dinner


Those weapons of mass destruction have got to be somewhere. (Bush, )

http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2006/03/joke.bmp


APRIL 19, 2004: Bob Woodward reveals CIA Director George Tenet said there was a “slam dunk case” against Iraq


About two weeks before deciding to invade Iraq, President Bush was told by CIA Director George Tenet there was a “slam dunk case” that dictator Saddam Hussein had unconventional weapons, according to a new book by Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward. (CNN, )

APRIL 21, 2004: Car bomb attacks in Basra kill at least 68 Iraqis (Guardian, )
April 28, 2004: Images of torture at Abu Ghraib are revealed
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APRIL 2004: Up to this point, the deadliest month in Iraq, and second highest total overall. 135 U.S. servicemembers lost their lives. (Washington Post, )
MAY 5, 2004: Appearing on Arab TV, Bush expresses sorrow over prisoner abuse
The American people are just as appalled at what they have seen on TV as Iraqi citizens have. The Iraqi citizens must understand that. (NYT, )

MAY 11, 2004: Video released showing Nicholas Berg, an American contractor, being beheaded by Iraqi militants. (USA Today, )



JUNE 28, 2004: U.S. transfers sovereignty to Iraq. Bush’s response: “Let freedom reign!”





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AUGUST 27, 2004: Bush acknowledged for the first time that he made a “miscalculation of what the conditions would be” in postwar Iraq (Reuters, )
AUGUST 30, 2004: “Catastrophic Success”
BUSH: Had we had to do it over again, we would look at the consequences of catastrophic success—being so successful so fast that an enemy that should have surrendered or been done in escaped and lived to fight another day. (Time, )

SEPTEMBER 7, 2004: Death toll of U.S. soldiers in Iraq reaches 1,000 (CNN.com, )


SEPTEMBER 15, 2004: Bush administration requests that the Senate shift $3.4 billion of the $18.4 billion Iraqi aid package meant for reconstruction work to improving security measures (NYT,)
SEPTEMBER 16, 2004: Intelligence report delivered to Bush warns of civil war. Bush’s response: the CIA is “just guessing”:
A classified National Intelligence Estimate prepared for President Bush in late July spells out a dark assessment of prospects for Iraq, government officials said Wednesday. The estimate outlines three possibilities for Iraq through the end of 2005, with the worst case being developments that could lead to civil war, the officials said. (NYT, ; Bush, )

SEPTEMBER 16, 2004: U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan declares Iraq war illegal


When pressed on whether he viewed the invasion of Iraq as illegal, he said: “Yes, if you wish. I have indicated it was not in conformity with the UN charter from our point of view, from the charter point of view, it was illegal.” (BBC, )

SEPTEMBER 28, 2004: Another report showing Bush was warned about conditions in post-war Iraq


The same intelligence unit that produced a gloomy report in July about the prospect of growing instability in Iraq warned the Bush administration about the potential costly consequences of an American-led invasion two months before the war began, government officials said Monday. (NYT, )

OCTOBER 5, 2004: Paul Bremer: Never had enough troops
We never had enough troops on the ground. (CNN, )

OCTOBER 7, 2004: Duelfer Report: Iraq did not have WMD
Saddam Hussein did not possess stockpiles of illicit weapons at the time of the U.S. invasion in March 2003 and had not begun any program to produce them, a CIA report concludes. (CNN, )

OCTOBER 25, 2004: The New York Times reports that about 380 tons of powerful explosives disappeared from military installation called Al Qaqaa sometime after the U.S.-led war began in March 2003 (NYT, )
NOVEMBER 2, 2004: Bush wins re-election (Washington Post, )
NOVEMBER 8, 2004: U.S. forces launch all-out assault on Fallujah
The U.S. military said 10 troops and two members of Iraq’s security forces were killed in the first two days of the battle, the largest military operation since the U.S.-led invasion last year. U.S. and Iraqi leaders hope the assault will break the grip of insurgents who have held Fallujah for nearly seven months. (Washington Post, )

NOVEMBER 2004: The most deadly month in Iraq ever. 137 U.S. troops died. (Washington Post, )
DECEMBER 8, 2004: Donald Rumsfeld: You go to war with the Army you have
As you know, you go to war with the Army you have. They’re not the Army you might want or wish to have at a later time. (Rumsfeld, )



DECEMBER 20, 2004: Blasts kill at least 64 in Iraq’s holy cities (Washington Post, )

2005

JANUARY 12, 2005: WMD search in Iraq is declared over
U.S. inspectors have ended their search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq in recent weeks, a U.S. intelligence official told CNN. (CNN, )

JANUARY 27, 2005: 30 Marines, Sailor Die In Copter crash in Iraq, the deadliest single event for U.S. forces since the invasion (Washington Post, )
JANUARY 30, 2005: U.S. loses track of nearly $9 billion in Iraqi funds
The CPA provided less than adequate controls for approximately $8.8 billion of Development Fund for Iraq (DFI) funds provided to Iraqi ministries through the national budget process. (CPA Report, )

JANUARY 30, 2005: Iraqis vote to form a Transitional National Assembly


JANUARY 2005: 3rd most deadly month in Iraq. 106 U.S. troops killed. (NYT, )
FEBRUARY 28, 2005: Car bombs kill at least 114 Iraqis in Hilla. (BBC, )
MARCH 2, 2005: Army missed its February recruiting goal by more than 27 percent, the first time in almost five years that the Army failed to meet a monthly target. (USA Today, )
MARCH 3, 2005: Death toll of U.S. troops in Iraq hits 1,500 (London Telegraph, )
MARCH 31, 2005: Silberman-Robb commission, the presidential commission on Iraqi WMD, concludes:


(T)he intelligence community was dead wrong in almost all of its prewar judgments. (USA Today, )

MAY 1, 2005: Downing Street Memo revealed
Bush wanted to remove Saddam, through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD. But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy. (Downing Street Memo, )

MAY 11, 2005: Bush signs supplemental spending bill, providing nearly $76 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan (State Department, )
MAY 30, 2005: Dick Cheney: Insurgency in its “last throes”
I think they’re in the last throes, if you will, of the insurgency. (CNN Larry King Live, )


JUNE 12, 2005: National Guard misses recruiting target for ninth month in a row
The Army National Guard, a cornerstone of the U.S. force in Iraq, missed its recruiting goal for at least the ninth straight month in June and is nearly 19,000 soldiers below its authorized strength. (AP, )
JUNE 23, 2005: Cheney revises “last throes” comment
BLITZER: “He says that the insurgency now is at a strength undiminished as it was six months ago, and he says there are actually more foreign fighters in Iraq now than there were six months ago. That doesn’t sound like the last throes.”
CHENEY: “No, I would disagree. If you look at what the dictionary says about throes, it can still be a violent period — the throes of a revolution.” (CNN, )

JUNE 27, 2005: Rumsfeld: “Insurgencies tend to go on five, six, eight, 10, 12 years.” (Fox News Sunday, )
JULY 18, 2005: Death toll rises to 100 in suicide blast in Iraq (Washington Post, )
AUGUST 7, 2005: Cindy Sheehan camps out at Bush’s Texas ranch
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SEPTEMBER 9, 2005: Colin Powell, on his pre-war speech to the U.N.:


It’s a blot. I’m the one who presented it on behalf of the United States to the world, and (it) will always be a part of my record. It was painful. It’s painful now. (ABC News, )

SEPTEMBER 30, 2005: Army misses recruiting target for previous fiscal year by widest margin since 1979


The Army is closing the books on one of the leanest recruiting years since it became an all-volunteer service three decades ago, missing its enlistment target by the largest margin since 1979 and raising questions about its plans for growth. (AP, )
OCTOBER 7, 2005: IAEA chief Mohamed El Baradei, who disputed U.S. pre-war assertions that Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq had an active atomic weapons program, is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. (AP, )
OCTOBER 13, 2005: Bush administration paid no attention to warnings of post-war chaos
A review by former intelligence officers has concluded that the Bush administration ‘apparently paid little or no attention’ to prewar assessments by the Central Intelligence Agency that warned of major cultural and political obstacles to stability in postwar Iraq. (NYT, )

OCTOBER 15, 2005: Iraqis vote to ratify draft constitution. (AP, )



OCTOBER 26, 2005: American military death toll reaches 2,000 (MSNBC.com, )
OCTOBER 2005: 4th deadliest month in Iraq. 92 American servicemembers killed. (NYT, )
NOVEMBER 8, 2005: Powerful new evidence emerged yesterday that the United States dropped massive quantities of white phosphorus on the Iraqi city of Fallujah during the attack on the city in November 2004 (Independent, )
NOVEMBER 15, 2005: U.S. Senate votes 79-19 to demand regular reports from the White House on progress towards a phased pullout of troops from Iraq. (BBC, )
NOVEMBER 18, 2005: Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) calls for U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq
The war in Iraq is not going as advertised. It is a flawed policy wrapped in illusion. The American public is way ahead of us. The United States and coalition troops have done all they can in Iraq, but it is time for a change in direction. Our military is suffering. The future of our country is at risk. We can not continue on the present course. (Murtha, )

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NOVEMBER 30, 2005: National Strategy for Victory In Iraq unveiled by White House


>
DECEMBER 15, 2005: Iraqis vote to elect members of Iraqi Assembly. The United Iraqi Alliance, the Shiite Muslim’s most powerful party, won a majority of the seats.

(CNN, )
DECEMBER 17, 2005: Lieberman: Bush has turned corner on Iraq
The last two weeks have been critically important and I believe may be seen as a turning point in the war in Iraq and the war on terrorism. (AP, )

DECEMBER 18, 2005: Bush: “(M)uch of the intelligence turned out to be wrong.” (Bush, )

2006

JANUARY 6, 2006: Approximately 140 killed in Iraq, “one of the bloodiest days since the U.S.-led invasion of the country in 2003” (Washington Post, )
JANUARY 24, 2006: Army has become “thin green line”
Stretched by frequent troop rotations to Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army has become a “thin green line” that could snap unless relief comes soon, according to a study for the Pentagon. (AP, )
FEBRUARY 2, 2006: Rumsfeld doubts “long war” in Iraq
“Is Iraq going to be a long war?” Mr. Rumsfeld answered, “No, I don’t believe it is.” (Washington Times, )

FEBRUARY 3, 2006: Bush requests additional $70 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan, $120 billion total for 2006 (Washington Post, )
February 22, 2006: Iraq’s Golden Mosque in Samarra badly damaged in a bomb attack that fuels sectarian tensions.




Up to 1,300 Iraqis feared dead. (Washington Post, )
FEBRUARY 28, 2006: Another report reveals Bush administration did not plan for post-war


The Bush administration never drew up a comprehensive plan for rebuilding Iraq after the March 2003 invasion. (Washington Times, )

MARCH 11, 2006: “Bush Goes on Offensive To Explain War Strategy” (Washington Post, )
MARCH 19, 2006: “Complete victory”
On the eve of the third anniversary of the Iraq invasion, President Bush yesterday promised to “finish the mission” with “complete victory,” urging the American public to remain steadfast but offering no indication when victory may be achieved. (Washington Post, )

Comment on this timeline .

[EFerrari]

50. You know, reading this timeline, I got mad ALL OVER AGAIN.

By the time That Felon is gone, I'm going to need anger management therapy. :mad:

[FULL_METAL_HAT]

51. Its too much. At least the reverse-reality helps put it all in perspectiv

perspective.

Thanks for all your excellent RR'ritings -- if only everyone who voted for this thread had contributed one, we could have a nice pamphlet to publish :)

{B^> FMH

[EFerrari]

52. In the second thread, I started just pulling news articles

and switching the names. If you want a pamphlet, I'll work it.

But, we'll probably get a visit from our little friends. :)

[loudsue]

53. This needs to be published nation-wide.

Americans REALLY need to see what the truth is about the occupation of Iraq.

:kick::kick::kick::kick::kick::kick:

[Catrina]

54. Another report from the war-torn United States of America

Violence Reported in the City of Philadelphia
Hussein Administration comes under Fire for No-Bid Contract policies



The Hussein administration is fending off criticisms of its reconstruction in the US where, one year after the war, many US citizens are still without electricity and/or water. Long lines for gasoline are causing increased frustration among citizens who are battling, sometimes, 12 hour long waiting periods before filling up their gas tanks.

Adding to the tension in the US is the high unemployment rate, now reported to be at an astounding 70%. This has given rise to questions about the no-bid contracts handed out to Iraqi contractors, many of them contributers to Saddam Hussein's re-election campaign.

A Hussein administration spokesperson denied those allegations telling reporters today that contracts were handed out to those companies who were the most capable of doing the job.

Meanwhile, in the city of Philadelphia, violence broke out as Americans demonstrated against foreign contractors who they say, are taking jobs that they themselves should be doing. Iraqi troops fired into the crowd of demonstrators, killing 176 people.

According to a Coalition spokesperson the crowd was becoming violent and began firing first at Coalition troops who were in the area at the time.

But eyewitnesses say the demonstrators were peaceful and that there were no weapons at the scene. This has added to the unrest in the already tense city of Philadelphia. Philadelphia is a city rich in US history. It is considered the birthplace of the nation and is home to Independence Hall where the historic United States documents, the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution were signed in 1776 and 1787 respectively.

Reports from the city tonight say that the situation there is extremely volatile. The Iraqi Command is hoping that religious leaders there can maintain calm and have left the area to reduce the tension. Anger over the killing of the demonstrators is at a boiling point, according to reports.

Iraqi General Uday Hassan said he is keeping an eye on the situation from a distance. He dismissed eyewitness accounts claiming that demonstrators were peaceful and that there were no weapons at the scene. 'It's ludicrous to suggest that Iraqi troops would fire on unarmed citizens', he stated, 'we use all precautions to avoid injuring innocent by-standers', he said, 'but we are at war and sometimes, regrettably, there is collateral damage, which is unintentional'.

This report was filed by Associated Press reporter, Ali O'Brien

[enigma000]

58. Good "report" n/t