U.S. Soldier Becomes 400th Killed in Iraq

[VolcanoJen]

A sad, sad milestone.

:-(

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&u=/ap/20031115/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_442

Excerpt:

A U.S. soldier was killed Saturday when his vehicle was struck by a roadside bomb, the 400th U.S. serviceman to die in Iraq (news - web sites) since hostilities began March 20.

Two other soldiers were wounded when the device exploded next to a two-vehicle patrol, a military spokesman said.

[Robin Hood]

1. That's just sad.

These poor poor people. Damn you Bush!

[Dagaz]

2. 400 isn't sadder than 300 or 200 or...

God bless those who are sacrificing so that we don't lose another 3000. I know most here don't appreciate this but this is what the 2004 election will be all about. I just hope that the party can realize that a John Lennin candidate isn't going to win. Imagine that there's a reality.

[VolcanoJen]

3. It's no more sad; just another milestone.

All of our milestones in this war, thus far, have been ones of sorrow and regret, it seems.

[Dagaz]

4. agreed

There have been very few positives but imagine how bad things were in other wars. If we had another Normandy there would be a coup.

On edit I'm not a Bush fan but am in the camp that removing Saddam is good. The position of turning over control to Iraq seems to have made Bush change his plans.

[thebigidea]

8. imagine how bad things were in other wars?

shall we while away our hours in happy contemplation of prior suffering instead of opening a (foreign, probably) newspaper or glancing at a website to see the intolerable toll of our current Iraq blunder?!?

Ah?

Is this 4am sarcasm?

[VolcanoJen]

10. How does imagining how bad things were in other wars...

... correlate to how bad things are in this war?

I'm sure the mother, father, sister, brother, wife, husband or child of this American son suffered every bit as much as the familes of those killed during WWII. The numbers may be smaller (it's a different war), but the pain is every bit the same...

[DS1]

22. Saddam, as nasty as he was, was the only thinking keeping

that country together. The US just created another Iran, and doesn't even know it yet.

[LivingInTheBubble]

5. doesnt make any sense..

what are they sacrificing for, so no more iraqis fly planes into your buildings? I don't get it.

Sorry if you were being sarcastic.

[NickB79]

9. Oops

Deleted, replied to the wrong person.

[Zhade]

6. Are you saying you still believe the liars in the White House?

Iraq had nothing to do with 911.

Attacking Iraq has not made us safer - in fact, it has made us, and the rest of the world, far less safe than before.

Attacking Iraq did not prevent another loss of 3,000 innocent souls. There was absolutely no impending threat from Iraq. None.

Attacking Iraq may very well provoke a future attack to pale in comparison to the Bush-manipulated World Trade Center attack - an attack that, if it comes as a result of the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq, could have been avoided.

[Dagaz]

11. Iraq had nothing to do wit 911

There's no doubt and even the WH says so. It's also blatentlly obvious that more pland were made to attack and we've seen no attacks because the attackers were caught overseas. From what I've seen I am a believer that there are cells carrying out terrorist activities in Iraq.

[LivingInTheBubble]

12. Heres something to remember.

If citizens of a country kill soldiers who are occupying their country IT IS NOT TERRORISM. They are the resistance.

Terrorists would come to the US and fuck you over, so much for 'terra' eh.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

13. Belief is not proof

When I worked as a lawyer, there were several standards of proof that had to be met for an action to continue, depending on the case. The State in a criminal case had to present evidence which "proved beyond a reasonable doubt" the guilt of the defendent. In a civil action, the plaintiff must prove by a "preponderance of the evidence" that he is entitled to recover damages from the defendent". The Fourth Amendment states that "...no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause..." (not belief). There are even some actions that require so little as "a scintilla of evidence" to continue the action (Jones v Clinton comes to mind). The key to legal and administrative actions is evidence, not belief.

This administration has never provided proof/evidence to justify an unprecedented aggressive action against another nation. "There's no doubt", "it's only logical", "I believe", "common sense says", etc. do not rise to any level of evidenciary proof, and the action would be thrown out of any court.

For the past year I kept listening for evidence to justify spending billions of our dollars and 400 American lives, several thousand serious injuries (limbs and eyesight lost), and even more thousands of deaths and unimaginable injuries to Iraqi civilians. No matter how much evidence there is to support the assertion "Saddam is a bad man", it's still not evidence to prove he represents an immediate threat against our nation -- it's only opinion.

I haven't seen evidence of terrorist cells operating in Iraq. I have seen evidence of well-coordinated guerilla attacks, which is a form of warfare used against an overpowering opponent. It worked well during our Revolutionary War. It worked equally well in Vietnam. Both sent the same message: Get the hell out of our country! A terrorist activity would occur in another country, like England or the U.S.

I spent 17 years in the operational side of the Air Force and Reserves, and while I am proud of the performance and courage of our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, I object to their use as an occupying force. The military oath is to protect and defend the Constitution, not the President nor Halliburton's profits.

[rooddood743]

14. Beg pardon, but...

...What the hell are you talking about?!? Our own government defines terrorism as violence commited against civilians in the name of a political goal. Now, in Iraq, our soldiers are being attacked. That's what we commonly refer to as an act of war. When it comes to civilians getting killed, we're the ones doing most of it. (Don't even come back with "You are'nt respecting the troops. That's crap)

Two things: First, go and read some news, (Real news. Not the propaganda you get on TV). so you will have a better understanding of what's really going on over there. Second, work on your spelling.

[jamesinca]

16. China has a dictator too, with a terrible human rights record

We should attack them. The world would be better with out them. Matter of fact we should attack any tyrant and rid the world of them. The problem is the U.S. props up most of the tyrants in the world so it is very hypocritical of us to do this. Iran was the last country to stand up to us by overthrowing their U.S. propped up leader. We demonize those people, they took Americans hostage for a year. We took Iran hostage for 35+ years via the puppet we installed. But they are the bad ones here. This war on Iraq is unjustified. It is based on lies by the government. Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. Iraq made attempts to stop the war but the WH would have nothing to do with it. They have found no weapons of mass destruction, and that was the original lie for going over there. They have not found Sadam Hussein but they are pulling out of the country. Who is to say that he does not come back? After all this administration has said that it is Hussein loyalist that are doing the attacks. But they have also said that it is only 5,000 rebellious Iraq's, or it is members of al-Quida like organizations that hate us for our freedoms and we will stay the course etc...
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"It's also blatentlly obvious that more pland were made to attack and we've seen no attacks because the attackers were caught overseas."

Let me ask you, where is bin-Ladden? Where is the jar with the captured ideology in it? That is right, you can not capture an ideology and you do not kill it with force. Even after we were in Afghanastan, I believe a night club in Bali was destroyed! The thing that has changed is we are over there, they don't have to bring it to the neighborhoods of America, they can do it off of their front porch now. If you think America is safer how did ABC news bring in radioactive material from Indonesia? And who was that college kid that sent letters to the FAA and repeatedly brought illegal items into airports and onto planes until a few weeks ago?
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"From what I've seen I am a believer that there are cells carrying out terrorist activities in Iraq."

They were not there before the invasion, this occupation is acting as a magnet if it is doing anything.
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Because we have only lost 400 hundred does not mean that this nation is happy. I guess mothers and fathers, children and spouses only cry if you are on the Arizona or in the jungle of S.E. Asia. The nation protested, the world protested this. It was not welcomed with open arms.

When somebody dies be it from natural causes, a car wreck or having half of their intestines wrapped around their neck in Iraq, it does not change the hurt for the family. It only changes the reason they are dead.

Let me add this, we know Bush lied about the war, and he continues to lie about things to this day. He lied in his campaign speeches. He has a history of lying, he may even be considered a habitual liar. He has done nothing to change this pattern of behavior.

Rev 21:8 "But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and ALL LIARS- their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death" So if Bush is a Christian then I guess all Christians are going to burn in hell, or maybe he is lying about that too.

Deut 32:35 "It is mine to avenge" Bush has reminded people publicly that Hussein tried to have his daddy assinated. Sounds like vengence on his part to me. So now Bush thinks he is God?

[bpilgrim]

19. then why do you think that INVADING an innocent country will make us SAFE?

:shrug:

seems to me it would have the opposite effect as we are all witnessing. shoot this missadventure will probably lead to the fall of the worlds last 'super power'

peace

[leesa]

24. Yup. Yup. WE introduced "terrorists" into Iraq.

If you believe the nonsensical 9-11 tale, the attackers are long dead. The real terrorists, however are in the White House and someday we will know the role they played on 9-11. Do you always believe everything these proven liars tell you??? Why?? We haven't had a terrorists attack yet because Bush knows it may be too risky to stage one.
Turn Faux news off...turn all mainstream news off and you might learn something.

[thebigidea]

7. What Iraq has to do with 3000 dead via 9/11 is beyond me

perhaps you can point out the obvious connection for us.

As far as John "Lennin" goes, I'm about to turn into Walter from "The Big Lebowski."

[bpilgrim]

17. this will only make it more likely...

that more will die here as well, imo.

remember there was no connection between UBL and Iraq. the only thing we are accomplishing is making even MORE hate us, just like UBL planned.

btw: eisenhower WON on a PEACE platform... IMAGINE that ;->

peace

[gulliver]

20. Wrongo.

Obviously 400 is sadder than 300. What a goofy thing you have said there. Explain it to the familes and friends of the 100 people you just dismissed as immaterial.

I really don't know how anyone who knows Saddam had no WMDs and no ties to Al Qaeda can still bring up the 3,000 WTC victims. It boggles my mind that people can be that obtuse. You must be on some serious druggage.

Imagine there's a reality.

[leesa]

23. You are out of touch with reality. Iraq had nothing to do with 9-11.

Neither did Afghanistan. What these idiots are doing is creating vastly more potential for attacks from people seeking revenge or justice for the evil things we have done to them. That's right, heaven forbid someone with brains enough to realize peace is possible could ever be elected in a country filled with people like you.

[Skittles]

25. frisco

you are so freaking deluded if you think this phony "war on terrorism" will make us all safer. And who the f*** is John LENNIN?

[dbt]

15. Will we ever know his name?

And why in HELL is EVERYTHING from the Viet Nam Era coming back into fashion?

Wait until the war is over
And we're both a little older
The unknown soldier

Breakfast where the news is read
Television children fed
Unborn living, living, dead
Bullet strikes the helmet's head

And it's all over
For the unknown soldier
It's all over
For the unknown soldier

Make a grave for the unknown soldier
Nestled in your hollow shoulder
The unknown soldier

Breakfast where the news is read
Television children fed
Bullet strikes the helmet's head
And, it's all over
The war is over
It's all over
The war is over --The Doors

:cry:
dbt

[Pocho]

18. THE SCORE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE FIRST:

Before their war was won = 138, After their mission accomplished = 277 more, Total young land of the free and home of the brave heroes just following orders = 415 (not counting dying wounded.). Iraqi men, women, and children evil doers massacred = Nobody is saying. Those seeking vengeance for sake of family and invaded homeland honor = most. Years for Viet Cong to come together = several. Time for Iraqi resistance to build = damned near immediate. Have a nice day.:)

[NNN0LHI]

21. 45 American soldiers killed this month according to CNN n/t