In May, officials from Iran and the United States hold their first talks since 1980 with the topic being the future of Iraq. (ITV)In June, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas dissolved the Palestinian unity government and declared a state of emergency after masked Hamas gunmen seized control of the Gaza Strip.
On July 22nd, the still-to-be-completed Burj Dubai (see photo at left) becomes the world's tallest building overtaking Taipei 101 in Taipei. (NDTV)
In August, a curious 1994 interview with Dick Cheney regarding the first Gulf war was released to the web. Asked whether U.S. forces should have invaded Baghdad in an attempt to oust Saddam Hussein, Cheney said, “No . . . we would have been all alone . . . It would have been a U.S. occupation of Iraq. Once you got to Iraq and took it over, took down Saddam Hussein's government, then what are you going to put in its place?” Cheney described Iraq as a “quagmire,” predicting sectarian conflict and the pointless loss of American lives. “How many additional dead Americans is Saddam worth? Our judgment was, uh, not very many, and I think we got it right.” You can see the video below (thanks for the link, Brian).
In May, thirty-seven American soldiers were killed in Iraq, ending the deadliest month for U.S. forces in the past two-and-a-half years.
According to Iraqi government records, bombings, sectarian slayings and other violence related to the war killed over 6700 Iraqi civilians over the past 3 months. (1949 in May, 1227 in June, 1753 in July, and 1773 in August). By comparison, (2076 in January, 1646 in February, 1872 in March, 1500 in April). That’s an average of over 1700 a month over the first 8 months of this year, or more than 450 a week, in a nation with a population of approximately 27 million. The U.S. population –over 300 million—is more than 10 times that of Iraq, so as Jack noted in a comment on a previous post on this blog, an equivalent casualty rate in the U.S. would be over 4500 a week. 3,000 were killed in the attack on the U.S. on September 11th, 2001 (which Iraq had nothing to do with), so you could say that Iraq has been suffering a 9/11 event every week of this year so far. If you include deaths that may be attributed to increased lawlessness, degraded infrastructure, poorer healthcare, etc., the numbers may be 10 times as high (so approximately three 9/11’s every two days).The photo above on the right is of a wounded Iraqi child crying as U.S. doctors treat his wounds at the emergency room of 28th Combat Support hospital in Baghdad on August 21, 2007. Medics there treat U.S. and Iraqi combat casualties and some Iraqi civilians.
11 comments:
That photo of the wounded child is classic genre that may or may not be authentic, as it is represented. The best photo I've seen about the Iraqi war is shown on the cover of the September/October 2007 isue of the U.T. Alumni magazine, "Alcalade." Getting a photo like that is rare.
I forgot to give credit to John Moore, a brilliant young man who has already been awarded the pulitzer prize.
Remember the young woman who was lying on her boy friends grave? He took that photo too.
That video of Cheney should be required viewing for everyone. Disgusting.
Ooooops, need to wake up before I write anything. In the first comment above, the real stand up word for the U.T. Alumni magazine is "Alcalde."
grasshopper eating coyote
The first site on the internet at UT Alcalde is a great site to view some of John Moore's photography. That is great photography. I love it and it puts me to shame.
Yes the video was disgusting, even disturbing. But unlike Nancy, the first female speaker of the house, (now I know you know what I mean when I say who is the speaker around my house)senor cheney does know the difference between a sunni and a shitte. I believe one of my texas central neighbors said it is similar to republicans and democrats, that they are all disgusting. mangy coyote de Mexico
What makes you think Nancy Pelosi doesn't know the difference between a Sunni and Shiite, coyote?
because I am the wile coyote, aka the wylie coyote.
And I don't think Sunnis and Shiites are any more disgusting than, say, Methodists and Baptists. Or would Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox be the more appropriate analogy?
Maybe. I think you have it figured out ole chap. I really have a hard time making generalizations about Arab culture and religion that I believe. It is too complicated. Actually there are many things about their culture that appeals to me. I do like to pick on Bush and Nancy, but it doesn't have much to do with what is right or wrong with them. It is more likely what is right or wrong with me.
Wylie Coyotee
It's frightening that such an evil and corrupt man can be holding a high office in the country we live in and love. I have never hated anyone in my life as much as I hate Bush and his followers. Probably if we were to "follow the money" we would find that Cheney owns Bush and tells him what to do and when.
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