Supporting the troups
Posted by Raznor

Via Echidne, Jim Lampley writes the following in the Huffington Post.

A Bush-watcher website identified as TBRNews.org is reporting under the byline of "domestic intelligence reporter" Brian Harring that the Department of Defense is using a cynical tactic to mislead the public regarding the true death toll for American military personnel in Iraq. Harring claims he has an internal pdf. file from the D.O.D. which establishes that nearly 9000 Americans have died in Operation Iraqi Freedom, but that the official number has been held to 1713 by designating as Iraq deaths only those who perish on Iraqi soil. The remainder, he says, are military personnel who have died en route to Germany or in German hospitals-- casualties of the war, but not listed in the official death toll.

If this is true it would explain the apparent statistical discrepancy between dead and wounded. A combat action which produces nearly eight times as many officially wounded-- 13000 plus-- as officially dead...well, it's not the norm. It goes without saying it would also further jolt a public majority already disturbed by the war's "progress" and eager to see the troops come home. (link in original)

If true, this is truly disgusting. (And Lampley goes on to write about how the writers of this report are attempting to confirm it, so we'll know how true it is soon enough) For all those who claim criticizing the President is not supporting the troupes, pay attention to this. This would show nothing short of a huge dishonor by the Administration of those men and women who died in the unnecessary conflict they started. But what can we expect? As Lampley adds, the Bush Administration already bans showing flag-draped coffins. When Gary Trudeau or Dan Rather list the names of those killed, radical right wingers go rabid. Supporting the war has never been about supporting the troupes. It's about ignoring the troupes except indirectly, as they are the means by which racist assholes can vicariously torture Ay-rabs, and for Bush-cultists to worship their president.

And you know what, while I'm on the subject: Newt Gingrich- fuck off.