American Casualties of War 2003-2013

American casualties, March, 2003 to April 26, 2013

Iraq war = 4,422 deaths, 31,927 wounded

Afghanistan war = 2,193 deaths and 18,429 wounded

For What?

     Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990. George H W Bush was president; Dick Cheney was Secretary of Defense. The USA along with a coalition of several allies, with UN Security Council approval, went to the aid of Kuwait to push Iraq back across the border and reclaim Kuwait. Dick Cheney and several high ranking Military officers wanted to continue the push all the way to Baghdad, but were held in check by President H W Bush and the UN Security Council.

     When Iraq was pushed back and Kuwait was secured, President Bush, his wife and two of their sons, with several cabinet members made a visit to Kuwait to offer support for the damages inflicted by Iraq. During the visit, an assassination attempt was made on President Bush by Iraqi forces, but was interdicted by Kuwait Security Police. 17 Iraqis were captured in the attempt. This further contributed to Cheney’s desire to invade Iraq and nail Saddam Hussein, not only for snubbing his nose at the US, the UN, and the rest of the world, but for trying to assassinate President George H W Bush.

     After completing his service as Secretary of Defense with President George H W Bush, Dick Cheney spent the next 8 years as CEO of Halliburton, a large government contractor.

     When George W Bush became President under questionable conditions, Dick Cheney became Vice President. Both men harbored a deep seated hatred for Saddam Hussein, and would use any excuse for an opportunity to invade Iraq for the sole purpose of revenge.

     After the Twin Towers attack by 15 Saudi Arabian citizens who were members of the al Qaida terrorist organization, intelligence reports were manipulated to indicate Saddam Hussein and Iraq as the source of the attack. Erroneous intelligence reports were manufactured indicating Iraq was making and hiding Weapons of Mass Destruction which were a threat to the USA. Both of which were later to be proven false.

     Against world opinion and without the approval of the UN Security Council, several allies were bullied into joining a US led invasion of Iraq in March, 2003. Halliburton was arbitrarily awarded a No Bid contract for all military requirements, construction and supply for the war(s).

     After Saddam Hussein’s regime was toppled and his palaces and estates were captured, W Bush appeared on the deck of an aircraft carrier displaying a banner reading, “Mission Accomplished.” As far as “W” and Cheney were concerned, they had had their revenge on Saddam Hussein, for his arrogance toward the US and for attempting to assassinate “W’s” father, and their mission was completed. They weren't interested in identifying or pursuing the real perpetrators of the attack on the Twin Towers, and the US. Yet the war has continued and expanded into Afghanistan. Hussein was later captured and hanged by an Iraqi court on December 30, 2006.

     “W” and Cheney’s personal revenge has cost the US unimaginable debt, and more than twice the number of casualties caused by the terrorist attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. Not to mention the untold number of civilian casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The cost for these wars during “W’s” administration has depleted the US treasury and was charged on a “credit card” to be paid by following administrations plunging the US into trillions of dollars in debt.

     During “W’s” administration we witnessed some of the worst greed ever by banks and Wall Street CEOs, Kenneth Lay of Enron, Bernard Madoff, Mitt Romney & Bain Capital, etc., all paying themselves million dollar salaries and bonuses and stripping pension funds, savings funds, mortgage funds, company assets, and putting thousands of people out of work while the American economy was going down the toilet.

     In the end, what has been accomplished by this act of reckless revenge? What have we settled by waging war in and on 2 Middle Eastern countries? What has been changed? So far the most we have accomplished is the uniting of all Arabic and Islamic peoples in a hatred of jihad proportions against America.

     Middle Eastern countries have been in conflict with each other for thousands of years. When American forces leave Iraq and Afghanistan, deep rooted cultural traditions will prevail and conditions will continue as they have been for centuries.

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