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Ear to the Ground

Iraq Report: Civilian Casualties Up by 50%

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Posted on Sep 1, 2006

Civilian casualties in Iraq rose by 50% during the last three months, according to a report released by the Pentagon.  The report on security and stability in Iraq examined the sectarian violence that grips the country, saying “Conditions that could lead to civil war exist in Iraq” but that the fighting does not meet the “strict” definition of a civil war.


New York Times:

As a consequence of the rising violence, the number of Iraqi casualties — civilian and well as military —jumped to almost 120 a day. Further, the confidence of Iraqis in the future has diminished, according to public opinion surveys cited in the Pentagon report. Still, the study asserts that the fighting in Iraq does not meet the “strict” legal definition of a civil war.

The period of the study does not cover either a surge in bloody attacks during the past week nor a relatively low number of civilian casualties earlier in the month.

The assessment provides bad news on a variety of fronts.

It said that Al Qaeda is active despite the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, because of the group’s “cellular structure,” that the Sunni insurgency is strong and that militias are undiminished.

The Pentagon distributed the report on a Friday afternoon before a long weekend, a common time for government officials to put out bad news. A Pentagon officials denied that this was the intent and said the report was issued when it completed.

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By ash, September 2, 2006 at 12:55 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

In what way is the U.S. not Fascist?
The Nazis had all power centralized at the top, the U.S. has more and more power centralized at the top,in the presedent.
The Nazis invaded Poland under false pretences, the U.S. invaded Iraq under false pretences.
The Nazis blamed everything on a Semitic religious group, the Jews; the U.S. blames their woes on a Semitic religious group, the Moslems.
The Nazis ran illegal torture programs against their perceived enemies for national security; the U.S. runs illegal torture programs against their perceived enemies for the sake of national security, both involve concentration camps that hold people without trial.
The Nazis spied on their own people, the U.S. spies on its own people.
The Nazis channelled huge amounts of money into the military, the U.S. channels huge amounts of money into the military.
The Nazis intentionally created a climate of fear, the Nazi burning of the Reichstag [the German parliament] for example. The U.S. intentionally creates a climate of fear by magnifying every terrorist threat, when in reality a person has a greater risk of being hit by lightning then being affected by terrorism. There is even great debate as to how the 9/11 tragedy was allowed to happen, and how it is that the Republicans were able to benefit so utterly from it.
The Nazis accused anyone that did not agree with them of being traitors or worse, the U.S. accuses anyone that does not agree with them of being traitors or terrorists.
We often ask how it is that a country like Germany, a people of great history and culture, could become slaves to a fascist world view, well look around, its happening right now in our own backyard.

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By yours truly, September 2, 2006 at 12:42 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

The Pentagon says that the fighting in Iraq doesn’t meet the “strict” definition of a civil war.  Since when has our military been interested in “strict” definitions.  After all, it’s conquest of Iraq doesn’t fit the “strict” definition of a legal and moral war.

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By OCPatriot, September 2, 2006 at 9:00 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

In stark contrast to the phony optimism on the GOP National Republican Committee site:

http://www.gop.com/Blog/BlogPost.aspx?BlogPostID=2333

http://www.gop.com/Blog/BlogPost.aspx?BlogPostID=2325

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By John C. Bonser, September 1, 2006 at 3:04 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

The Iraquis are having to sacrafice much more than we are. According to President Bush our sacrafice is “paying taxes.” He should be ashamed!

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