Thursday, June 02, 2005
12,000 Civilians Killed in Iraq
12,000 civilians have been killed by the insurgency in the past 18 months Iraqi Interior Minister Bayan Jabr said Thursday. Approximately 20 civilians a day are dying from car bomb attacks, ambushes, roadside bombs and various other deadly attacks. The Iraqi government estimates that 10,500 of the victims have been Shiites.
In related news, Operation Lightning, the Iraqi-led offensive against insurgents and foreign fighters, has been less than successful in assuring ordinary Iraqis that the newly-formed government can keep them safe from the insurgency. The Iraqi government had pledged to deploy 40,000 troops at 600 roadblocks and checkpoints around Baghdad. Less than half the troops have actually been deployed while only 28 "insurgents" have been killed in the offensive. Problems with coordination between the U.S. military and Iragi security forces have hindered the effectiveness of the Operation Lightnining and MSNBC reports that Iraqi civilians arent too impressed with the efforts.
I'm glad Vice Preznit Cheney knows the Iraqi insurgency is in its "last throes," as he told Larry King last Monday. Because if I was just watching the headlines (36 dead on Thursday, 700 dead since the Iraqi government was formed on April 28th) and calculating the American military body count at Icasualties.org, I'd think it was the American effort to bring peace and stability to Iraq that was in its "last throes".
I guess that's why Dick Cheney gets the big bucks to run the free world while I teach high school english to urban kids.
UDPATE: A suicide car bomber killed at least 10 Iraqis north of Baghdad Friday while a Shiite cleric was murdered outside of his home in Basra. The Associated Press reports at least 810 civilians have been killed since the Iraqi government was formed on April 28th.
In related news, Operation Lightning, the Iraqi-led offensive against insurgents and foreign fighters, has been less than successful in assuring ordinary Iraqis that the newly-formed government can keep them safe from the insurgency. The Iraqi government had pledged to deploy 40,000 troops at 600 roadblocks and checkpoints around Baghdad. Less than half the troops have actually been deployed while only 28 "insurgents" have been killed in the offensive. Problems with coordination between the U.S. military and Iragi security forces have hindered the effectiveness of the Operation Lightnining and MSNBC reports that Iraqi civilians arent too impressed with the efforts.
I'm glad Vice Preznit Cheney knows the Iraqi insurgency is in its "last throes," as he told Larry King last Monday. Because if I was just watching the headlines (36 dead on Thursday, 700 dead since the Iraqi government was formed on April 28th) and calculating the American military body count at Icasualties.org, I'd think it was the American effort to bring peace and stability to Iraq that was in its "last throes".
I guess that's why Dick Cheney gets the big bucks to run the free world while I teach high school english to urban kids.
UDPATE: A suicide car bomber killed at least 10 Iraqis north of Baghdad Friday while a Shiite cleric was murdered outside of his home in Basra. The Associated Press reports at least 810 civilians have been killed since the Iraqi government was formed on April 28th.
