SwiftVets.com

[Paul R.]

Holy G'Moly! I didn't mean to stir up such a controversy by just "making sure of my sources". And I agree that "1000" as a "milestone" is nonsense and neglects our people elsewhere. It neglects our allies also, and even neglects people like a civilian security officer in the Philippines
getting killed in a Abu Sayaf bomb blast at the entrance of a mall...

Maybe it'd be better to point out that there were a lot of days in WWII where "only 1000 U.S. KIA" would have been considered a really good day, in a grim sort of way. (God, even that thought just now made me close my eyes and be very silent for a couple moments.) And what we face now is just as grim as what we faced in WWII. People just do not realize it, or have forgotten, after 911. We have been conditioned by easy victories in recent years, and for some reason we are "insulated" from what our worst enemies say. Hey, NYT: I challenge you to put on
the front page once a week 1000 words from some terrorist leader's diatribe to their own followers about their intentions toward any non-Muslims. Put a few of Saddam's old rants toward us in there, too. We
think we are immune from the sort of "crazy" conflicts that we see around the world that go back for centuries. Well, guess what, we are in one!
These people have not forgotten about the sacking of Jerusalem, by the Crusaders, in the 1st Crusade. (If you are not familiar with it, go research it -- sitting down.)

BTW, even if Iraq does not become a "stable democracy", that does not necessarily mean it's a lost battle in the war on terror. (It might be considered a personal failure for Bush, though.) But, that's another argument for another time -- like about 30 years in the future!

Again, even one life lost is "too many", in one sense. But, on 9/12/01, what would any reasonable person have thought our casualties might be, 3 years later? (How many soldiers did Russia lose in Afghanistan?)

Well, I digress.... Polaris, sorry about the trouble. Maybe someone else here can help him find the figures? I've looked a little further, to no avail,
also. But I do know the occupation in Europe was widely criticized and called a failure for some years after WWII. I'm sure casualties had to be part of that picture.

God Bless all our troops who serve / have served / will serve with honor.
I know it's not possible, but I hope all are around in that 30 years to kick it around the table!
_________________
Paul R.

[ProudDaughterofVet]

1000 killed in Iraq..Our CIC, President Bush in his wonderful simple way mourns the loss of all life in the battlefield to protect our freedoms and states, " We will honor their memory by completing the mission, freedom"
Now..compare that to the dishonorable fool Kerry, who takes this moment of loss for our nation to attack Bush, claim that the money spent was a foolish waste..and he 'would of done things differently'..taking the moment to diminish the brilliant contribution of our coalition..40 countries who suffered under brutal regime's in the past..dissing them as if they do not count..My God..what more do the American voters have to hear from Kerry...

over 300 lost their lives in Russia this week because of terrorist evil..someone has to stand UP..I am proud of our men and women who have stood up , who have taken the fight to the enemy instead of us having to mourn our children as the Russians have had to do..

Now, Putin states he will not rule out preemption in the fight on terror..well, Kerry..is President Putin an irrelevant ally..

shame on Kerry..he makes me ill, sick to my stomach..if anything, it only reaffirms to me that we can not slow down our battle, our cause, our belief that the reason we do what we do here is to save our country from , IMO, a treasonous, lying, arrogant a@#..

Keep the faith, and may God Bless our soldiers..past and present.
PD

[jataylor11]

Actually the death toll in Russia will be somewhere between 400 and 500. When you add the subway bombing and airplane bombings Russia has a terrorist death toll of over 500 in less than one month.

I mourn the loss of the first soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice or me freedom as much as a do the 1,000th. To make this tragedy a political talking point is desecration of the deceased.

None of these deaths are trivial. There must be a special place in hell for those using these deaths for their self-seeking purposes.

[wshhml]

I will be happy when this election is over. This is a destructive election and tactics from, yes, the Democrats and their media allies. I do not want to see terrorists celebrating and these two months can't pass fast enough.

[Paul R.]

Yes, and a lot of Iraqis who've sided with us are getting killed too. I guess their sacrifice is also part of the "phoney alliance", Sen. Kerry?

BTW, I do not include most Muslims in "These people". The terrorists are just as likely to slaughter fellow Muslims, if it suits their terrorist purpose.

One other point: Who could have imagined, on 9/12/04, that there would not be many more terrorist attacks here in the U.S., by now? I think Bush & Co. have done a good job on this, but, no matter how good our offense or our defense, eventually a major attack on us will likely succeed. How will we react then? What kind of a leader will keep us on course through a war that will be much longer than Vietnam, possibly will be worse, and that could show up at any of our doorsteps, tomorrow?
A man who has calmly told us there will be setbacks and mistakes? Or one who freaks at the slightest pressure?

(Keep up the pressure, Swifties!)
_________________
Paul R.

[jataylor11]

We have been at war much longer than February 2002, or even October 2001. What about the U.S.S. Cole? What about the African embassies? What about 1993 WTC bombing? What about the Saudi barracks? (I am sure I have missed some attack)

We reach the 1,000 deaths milestone years ago. Now we are fighting back and our added casualities are with our fighting men and women. I am forever thankful that they are willing to serve.

[brotherofvietvet]

Funny Kerry does not add the 3300 who died on September 11th.

But that would not advance his politcal career,

The previous writers are right, it is like 1971 all over again and Kerry is

again insulting the intelligence of the American people.

[Dabba55]

Let us not forget our brave and valiant men and women who have laid down their lives in Operation Enduring Freedom (133 souls).

Let us not forget what Kerry calls the "Coalition of the coerced and the bribed": they have given us 131 of their soldier citizens.

They die one, by one, by one...Not in groups of ten or twenty or a thousand.

God, this is creepy...Kerry is doing it again, rising on the backs of these good patriots, but this time the prize is the presidency.

[oasis]

Hello,

Dabba55 wrote..

[Scott]

[oasis]

Hello,

Kerry's new crimes against our American Armed Forces.

[low26]

I give tribute and heart felt thanks to all those who have fallen, or have been wounded or, Have even served to protect this great nation. I also offer my prayers to their families. I also offer my scorn of the sick political stunt by the Dem's and their accomplices in the MSM for making a political attack instrument of this. It is indeed sad that we have a political party and a media who were standing by with their hands ringing for this moment to use it to trash our president who is protecting them also. It makes me want to vomit. For them what is bad for America is good for them

[LimaCharlie]

John Faux Kerry trivialized the lives of millions of Southeast Asians killed before, during, and after our involvement in Viet Nam. He is again trivializing the lives lost on 9/11, the lives of non-terrorist Muslims, the lives lost in Russia and Israel, and the lives of all current and past US military.

I believe the much larger issue is politicians agreeing with John Faux Kerry and the mainstream media are trivializing the lives of billions of poor people and non-white people. They want to take care of “those” people with welfare and other handouts instead of believing “those” people have the intelligence to make their own destiny if given freedom. “Those” people’s freedom is not worth fighting for in a war. Some people now refer to this as “soft racism.” I tend to call a spade a f…ing shovel. It is pure socialist elitism and blatant racism. Its not a lot different than the Nazi‘s or Communist’s view of “those” people. Their views of the masses are all the same, the solutions are just somewhat different. You gain power by taking care of “those” people.

Freedom is never free!
_________________
I was going to become an anarchist, but they had too many rules.

[Dabba55]

In his acceptance speech last week, W used the phrase, "...the soft bigotry of low expectations...."

It IS blatant, but allows the perpetrator to come off as "helping" and "caring" and "supportive" of the intended victim. It is insidious. Like Bob Kerrey at the 9/11 Commission hearings, prefacing his questioning of Condi Rice by mentioning her humble background and "commending" her for overcoming it. Low expectations. Perhaps he didn't mean to be, but it came off so utterly and completely condescending.

It is what I find so offensive about JFKerry, always mentioning his Yale credentials in connection with Vietnam. The unspoken is: I didn't have to go to VN with all these other blue collar grubs. (Even though we know he in fact asked for a deferment to go to FRANCE.)

[LimaCharlie]