Washblog

I was wrong. Do you remember back in June when I wrote story at Washblog Washblog 'Operation House Call' with military families paying house calls to members of Congress in Washington DC?

Do you remember at that time, statistics over the long term showed that 2 US troops were being killed in Iraq each day and untold hundreds of Iraqis? Do you remember that those figures indicated if Congress waited until November to act, we could expect 350 or more US troops would be killed in Iraq along with untold thousands of Iraqi children, women and men?

I was wrong on the 350 number, tragically I guess I wasn't wrong on the 'more' part.  We've reached more than 350 already and it's not yet November. With 91 US troops killed so far in October and the month not even over yet, the number killed by November elections will be considerably higher.  Almost twice as many US troops at 3.76 a day are being killed in Iraq in October 2006.  

Elections are still how many days away ...??

Visit Iraq Coalition Casualties for detailed report of October 2006 casualties.

10/25/06  Reuters: Mortar round kills one , wounds 3 in Yusufiya
A mortar round killed a man and wounded three others in Yusufiya, 15 km (9 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.

10/25/06 Reuters: Four bodies found in Mahmudiya
The bodies of four people, bound and gagged, were found in the town of Mahmudiya, in an area dubbed the Triangle of Death south of Baghdad, police said.

10/25/06 Reuters: Grenade wounds four people in the southern city of Diwaniya
A grenade thrown at a house wounded four people in the southern city of Diwaniya, 180 km (112 miles) south of Baghdad, police said...Gunmen wounded a policeman in Diwaniya, police said.

10/25/06 Reuters: Two policemen wounded by roadside bomb in Baghdad
A roadside bomb targeting a police patrol wounded two policemen in the Christian neighbourhood of Camp Sara of Baghdad, an Interior Ministry source said.

10/25/06 Reuters: Three Iraqi soldiers killed in Tal Afar
A bomb killed three Iraqi soldiers and wounded three others as they entered a house in the northern town of Tal Afar, 420 km (260 miles) northwest of Baghdad, police said.

10/25/06 Reuters: Two killed in a marketplace in Husayba
Two people were killed and two injured when a vehicle exploded on Tuesday in a marketplace in Husayba, a town on Iraq's border with Syria, the U.S. military said.

10/25/06 Inquirer: Car keeps our eyes on the toll
Memorials to the soldiers who have died in the Iraq war aren't yet chiseled in marble or cast in bronze. But they are shrink-wrapped onto Maureen Beail-Farkas' Nissan Altima - a rolling riot of purple, yellow, green and red with gold and black

10/25/06 Reuters: Iraq PM bristles over U.S. raid
Iraq's Shi'ite prime minister pledged on Wednesday to crack down on illegal militias but criticised a U.S. raid on a Shi'ite militia stronghold that killed at least four people.

10/25/06 MNF: Vehicle blast claims lives in Husaybah, Iraq
A small vehicle loaded with explosives and carrying three Iraqi civilians detonated, killing two and injuring one. A bystander was also injured in the blast. Of the two occupants killed, one was declared dead at the scene...

10/25/06 Reuters: U.S. forces kill 12 people they said were insurgents
U.S. forces killed 12 people they said were insurgents preparing to plant a roadside bomb in the western city of Ramadi, the U.S. military said on Wednesday. It said the suspected insurgents were travelling in a car that was destroyed on Tuesday...

10/25/06 SFC: Some contracts in Iraq spend over 50% on overhead
Overhead costs have consumed more than half the budget of some reconstruction projects in Iraq, according to a government estimate released Tuesday, leaving far less money than expected to provide the oil, water and electricity needed...

10/25/06 Reuters: Iraqi government under U.S. pressure
Iraq's government was under pressure from Washington on Wednesday to take forceful action to meet a timetable of measures over the next year to curb violence and allow U.S. troops to go home.

10/25/06 NYTimes: More U.S. Troops May Be Needed In Baghdad
The top American military commander in Iraq said Tuesday that it was possible he might need to call for an increase in American troop levels in Baghdad to reinvigorate a plan to recapture the capital's streets from insurgents and death squads.

10/25/06 AP: U.S. unveils agenda to curb Iraq violence
American officials unveiled a timeline Tuesday for Iraq's Shiite-led government to take six specific steps to calm Baghdad - all but one designed to mollify Sunni Arabs, who make up the bulk of the insurgency and are responsible for most...

10/25/06 Reuters: Joint U.S., Iraqi raid kills 5 in Sadr City
Iraqi special forces backed by U.S. air strikes killed five people and wounded at least six in a Shiite district of Baghdad, witnesses said, in a raid the U.S. military said was targeted at a death squad commander.

10/25/06 NYTimes: Stark Iraqi Realities Undermine Pentagon's Hopeful Predictions
In trying to build support for the American strategy in Iraq, Gen. George W. Casey Jr. said Tuesday that the Iraqi military could be expected to take over the primary responsibility for securing the country within 12 to 18 months.

10/24/06 Reuters: Missing U.S. soldier kidnapped on family visit
A U.S. soldier who went missing on Monday was kidnapped by gunmen while visiting a relative's house in Baghdad...the U.S. military said...the soldier, a linguist assigned to a reconstruction team, was handcuffed and forced into a vehicle.

10/24/06 AP: Britain Bars ITV Embedded Reporters
Britain's Defense Ministry has barred the country's largest commercial news broadcaster from reporting alongside the nation's troops in Iraq and Afghanistan in a dispute over the network's coverage of wounded soldiers, a ministry official said Tuesday.

10/24/06 DoD Identifies Army Casualty
Staff Sgt. Ronald L. Paulsen, 53, of Vancouver, Wash., died on Oct. 17 in Tarmiya, Iraq, from injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle. Paulsen was assigned to the Army Reserve's 414th Civil Affairs Battalion...

10/24/06 DoD Identifies Marine Casualty
Lance Cpl. Eric W. Herzberg, 20, of Severna Park, Md., died Oct. 21 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force...

10/24/06 AP: Exodus of Iraqi spilling into Europe
Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have fled the unrelenting violence in their homeland since the U.S. invasion in 2003 -- a mass exodus directed primarily to neighboring Arab countries.

10/24/06 DoD Identifies Marine Casualty
Pvt. Edwardo J. Lopez, 21, of Aurora, Ill., died Oct. 19 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force...

10/24/06 GrandRapidsPress: Cedar Springs grad wounded by bomb in Iraq
Kyle Earl's...family was notified this week that Earl, 20, was injured by a roadside bomb in Iraq's Al Anbar Province west of Baghdad. The exact nature and severity of his injuries remained unclear.

10/24/06 Star-Gazette: Marine from Watkins Glen wounded in Iraq
Sgt. Michael B. Yuhasz, 31...was on his third tour of duty in Iraq with the Marines was wounded when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb...suffered forehead lacerations, a broken shoulder and a cracked kneecap

10/24/06 AP: Wounded vet faces murder charges
A Fort Carson soldier in the process of being medically discharged from the military because of injuries suffered in Iraq faces a first-degree murder charge in what authorities say was a botched drug deal. Anthony Marquez III, 22, arrested Monday...

10/24/06 MNF: Insurgent attack kills child and wounds female
One Iraqi child was killed and an Iraqi female was wounded when insurgents attempted to attack Coalition Forces with indirect fire Monday in Haqlaniyah. One of the rounds fired by the insurgents landed on a local home near the Coalition base...

10/24/06 Columbian: Vancouver soldier injured in Iraq when mortar shell hit vehicle
Staff Sgt. John P. Kaiser Jr., 28, was wounded by a 120mm mortar round that landed in front of a hatch on a Stryker vehicle where he was standing, said a neighbor, Linda Kelly.

10/24/06 Reuters: Roadside bomb kills two Iraqi soldiers in central Kirkuk
A roadside bomb targeting an Iraqi army patrol killed two soldiers and wounded another one in central Kirkuk, police said.

10/24/06 Reuters: Roadside bombs wound policemen in Kirkuk
Two roadside bombs exploded in quick succession in the northern oil city of Kirkuk...The first targeted the police deputy chief and wounded one of his security guards. The second exploded near a police station, wounding two policemen and two civilians

10/24/06 Reuters: Car bomb kills two, wounds 11 in northwestern Baghdad
A carbomb killed two people and wounded 11 in the Hurriya district of northwestern Baghdad, police said.

10/24/06 Reuters: Four Iraqi firefighters killed in a case of mistaken identity
U.S. troops pulled over a fire truck and killed four Iraqi firefighters in a case of mistaken identity on Monday after a report that a fire truck had been hijacked in western Falluja, the military said. The firefighters, whom U.S. troops first believed...

10/24/06 Reuters: Bomb in ice-cream shop kills one, wounds seven
A bomb inside an ice-cream shop killed one person and wounded seven others in Baghdad's central Sadriya district, an Interior Ministry source said.

10/24/06 Reuters: Clashes between gunmen and police kill two civilians
Clashes erupted between gunmen and police in Baghdad's southern Zaafaraniya district, killing two civilians and wounding eight others, police and an Interior Ministry source said.

10/24/06 MNF: MND-B Soldier dies from wounds following IED attack
A Multi-National Division - Baghdad Soldier died at approximately 2:15 a.m. today [Oct. 24, 2006] from wounds he received when his patrol was struck by an improvised-explosive device in central Baghdad.

10/24/06 MNF: Sailor killed in Al Anbar
One Sailor assigned to Regimental Combat Team 7 died Monday from enemy action while operating in Al Anbar Province.

On the Surge in Iraq "--we have set the bar so low it's buried in the sand at this point." - Barack Obama

by Lietta Ruger on Wed Oct 25, 2006 at 03:44:54 PM PST

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All the military branches are reporting on this story.  Thurs, Oct 26, 9:00 AM and I just now did a search in google news 'appeal for redress' yields;

Service members' Web site says get out of Iraq
NavyTimes.com, VA - 1 hour ago
... The group, which calls itself An Appeal for Redress, has received the electronic signatures of dozens of active-duty service members who say it's time to ...

Service members' Web site says get out of Iraq
AirForceTimes.com, VA - 1 hour ago
... The group, which calls itself An Appeal for Redress, has received the electronic signatures of dozens of active-duty service members who say it's time to ...

Service members' Web site says get out of Iraq
MarineTimes.com, VA - 1 hour ago
... The group, which calls itself An Appeal for Redress, has received the electronic signatures of dozens of active-duty service members who say it's time to ...

Service members' Web site says get out of Iraq
ArmyTimes.com, VA - 1 hour ago
... The group, which calls itself An Appeal for Redress, has received the electronic signatures of dozens of active-duty service members who say it's time to ...

Service members' Web site says get out of Iraq
Marine Corps Times (subscription) - 1 hour ago
... The group, which calls itself An Appeal for Redress, has received the electronic signatures of dozens of active-duty service members who say it's time to ...

On the Surge in Iraq "--we have set the bar so low it's buried in the sand at this point." - Barack Obama

by Lietta Ruger on Thu Oct 26, 2006 at 08:58:01 AM PST

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I wonder if Republicans have considered the face-saving strategy of purposely loosing the next presidential election so that Democrats would get stuck with the dirty job of pulling out of Iraq?

They could then save themselves the embarrassment of having to do it themselves, and continue to berate Democrats as Cut-and-Run.

by ramgarjun on Wed Oct 25, 2006 at 05:10:01 PM PST

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thank you to Chad Shue - extends information on Appeal for Redress at his blog - The Left Shue.  Read more important elements of troops rights, Appeal for Redress, and rights to Congressional intervention. While our servicepeople in uniform have limitations in what they can say in public, they are not entirely without rights.

Also adding here GI Rights Hotline number:

You may also call the G.I. Rights Hotline at
(800) 394-9544
or (510) 465-1472 (also international calls)

On the Surge in Iraq "--we have set the bar so low it's buried in the sand at this point." - Barack Obama

by Lietta Ruger on Thu Oct 26, 2006 at 06:28:22 AM PST

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link; At least 346 .....

article;
Military members ask Congress for 'relief'

WASHINGTON, Oct. 25 (UPI) -- At least 346 active or former military members had signed on by Wednesday to a Web site asking Congress to withdraw American troops from Iraq, organizers said.

On the Surge in Iraq "--we have set the bar so low it's buried in the sand at this point." - Barack Obama

by Lietta Ruger on Thu Oct 26, 2006 at 07:14:17 AM PST

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by noemie maxwell on Thu Oct 26, 2006 at 08:27:42 AM PST

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OCTOBER 25, 2006
1:51 PM

CONTACT: Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH)
Doug Gordon (202) 225-5871

Kucinich Announces Support For "Appeal For Redress"; States, "No One Speaks With More Moral Authority" On Need For Troops To Come Home

WASHINGTON - October 25 - Ranking Member of the House Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations, issued the following statement today in support of "Appeal for Redress" a group of active duty military personal who are calling for the US to end the war in Iraq:

"No one speaks with more moral authority or understanding of the complexity of Iraq then the brave men and women who serve in our Armed Forces and who have done tours of duty in Iraq. The men and women who have joined this effort have demonstrated courage and bravery and represent the very best of our nation.

"These soldiers cut through the political spin and false rhetoric to deliver a stark and important message: It is time to end the war in Iraq and bring our troops home with the honor and dignity they deserve.

"I am proud to stand with the courageous men and women of Appeal for Redress and will continue my efforts to end the grave misadventure in Iraq and bring all our troops home."

link to Press Release

On the Surge in Iraq "--we have set the bar so low it's buried in the sand at this point." - Barack Obama

by Lietta Ruger on Thu Oct 26, 2006 at 09:07:39 AM PST

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link to
article in Seattle Times, Oct 24, 2006.

excerpt citing comments from Eric Seitz, who btw, is the attorney for Lt. Ehren Watada.  

The Military Whistleblower Protection Act of 1995 allows servicemen and servicewomen to communicate grievances directly to Congress without threat of penalty or reprisal.

Eric Seitz, a Honolulu attorney who has handled military cases for more than 40 years, said: "The kinds of resistance and opposition and outrage that military people are now beginning to express has been simmering ... But it's about to just burst out in huge waves."

Seitz is representing Fort Lewis-based 1st Lt. Ehren Watada, who is being prosecuted for refusing to serve in Iraq.

citing excerpt

In a rare display of public dissent, Madden and Jonathan Hutto, a Navy seaman based in Norfolk, Va., plan to go public today. Members of the military are more limited than civilians in how they can express dissent.

Although a number of troops, including at least one officer, have been brought up on charges for refusing to serve in Iraq and dozens more have deserted, this is the first time active members have publicly petitioned Congress to end the war.

(my note; sigh - it's tiresome to continually read the Seattle newspapers reports categorization as 'anti-war' this, 'anti-war' that and Seattle Times chose to use title for this article as 'Anti-war troops to issue bold message.  Is this a 'Seattle' thing?  I don't see other headlines in the exhaustive google news listings reporting on this story using the anti-war characterization. I'd have preferred if Seattle would have acknowledged using  'Active Duty Soldiers issue bold message' in their title )

On the Surge in Iraq "--we have set the bar so low it's buried in the sand at this point." - Barack Obama

by Lietta Ruger on Thu Oct 26, 2006 at 09:27:06 AM PST

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