10 U.S troops killed

msnbc ^ | msnbc

[ruschpa]

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A roadside bomb killed a provincial intelligence chief in southern Iraq early Wednesday, one of four police officers killed in attacks around the country. The military reported 10 U.S. troops killed in bombings and combat a day earlier, raising to 69 the number of U.S. troops killed in October. etc...

[ruschpa]

Talk about depressing...

[mtbopfuyn]

Prayers.

[AntiGuv]

[RexBeach]

It is no surprise that this is happening in October. US deaths haven't been this high since January, 2005.

The terrorists are working overtime to place their colleagues, the Democrats, in control of the Congress.

[Patrick1]

Is sixty-nine a lot? And how many Islamo Fascists died or were captured during the same period?

"You don't win a war by dying for your country, you win a war by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country" General George S. Patton, Jr.

[meandog]

As I understand it, most of the deaths come from IEDs on main roads...and I cannot help but wonder why there isn't constant monitoring by UAV drones with night vision capabilites to catch terrorists planting the devices. I also wonder why more isn't done to beef up armor around the cabs of convoy trucks and Hummers and routes not altered away from roads. And, in extreme circumstances, why don't we just let M1 Abrams and Bradley's just pull lines of wagons filled with supplies?

[RexBeach]

Good post, Patrick.

"If you fear being conquered, your defeat is certain."

-Napoleon

[RexBeach]

I had heard, some time agao, that a lot of these IEDs have shaped charges; and some of those could poke a hole even in an M1 Abrams. Is that correct?

[BamaAndy]

I think we must nuke them--take out Sadr city entirely. Do we want to win? Are we serious?

[mcshot]

You are not wondering alone. I'm beginning to think they (except Kurdistan) should live in their own stew.

[meandog]

I had heard, some time agao, that a lot of these IEDs have shaped charges; and some of those could poke a hole even in an M1 Abrams. Is that correct?

Being a Navy vet, I dunno. I presume the weakest part of a tank is its bottom...but, still, soldiers could juryrig reactive armor on the bottom part and seemingly make it invulnerable to IED penetration.

[jwparkerjr]

You are certainly right on in recognizing the connection between the higher casualty rate in Iraq and the upcoming US elections. I would describe this as "Tet Lite", an operation designed solely for the effect it will have on voters in the US. The high casualty rate is also attributable to the increase in efforts to get the violence under control. Sorta counter-intuitive isn't it? Steps to reduce violence lead to greater violence! And that's where the Lefties and the MSM will leave it. Their point will be that we shouldn't be so foolish as to try to reduce violence, it's obvious it doesn't work. Those on the Right though know that frequently when you set out to do something difficult the situation frequently gets worse before it gets better. I pray the voters will see this for what it is, just one more example of how important this war is to our enemy and how badly they think it is going for them. They know they can't win on the battlefield, but they hold out hope that their friends in the US can snatch victory from the jaws of defeat for them.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

The terrorists are working overtime to place their colleagues, the Democrats, in control of the Congress.... the Dems must have sent the memo to their terrorist friends in Iraq.

[Poincare]

The roadside bombs, no longer "I"ED's, are high tech and made in Iran. That our air power doesn't take out the Iranian bomb factories is disturbing...

[stephenjohnbanker]

Very good point!

[Diver Dave]

Your comment re: IED's prompts me to provide some words from our nephew's recent e-mail from Iraq...

We've had a few more injuries here from IEDs and small arms fire, but no one has been killed - so that’s good. And we found out that the IBAS body armor and SAPI plates work - one of the guys was out doing a mission and took a 7.62mm AP round to his front SAPI - the plate stopped the round and the Soldier was able to continue his mission.

His tour is just about over. We're looking forward to his return.

[RexBeach]

Quite right, JW! What happens when you stir up an ant's nest?

Remember the MSM practically said we lost the "Tet Offensive?" Of course, we didn't. But when "Uncle Walter" laid that lie on everyone, it was all over for the South Vietnamese and our men in country.

The commies never licked us in battle. That's what General Giap said.

[jwparkerjr]

I know how difficult it is to overcome the feelings of dread that can come over you when you experienced something really bad in the past and you see it starting to happen again. That's where I am right now. But I have to remind myself that this is Dubya! I don't think we'll see him and his staff marching to the Leftie/MSM drumbeat of "we've lost, let's leave."

It's going to be a very violent next couple of months and my heart and prayers go out to our troops that are fighting this war with one hand tied behind their back, just to satisfy those who think a PC war is somehow less of a war or a fairer war than when we use our God-given power to crush an enemy. We're getting the worst of both worlds. We'll fight the PC war and then when it's obvious just how much it's REALLY costing us well be forced to do what we should have done in the first place. Meantime the deaths and casualties will continue to mount. And when it's all over and done with will have the lives that would have been lost if we had fought the war properly, non-PC, in the first place PLUS we'll have those that come as part of an effective assualt on a barbarous enemy.

[World_Events]

Rest in peace

[AnnaZ]

It is depressing. I hope we can amp things up and win this damn thing, unequivocally, so that not one of these deaths has been in vain.

Prayers for those they leave behind.