See http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/1-over-one-million-iraqi-deaths-caused-by-us-occup... for more details on Iraqi deaths.

For more details on the numbers of Iraqi deaths, see http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/1-over-one-million-iraqi-deaths-caused-by-us-occup...

Amazing how this escapes discussion in the US press.

So we outnumber the insurgency two to one, armed to the teeth with the best weaponry money can buy, and all we can do is make the situation worse. How can anyone, even those gung-ho about the military, justify this?

This difference between the current 'war' and Vietnam is:

1) More expense

2) No draft, so more apathy. Given a draft I'd bet we'd see some action getting the &*^%#@! out, especially if more congress persons than just militant patriots like McCain had sons and daughters serving.

3) Worse repression of and avoidance by the press ('embedded' journalists - bah!).

4) More overseas bases now, with attendant MIC contracts (notice our 'withdrawal schedule' is probably just to harmonize with contracts). There is no intention to ever leave the "cash-cow-destroy-infrstructure-then-act-like-you-are-reconstructing-while-maintaining-endless-contracts-and-at-the-same-time-get-oil-pipeline-deals-which-pay-lobbyists-to-run-Washington" Middle East. It's the "New American Century"'s fantasy come true. What's a few hundred thousand casualties in the process, eh?

5) The "War on Terror"-(c)GWB,Inc. is a complete fabrication, cludged together from disparate terrorist attacks, which really are the same on-going security threats we've always had. 911 just was just a bad security lapse that 'leaked' some of the constant blow-back from the on-going expoitation of many parts of the world by our covert foreign intervention policies. Now the WOT (c) is being franchised to other countries (let's all get freaked now, so we can let despots grab power). Very effective, with daily mis-information and distortion of the reach and extent of 'Al Qaeda' for instance - largely dismantled, and used as a logo by wanna-be terrorist groups world-wide. Thanks to Fox and Co. the fear is kept alive!

For 'comic' relief (still rather sick to have to look at - but you can't blame the artist), see the weekly site, www.markfiore.com . Our country is sick and Pres. Obama is kind of like a glib doctor that still gives you strong allopathic remedies, which have the usual bad side effects (continuing to waste money by throwing it at irresponsible Corp's, keep the 'war'/contracts going in the Middle East, etc.). At least he's not the quack that G.W. was... I guess. The change I'm looking for isn't here yet - that's for sure, but I'm still optimistic (call me daft).

Another sad stat: in 2008 the US Army reported 140 US soldiers committed suicide and so far this year 48 US soldiers have taken their lives. Mission accomplished.

free2bee

STOP this insanity, bring our troops home and prosecute those responsible for this fiasco!!

And the same "leaders" assure us they will also be "successful" in Afghanistan.

"Iraqis strongly opposed to presence of 'coalition' troops: 82%. Iraqis without access to adequate water: 70%"

huh? i don't get that at all....