Published March 31st, 2007
What They Don’t Show You On The TV News
You won’t see these clips on your sanitised nightly TV News bulletins. This is the reality of the so-called WAR on TERROR in Iraq. Real people being killed with real bullets and real bombs everyday.
It’s hard to know how to describe the FACES OF THE FALLEN website, produced and maintained by the WASHINGTON POST newspaper. In one regard, it’s a brilliant, well designed tribute to the men and women, many of them just 18yo and 19yo, who have been KILLED while on military duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. On the other hand, that such a site has a need to exist makes it sad and depressing.
As of today, March 31st 2007, there have been 3597 officially killed in action. That’s 2.5 per day since beginning of the US led invasion of Iraq in March of 2003. And lets not forget, this is just the figure for the USA military forces. The number for the Iraqi’s killed is estimated to be just over 30,000 by the Official US Military sources. Others such as the UN and UK’s Ministry Of Defence estimate that over 34,000 Iraqi’s were killed in 2006 alone, and cite an approximate figure of closer to 350,000 dead since March 2003.
I hope it’s all been worth it. Luckily the world no longer has to worry about the Weapons Of Mass Destruction that were the justification for invading Iraq in the first place. Oh… wait a minute… we all seem to have forgotten that there WERE NO WEAPONS EVER FOUND. That the whole fear factor and scare campaign was possibly even fabricated by those with a vested interest in creating an ongoing military action in Iraq under the guise of a "war" so they can sell their weapons, munitions, supplies and support services to the military, and get paid in full, on time with giant cheques signed by the US Congress and funded by the US taxpayers.
I urge you to spend 5-10 minutes clicking on some of the FACES OF THE FALLEN and relate their stories to the people in your life of similar age and circumstance, and ponder what it must mean for the 3597 families, and those of countless number on the Iraqi side.
Lets wrap up for now with these thoughts… The official end of "Combat Operations" in Iraq was May 1st 2003. George W Bush and his people marked the occasion with a staged publicity stunt we all still remember. You know, the one where George lands on an aircraft carrier in the back seat of a military jet, then gives his speech in front of
huge banners saying "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED".
Have a look at this graph of total USA casualties, and note the number since the "end" of the "war" May 2003. Can you can see what’s wrong with this picture ? What’s even scarier (for the USA) is they are now sending MORE people over to Iraq.
And they have NO exit strategy to end this carnage…
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