Dhimmi This!

Do Whaaaat?

The AP has a story titled "Strykers Lose 10 on 1st Day in Diyala". I linked to it thinking Holy Crap 10 Strykers - that could involve up to 90 some odd guys.  Then as I read the article I thought - well maybe they meant 10 troops killed.  I finished the article and I thought - Do Whaaaat? 

At one point the article states, "By day's end, one soldier was dead, 12 wounded and two Strykers destroyed." I did the math and could not get 10 out of it in any fashion.  I continued to read and the article then states, " The Stryker crew was trapped. One U.S. soldier was killed. All nine other crew members were wounded, though six later returned to duty." Okay, well I count 10, but then 6 returned to battle so even if lost means wounded and out of the battle I am at 4. Now this accounts for one dead, 4 evacuated wounded, 6 wounded who are still in the battle and one Stryker vehicle destroyed.  Still can't find "10 Lost". I continue reading and it states, " The other Stryker was destroyed when a roadside bomb exploded as the armored vehicle drove over it. The nine-man squad got out alive, three with injuries." Now this is two Stryker vehicles, one dead, 7 evacuated wounded (assuming all the wounded in the second vehicle were evacuated), and 6 wounded still in the battle.  I still can't find the "10 Lost" Then there is a quote from a soldier, "One killed in action and nine casualties. That's basically all of us right here".   Now that is ten but it appears to be the 10 with one dead, 4 evacuated, and 6 wounded who returned to battle which was mentioned earlier. Wait but there was mention of a dog being shot, so maybe that counts as one of the 10 lost.  So now we have one dead US soldier, one dead Iraqi dog (assuming that the dog died), 7 evacuated wounded, and 6 wounded still in the battle. 

Is it "new math" or just AP shocking headline math? Again all I can say is "Do Whaaaat?"
 

An Outsiders View

Interesting take on America's position on the Long War, f.k.a. the GWOT, by Australia's Ambassador to the U.S.  The Australian reports,

"AUSTRALIA'S ambassador to the US, Dennis Richardson, warns that Democrats and Republicans alike believe the war on terrorism is just beginning and that the legacy of the 9/11 attacks will shape American politics for the next generation."

"Too many people assume that come January 2009, and the Bush presidency ends, the world is going to change all of a sudden. A lot won't change. And that tends to be glossed over."

"Asked about the war on terrorism, Mr Richardson said: "In terms of how Americans think the Long War's going, I think they believe they're not yet 10 per cent through it. In terms of a conflict lasting for a generation or more, you don't get a lot of difference across the political spectrum. The political differences are over the approach to the Long War."

"There is not a single major US presidential candidate that has a negative word to say about the need to stay in Afghanistan."

"You would be looking at a continuation of anywhere between 40,000 to 80,000 US military personnel in Iraq well into 2008 and into 2009," Mr Richardson said."

Makes me want to peruse a little bit of de Tocqueville's writings.

Salute You

Oh soldier can you see?
What you have done for me?

You've preserved my very life.
My pursuit of liberty.

Can we really stand alone?
Togetherness you soldiers have shown.

May we ever salute you
In the red, white and blue.

May the flag that we see
Just a reminder to us be

That your life has kept us free
Ever grateful we should be.

 

 

Written by

Carmen Kleinwachter

Mother of Cpl. Chris Kleinwachter (KIA- November 30, 2006)

Fort Rucker Families Hit by Tornado

Blackfive Post: Stay tuned.  Ft. Rucker, Alabama, was hit hard by yesterday's tornados and storms. While the fort has been instrumental in helping out the local area, military families have lost loved ones and homes have been destroyed.

Soldiers' Angels is on the job and will be establishing funds to support Ft. Rucker soldiers and families.

On March 1, 2007 a band of severe thunderstorms swept across the South. The storms were accompanied by tornadoes which left a swath of destruction in their wake. The agricultural town of Enterprise, Alabama was hit especially hard. The town newspaper, The Enterprise Ledger, reports, " The tornado struck downtown Enterprise around 1 p.m. Thursday, destroying homes, flipping vehicles and collapsing the ceiling and walls in parts of Enterprise High School. Reports concerning the number of dead and injured vary wildly, with state officials reporting as many as 5 possible deaths in the city." Its high school sustained a direct hit and many students were injured when a wall collapsed. Several of the injured students are from families stationed at nearby Fort Rucker. There are reports of deaths among the students, but the school system has yet to provide confirmation of this tragic news. Fort Rucker is the home of the United States Army Aviation Warfighting Center and many of its families live in Enterprise and their children attend its schools. The governor of Alabama has declared a state of emergency, but in a situation like this, with so many people in need, the government is cannot immediately help everyone. Soldiers' Angels is determined to make sure that none of our military personnel or their families are overlooked.

Soldiers' Angels has several members who are in the area and they have rallied to provide aid and comfort to the military families who are suffering. Additionally, in an effort to help these families, Soldiers' Angels has established the Fort Rucker Military Family Relief Fund. This fund is dedicated specifically to helping the members of the Fort Rucker who have lost family and their homes as a result of this terrible event. Soldiers' Angels will use the fund to provide emergency relief to the families. Items such as clothes, food, personal items and even shelter will be provided. Please help the families and our soldiers at Fort Rucker. Donations can be made through Paypal.
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Thank you all The Soldiers Angels