A LOW TOLL

New York Post ^ | October 17, 2003 | JOHN PODHORETZ

[OESY]

Get ready to start writing your hate e-mail, because I'm about to say something nearly impermissible in the present-day discourse on the war in Iraq. Here it is: The death toll among American soldiers remains startlingly and hearteningly low, not horribly and frighteningly high.

[camas]

if you are looking to be flamed post this on the DU board

[Dave Elias]

"Never in the annals of military history has so much territory been occupied at such little cost"

Austraila 1770

[fml]

True, but it will fall on deaf ears for the Bush haters. When Clinton was in office ridding the world of Saddam was just a bunch of bravado....

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in 1996. Was such collateral damage worth it? Albright replied, "I think this is a very hard choice, but the price [500,000 dead] - we think the price is worth it." .....


That was then and this is now.

[Uncle Miltie]

I believe it is still true that accidental deaths in the military are higher than combat deaths this year.

[goodnesswins]

The only two guys I knew who died in Vietnam were both accidental deaths....drowning and misfired gun in barracks. Seems to be a major risk, if not THE major risk - accidental death.

[toddst]

I would like to see the numers on how many of the terrorists our troops have killed since major combat operations have ceased. Our troops are efficiently extinguishing the monsters who attack them IMO.

[toddst]

Seems to be a major risk, if not THE major risk - accidental death.

Operations in a combat zone always result on non-combat deaths. Many are the result of carelessness (your examples.) Beyond that, training with equipment intended to break things and kill people is inherently dangerous. Last number I saw was two deaths per week as average during peacetime training operations.

[Agnes Heep]

No one likes to see deaths resulting from military action, but the purpose of a military is not to protect the soldiers. Imagine if we viewed firefighting or police work in the same pusillanimous light as those who insist that the Iraq situation is deteriorating because of a few isolated incidents?

[Pan_Yans Wife]

ping

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Get ready to start writing your hate e-mail, because I'm about to say something nearly impermissible in the present-day discourse on the war in Iraq. Here it is: The death toll among American soldiers remains startlingly and hearteningly low, not horribly and frighteningly high.

Perspective!

 Thanks, Tonkin!

If you want on or off my Pro-Coalition ping list, please Freepmail me. Warning: it is a high volume ping list on good days. (Most days are good days).

[boxerblues]

President Bush declared the end of "major combat operations" on May 1; xxx American soldiers have died since

If I see this reported one more time with another death I will scream. The soldiers who have lost there lives deserve so much better.

[Hondo1952]

But those devastating battles never really happened:

That is the only thing I disagree with you on. If you are on the receiving end of even one person shooting at you it is a devastating battle. One of the great things about this country and one of the things I believe in most is, everyone has a right to their opinions. You need not have served in the military to have that right. Those of us that did may disagree with some things a person has to say, but we defend to the death their right to say it.

[blackie]

The evidence is there ~ Too bad that the pro-terrorist democrats and their left-wing lackeys in the media are so brain dead!

[OldFriend]

Here is the choice we had when prosecuting the liberation of Iraq.

Either stop and engage EVERY combatant along the way, resulting in hundreds if not thousands of deaths on both sides during every battle.

We chose to rush forward, securing Bagdhad with a MINIMUM loss of life on both sides.

This choice saved the infrastructure, not destroyed it as the dems love to claim.

We took away the time the Iraqi's would have had to torch the oil fields, destroy the bridges, and poison the water supply.

[BOBTHENAILER]

Perhaps voters will hold President Bush accountable for the deaths of American troops. Somehow, I doubt it. I think they know that the people who deserve blame for killing Americans are the people who kill them.

Great article.

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!

[PhilDragoo]

Clinton and Albright let a million die in Rwanda.

Demunists predicted tens of thousands of casualties.

It's not for the Left to tell us about cost--they who condone the 100 million murdered by Communists.

[Brian S]

Post on DU....ha ha ha.

I tried that once, got banned the first post and yet there are many here that would prefer I was banned from FR...

Guess as the saying goes "if you are taking flak...you are over the target".

[AFPhys]

LOL --- I like that "if you are taking flak you're over the target"

Thanks for ping, as always, RCgirl