From the Washington Post:
With the death yesterday of another U.S. soldier in Iraq, the number of U.S. troops who have died there since May 1, when President Bush declared an end to major combat operations, rose to 138 — the same number as perished during the six weeks of fighting that marked the fall of Baghdad and its immediate aftermath, according to Pentagon records.
The figure of 138 includes not only those killed by enemy fire — called “hostile” deaths by the Pentagon — but also those who died as a result of vehicle accidents, drowning, medical problems or other factors unrelated to combat. Yesterday’s casualty, for instance, involved an unidentified soldier from the Army’s 130th Engineer Brigade who suffered a “non-hostile gunshot wound” — a phrase that can mean suicide or the accidental discharge of a weapon.
Although the 62 deaths from hostilities since May 1 remain well below the 115 that occurred in March and April, the combat death rate has been averaging one soldier about every other day since Bush flew to the carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and announced that “major combat operations in Iraq have ended.” If that trend continues through the end of the year, those killed in action after May 1 will outnumber those killed in action before then.
Other articles today:
A tongue-in-cheek discussion of defacing the flag begins this article, which then segues into pointing out the possibly illegal posting of political fund-raising speeches on the White House website. Remember how the Republicans laid into Gore and his questionable fund-raising activities? Well, President Bush is flying around the country raising huge sums of cash… and throws in one quick Presidential appearance so that we tax payers foot the bill. Is there a single subject about which the Republicans are not hypocritical?
At the end of the article is this amusing (in a sad way) tidbit:
“President Bush Announces Combat Operations in Iraq Have Ended.”
— Headline on the White House Web site over May 1 speech by Bush.
“President Bush Announces Major Combat Operations in Iraq Have Ended.”
— Headline on the White House Web site over the same May 1 speech after Bush said in an Aug. 14 interview that “we still have combat operations going on.”
“Revisionist historians”, indeed.
Also in today’s paper, congressional investigators report on the non-cooperation of Dick Cheney when asked for records of his energy meetings.
Administration officials did not account for much of the money spent on the task force and could not remember whether anyone took official notes during the 10 Cabinet-level meetings the group held in 2001, the investigators said.
It’s amazing how many things this administration can’t remember. They don’t remember if someone took notes? I didn’t realize what a lax, laid back White House this was.
“This report is a sad chronicle of the efforts of the office of the vice president to hide its activities from the American people,” said Michigan Rep. John Dingell, the senior Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
