Civilians die in gunfights on border

[gottaB]

American troops fighting insurgents killed scores of civilians in protracted battles in a remote town on Iraq's Syrian border last week. The deaths, not previously reported due to the remoteness of the area, will raise tensions still further in the country and make the increasingly frantic attempts by the US-led coalition to ensure security and stability even harder.

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Locals say the number of civilian casualties in al-Qaim could be much higher as street fighting prevented many dead and injured being taken to hospital.

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Medical sources in al-Qaim say doctors treated people by telephone because fighting made it impossible to bring the wounded to hospital. 'They just gave instructions on the telephone,' said a source. 'That means we don't know how many were injured or might have subsequently died of their injuries.'

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Civilians die in gunfights on border....

[Crunchy Frog]

1. Do you think they're deliberately trying

to increase the level of instability in the region? So many of their actions seem to suggest that possibility.

Maybe maintaining a state of constant warfare is part of Bush's reelection plans, and he's doing everything he can to keep prodding them to "bring 'em on".:shrug:

[gottaB]

2. Honestly, I don't have a clue

Surely Bush himself is limited by his psychosis, belligerence, and puny intellect. In a lot of ways, I think the chaos is the natural result of turning away from sage advice, making enemies of the State Dept., being intolerant of other viewpoints, that sort of thing.

As for the Rovian machine, well, Bush clearly wants to be the "War President," so we have to consider the possibility of a criminal conspiracy to wage illegal aggressive wars as a matter of policy and electoral politics. Absolutely.

[gottaB]

3. Duplicate post, sorry

B-)

[teryang]

6. Interminable warfare is their goal

It favors the domestic coalition of innately unpopular interests in so many ways.

[thebigidea]

4. nothing like starting your morning right, with a sick feeling...

ugh.

"Medical sources in al-Qaim say doctors treated people by telephone"

What a nightmare! Can you fucking imagine that?

"Help! My dad just got shot in the stomach... he's bleeding everywhere, what the hell do I do?"

"If you'd like to make a call..."

[jimshoes]

5. In the battle to win the hearts & minds

of the Iraqi's, it appears the best way to gauge success is by how many hearts & minds are safely buried under the sands of Iraq.