4,000 Dead; $12 billion/month...Is It Still Worth it?

[PalJoey]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 5:41pm

Bloomberg News Service

U.S. Military Losses Hit 4,000 in Iraq, Afghanistan (Update1)

By Robin Stringer

Soldiers take a break during a search for weapons caches

July 9 (Bloomberg) -- Four thousand U.S. service members have died in U.S. President George W. Bush's ``war on terror' in Iraq and Afghanistan 5 1/2 years after American forces ousted the Taliban in December 2001.

A total of 3,596 have died in Iraq since the March 2003 invasion that removed Saddam Hussein from power. Some 2,957 of that number were killed in action, according to the latest Department of Defense figures. More than 26,500 personnel have been wounded in that conflict, 11,959 of them so seriously they couldn't return to duty.

To contact the reporter on this story: Robin Stringer in London at [e-mail] .
Last Updated: July 9, 2007 12:51 EDT


U.S. Military Losses Hit 4,000 in Iraq, Afghanistan

Updated On: 7/9/07 at 05:41 PM

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 5:42pm

I would almost PayPal some money to HDT to see his answer to your question. I don't mean that in a spiteful way either. I think it would be hilarious!

[PalJoey]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 5:42pm

Report: War costing US $12B a month

By ANDREW TAYLOR, Associated Press Writer 37 minutes ago

The boost in troop levels in Iraq has increased the cost of war there and in Afghanistan to $12 billion a month, and the total for Iraq alone is nearing a half-trillion dollars, congressional analysts say.

All told, Congress has appropriated $610 billion in war-related money since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror assaults, roughly the same as the war in Vietnam. Iraq alone has cost $450 billion.

The figures come from the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, which provides research and analysis to lawmakers.

For the 2007 budget year, CRS says, the $166 billion appropriated to the Pentagon represents a 40 percent increase over 2006.

The Vietnam War, after accounting for inflation, cost taxpayers $650 billion, according to separate CRS estimates.


AP Report: War costing US $12B a month

Updated On: 7/9/07 at 05:42 PM

[romantico]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 5:45pm

To quote a Broadwayworld poster,

"We're winning the War!"
"The Liberal Media fails to report that we're kicking ass over there!"
"Bush couldn't be more popular!"
"Those numbers are all lies!"Bush is smiling, thats how well things are going!"
"The world supports the USA and the war on terror! We're winning! YES! 10 Points for the good guys!"
"Only a few have been killed, accoridng to Fox News and They don;t lie!"
Dick Cheney does not lie!"
Oh, I can't go on!

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 5:47pm

Those quotes are awesome! Whoever could have posted them?

*looks innocently around boards for genius*

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 5:48pm

yes, pj, it is. even if yer friends and their weak kneed gop cohorts manage to pull out without even waiting for petraeus' september report, it'll still have been worth it.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 5:50pm

Which is why I maintain that Chanti/Dakin/HD is not a real conservative, just a sock puppet being manipulated by a left-of-center frustrated playwright with a tin ear for dialogue.

None of the conservatives I know and work with are as robotically doctrinaire as this fool.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 5:55pm

Why, Papa? Because we hung Saddam?

Don't tell me we got rid of Iraq's nukes while Iran has more than Iraq ever could have.

Don't tell me we instituted democracy in Iraq when the puppet government is collapsing.

Don't tell me we attacked Islamo-Fascism when we actually strengthened it and coddled the Saudi, Egyptian and Pakistani governments that allow anti-Americanism and Jew-hatred to breed and fester.

And don't tell me we avenged 9/11 when we let Osama go and Al Qaeda used Iraq as a recruitment tool and training ground.

Updated On: 7/9/07 at 05:55 PM

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 6:01pm

i've made my arguments, pj. they still stand. unlike politicians and hdt, i don't like repeating myself every few weeks (or posts).

[PalJoey]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 6:04pm

But your arguments no longer stand. They haven't stood for months.

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 6:06pm

they never did to you.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 6:10pm

Because it was all naive and wrongheaded from the very beginning.

A war created by silly little draft dodgers with no understanding of the land they were invading, the people, the culture or the history.

As Shakespeare said, "An expense of spirit in a waste of shame."

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 6:12pm

you are entitled to your opinion.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 6:15pm

Re Draft Dodgers, I cannot recall Mr Clinton serving anytime at all

We had bum information (as did Great britain) re the WMD. The war has been missmanaged from the start. The trick is now to extricate ourselves & somehow avoid a bloodbath - over & above the death & destruction happening daily

Posted: 7/9/07 at 6:29pm

Ah Mr. Roxy EXCELLENT POINT! We did get some BAD information! What did we do about that? Did anyone get fired? Did anyone go on TRIAL for false reports? What about Joe Wilson? He gave us accurate intelligence it turns out. And what did HE get for it?

GW Bush is the "Commander in Chief." If I were in his spot and got such bad info, across the board, Heads would have rolled. Not figuratively, either. And what has he done? He's stood by this "Bad intelligence" and STILL STANDS BY IT!

[romantico]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 6:30pm

[South Fl Marc]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 6:35pm

Its worth it if you are a terrorist against the US.

As for whether its good for our country:
This war has bankrupted our country, and has ruined our relationships with most of our allies,

On top of that we got rid of a dictator who the terrorists hated. He managed to keep them out of Iraq, something we have failed to do.

We have also given the terrorists a perfect recruiting tool.

This is so not worth it.

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 6:40pm

Outside of oil, I can't see how this was worth anything. Iraq didn't have terrorism and were not terrorists. There were no WMDs and posed no threat to the USA.

These facts are not news or opinions, this information was available before our invasion.

I do hope this war has opened the eyes of Amercians.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 7:41pm

Seems to me LBJ got us into Vietnam on bogus info. Let us stop playing the blame game & get this pile of crap resolved.

Presidents of both parties make mistakes. What separates the good from the bad is when one realizes it & how they deal with it

No one with 1/2 a brain can say we are succeeding in Iraq. We are not. Was it a mistake going in? Yes. The question now is getting out without screwing the people who sided with us

I am glad I am not in GWB'S shoes. The Congress is a total disaster. The people voted the GOP out thinking the war would stop the next day. It ain't that easy people

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 8:00pm

So everybody who knew it was a mistake going in... what? Were we geniuses? Do we get gold stars? I know hindsight is 20/20 and all, so I'll chalk your saying "Was it a mistake going in? Yes." up to that, because you sure as hell didn't say it at the time.

And $12b/month according to the GAO. Yeah. This country can afford health care for all its citizens.

[Elphaba]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 8:18pm

it was never worth it

[HDThoreau2]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 8:23pm

why would we have to "afford" health care?

The genius Michael Moore says repetitively that it will be "free."

Posted: 7/9/07 at 8:32pm

HD the adults are talking. Go play with your Ron Reagan action figure.

[mejusthavingfun]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 9:08pm

>>The genius Michael Moore says repetitively that it will be "free."

Universal Healthcare could be less than what most people are paying now. It's not a perfect system, but it is surely better than the one we have now.


>>>Seems to me LBJ got us into Vietnam on bogus info. Let us stop playing the >>blame game & get this pile of crap resolved.

This is NOT Vietnam, and times have changed. It is not a blame game, we know who is guilty and why. Dick Cheney and George Bush have committed crimes. It's ok to send Paris to jail but not Dick Cheney? The rest of the world has lost all respect for us as a nation.

>>>Presidents of both parties make mistakes. What separates the good from the bad is when one realizes it & how they deal with it

We can't sit around and assume the "good" is going to come along. The bad is here and he is not going anywhere. We will keep repeating this hegemony time and again. It is wrong and we cannot lead the world on these politics.

The right says oh the terrorists "hate our freedom,” well guess what Europe HATES us and not the freedom part.


>>>No one with 1/2 a brain can say we are succeeding in Iraq. We are not. Was it a mistake going in? Yes. The question now is getting out without screwing the people >>who sided with us

We already screwed everyone. If we gave full control of Iraqi oil to the people, actually supported a legitimate government and turned back on their electricity and drinking water that would be a start.


>>>I am glad I am not in GWB'S shoes. The Congress is a total disaster. The people voted the GOP out thinking the war would stop the next day. It ain't that easy people

It is not easy, but continually funding this war is not the right answer. We are not helping the people now, and we have no intention of it. We are holding the country hostage for oil. There will be no peace with our arm-twisting. It does not work.

[HDThoreau2]

Posted: 7/9/07 at 10:19pm

But, you missed the whole point. Your beloved Michael was screaming at Wolf Blitzer that we should have FREE universal health care. Does he really believe that it would be FREE?

And many adults are asking that question for whatever poster said that the adults are talking.