Families on a yo-yo of emotions / Indefinite nature of Iraq deployment sti

[Heddi]

I am posting this story because I think it's important. This is from the Charleston, SC daily paper---a paper that routinely has LTE"s that end "God bless Pres. Bush". It is a very--very conservative paper in a very conservative town, and this is the first such article I've seen in the paper--definitely the first with an anti-Bush tone. Things are changing in America. People are starting to wake up


http://www.charleston.net/stories/072103/ter_21morale.shtml


The war in Iraq in many respects is like no other.

More than two months have passed since President Bush declared that major combat in Iraq was over, but American servicemen continue to die.

Earlier this week, the number of U.S. troops killed in Iraq exceeded the 197 who died during the first Gulf War, and a wary Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said the number of Americans now in Iraq, about 147,000, would remain the same in the near future.

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The indefinite nature of the deployments worries folks such as Ron Connick of James Island. "The public has kind of forgotten everything, thinking (the war) is over," Connick said Friday. "But it's not."

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Connick said he supported the war from the start, but he admitted that he's now having some second thoughts.

"My biggest concern is the outcome. I don't know if they were prepared for what happened after (the major fighting) or not. If nothing changes, was it worth it?"

[IkeWarnedUs]

1. Was it worth it?

That is the question that should be posed to everyone who supported Bush's war in Iraq.

Was it worth it?

Edit to add: If they say it was, ask them Why?

[Resistance]

3. It will be worth it when Israel gets their oil pipeline secured

Right, my fellow Democrats?

[pdove]

2. Official Casualty now stands at 275

A good tracking site is at Here

This site has detailed account of official ack.

[NNN0LHI]

4. Wonder what these folks thought Junior was talking about when...

...he spoke of a war without end? Did they think he was just kidding around or something? Morans.

Don

[Frances]

5. I am glad you posted this

The article is factual and I hope that it makes people think.

[pdove]

6. Too bad in Afganistan

CHAMAN, July 21 (Online): At least 25 Afghan soldiers and three US troops were killed and many others injured at the weekend as they were ambushed by Taliban fighters in Spin Boldak near Pakistani border . According to the reports from across the border, seven Taliban fighters were also killed in the worst clashes so far. However, Taliban sources were quoted as saying only one of the Taliban was killed in the fighting . "We have started guerrilla warfare against the Americans and killed many occupation troops. One of our man also embarrassed martyrdom in this fight," a Taliban spokesman was quoted as saying from Spin Boldak. Fighting between Afghan forces and Taliban fighters started last night in Shedoo Obah area that spread to the suburbs of Spin Boldak. Taliban fighters also hit a US military vehicle killing three American troops who were engaged in operation against Al-Qaida remnants in the area. The US troops called in B-52 bomber for help. The US warplanes pounded the suspected targets of Taliban. However, they succeeded to flee before the dawn . A bomb also landed in Pakistani territory, sources said. However, it could not be confirmed officially . Meanwhile, a statement issued from Bagram Air Base said that the US forces had killed up to 24 unknown fighters who attacked a coalition convoy in southern Afghanistan at the weekend . The statement further said that the US convoy came under fire from unknown attackers near the town of Spin Boldak on the Pakistani border, causing no casualties . It said coalition forces engaged the opposing fighters, killing about five and pursuing the remainder into surrounding hills, where AH-64 Apache helicopters killed 19 more. Meanwhile, it is learnt that Pakistan had closed its border with Afghanistan to prevent Taliban and Al-Qaida fighters from crossing the border .



while Jihad Unspun claims 24 Taliban dead, and 11 Americans dead in an account of the Spin Boldak battle.