Pictures and date killed...from start to current

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Now we're up to about two per day,and Rummy stoically announced more will die--like he gives a rats ass.

Well...whatever it takes for the big "rebuild Iraq" bucks to keep flowing to contractors and subs. Big,big money being paid and made in Iraq to buy the next election for Chimpboy. This is total fucking insanity...

David

Military casualties are more than numbers they are sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives.

AWOL needs to be haunted by these faces and the innocent Iraqis for eternity.

......

Updated every Friday.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/world/iraq/casualties/facesofthefallen.htm

Impossible to look at the faces, where they're from, their ages, etc. without choking up.

... if there is one, is that at least the current U.S. military is a volunteer force.

Everyone who wears the uniform today does so because they chose to do it, and took an oath because they wanted to.

our troops expected to be used as AWOL is using them.

You take an oath to obey lawful orders - you don't get to choose who gives those orders - ultimately it doesn't matter what they "expected". Nobody expected to be killed in Somalia while trying to help the poor people there either.

If someone is going to sign on for five years, and does so two years before an election - they are making a choice. if they didn't think their decision through, then that seems to be a problem on their part, not someone elses.

I'm not trying to sound deliberately callous, but having served in the military, I find it offensive to consider that someone WOULD volunteer, but not be willing to give their life. Perhaps some of these poor soldiers lost their lives in a way they never woudl have expected, but I'm sure that was true for the guys who got killed in Somalia as well.

not private mercenaries, tasked with securing business opportunities for AWOL's sponsors, chief. There is a big goddamn difference.

They took this oath:

I DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR (OR AFFIRM) THAT I WILL SUPPORT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES AGAINST ALL ENEMIES, FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC; THAT I WILL BEAR TRUE FAITH AND ALLEGIANCE TO THE SAME; AND THAT I WILL OBEY THE ORDERS OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE ORDERS OF THE OFFICERS APPOINTED OVER ME, ACCORDING TO REGULATIONS AND THE UNIFORM CODE OF MILITARY JUSTICE. SO HELP ME GOD

Not this one:

I DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR (OR AFFIRM) THAT I WILL INVADE SOVERIEGN NATIONS, MURDER INNOCENT CIVILIANS AND DESTROY THEIR COUNTRYS INFRASTUCTURES IN AN EFFORT TO SECURE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR GEORGE BUSH'S SPONSORS, WHO AVOID THE TAXES WHICH PAY MY SALARY; THAT I WILL BEAR BLIND FAITH AND ALLEGIANCE TO THE SAME, AT THE EXPENSE OF MY NATIONS SECURITY AND POSSIBLY MY LIFE; AND THAT I WILL OBEY THE ORDERS OF AN UNELECTED PRESIDENT WHO WENT AWOL DURING A TIME OF WAR AND THE OFFICERS WHO HE MISUSES, IN CONTRAVENTION TO REGULATIONS AND THE UNIFORM CODE OF MILITARY JUSTICE. SO HELP ME GOD

RC

Short, sweet and makes THE points very well.

Anything in the Uniform Code of Military Justice about obeying unlawful orders?

or commissioning, one expects the orders to have both a moral as well as legal foundation. In this instance, congress failed to do its duty and aided and abbeted a president in the moral misuse of our military forces.

The remaining legal foundation means that troops can be court martialed for failure to obey orders. If troops feel that orders are immoral and they refuse to obey, they would almost certainly be convicted under the UCMJ.

If you don't understand what I just wrote, then educate yourself about the UCMJ and the use of US troops because your military service did not expose you to the full breadth and depth of how our forces are used and abused.

A lot join the military BECAUSE it is the ONLY hope
to get a job.

A lot join because of the promise of an education.
An education that could never be afforded otherwise.

A lot join to get away from an abusive home.


and what happens when a President lies to start
a war ? These same poor are forced to pay a price
that noone should, just for the want of a better
life.

Nearly all join because they want to be 'patriotic'
and help their country in times of need AND the one
chance to make something of themselves, to do better,
to get a college education that would otherwise be
impossible to attain.

Many promises are made. But the reality is many
die becuase they were poor, and the military was
a 'way out'.

each family who loses someone in this war? Do you think he has ever looked at these pictures and faces?

This is so sad.

And it seems as though it was all avoidable.

We could have let the inspections work. But - teambush didn't like that - not enough political mileage - they had to put on their illplanned war - and put these brave citizens life at risk.

Guess I won't be buying a Hummer anytime soon.

May their souls rest in peace.

Today in Counterpunch, Stan Goff shares a very wise quote from a late friend: "Soldiers are political scientists. No-one cares as much as they do about what it is they are asked to die for." (http://www.counterpunch.org/goff07262003.html)

Goff's a vet and activist, and member of the Bring Them Home Now! coordinating committee. His son is soon to deploy to Iraq. Check out their site:

http://www.bringthemhomenow.org

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

you should add a pic of Smirk with his "pretzelized" face