According to this Obama is weeks away from making a decision on troop increases in Afghanistan. Suspense is already at high levels!
59 of ours for the month of October and yes the highest number of deaths in any given month since October of 2001.
Will the reality of "this can't be won" enter the decision making process? I will believe that when it happens.
Will our Nobel Peace Prize winning president ramp it up even more with additional troops being sent to one of the worst shit holes in the world? A place where the occupiers have never won. We'll find out soon.
If our President sends more troops OTC will be one of the first to call for the return of his prize for peace.
Graph from iCasualties
Fatalities by Year and Month
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| 2002 | 10 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 30 |
| 2003 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 33 |
| 2004 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 49 |
| 2005 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 18 | 4 | 26 | 2 | 15 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 93 |
| 2006 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 11 | 18 | 9 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 88 |
| 2007 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 18 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 6 | 111 |
| 2008 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 5 | 16 | 28 | 20 | 22 | 27 | 16 | 1 | 3 | 153 |
| 2009 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 6 | 12 | 24 | 44 | 51 | 37 | 59 | 0 | 0 | 275 |
Nationality: Fatality Type:
Theatre:
It doesn't get any better, add NATO fatalities to the total and it jumps to about 1500, plus many thousand of severe injuries. Although Obama is accused of "dithering" I am hoping he is just thinking. Thinking about getting out.
ReplyDeleteTrying to get a functional democratic government, in Afghanistan is a pipe dream, tribes don't like being governed by people from other tribes. The might have cell phones and sophisticated combat weapons but the tribes think like 12th century men.
I keep thinking back to John Kerry's words to Congress when he was a veteran, before he got himself a rich wife and became an asshole.
ReplyDelete"How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?."
I'm of the opinion that Barack's decision on Afghanistan will be the "tell" for me on where we are headed, he still has to deal with Goldman, the pentagon, health care and global warming and what he does with the war to nowhere will provide me with a notion of where he's at.
ReplyDeleteHe can make the right decision, no more troops or send more troops and continue the failed policy of the previous administration.
At this time it appears it will be war as usual and that has been sucking a hind teat for years.
ReplyDeleteThera are over 200K in troop strength already. There are said to be less than 1000 Al Ques in Afganistan. The largest coppermine in the world, Chinese owned of course, sits in the heart of Taliban country and has no need of "enhanced security umbrellas" to get its' ore out. Why not? Why are we still there and what and who are we really protecting? The oil pipeline? The opium? If Obama is dithering is it because he can't tell us or he can't cross the Chinese or is it all just bullshit? I vote and call bullshit on this whole mess after 8 years.
ReplyDeletei'm guessing you know where i stand on this...
ReplyDelete... the point of this comment: Nice Picture! (the b&w farm at the top of your page)
Thanks Russ-that is actually a picture of a picture I've always liked that's been around and of course I know.
ReplyDelete