The Common Ills: Deadliest month for US soldiers in Iraq

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Deadliest month for US soldiers in Iraq

The Dept of Defense issued the following on Thursday, "The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation New Dawn. Spc. Andrew E. Lara, 25, of Albany, Ore., died April 27, of a noncombat related incident, in Babil province, Iraq. He was assigned to F Company, 145th Brigade Support Battalion, attached to the 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Regiment. For more information, please contact the Oregon National Guard public affairs office at 503-584-3885." Yesterday another US soldier died in Iraq. AFP notes he was killed in southern Iraq, according to the US military, and that this "made April the deadliest month for US forces in Iraq since 2009, according to figures compiled by AFP."

Were I an NPR on air who, just this week, babbled on incoherently and stupidly about how violence was down as I intro-ed a story claiming the war was over, I think I'd be begging someone -- anyone -- for forgiveness and be red faced for the entire month of May. But don't expect that to happen. Obviously, when you co-host All Things Considered, you think you don't need to do any research when coming up with your three line intros to reports. Which is how you make not just a fool out of yourself but an ass as well. And don't wait for her to do a correction on air. It doesn't play 'cute' and, if you've missed it, she really only does 'cute' corrections.

In today's violence in Iraq, Reuters notes a Mosul suicide bombing resulted in 8 deaths (plus the suicide bombers) and nineteen people injured, a Baghdad shooting killed Col Mustafa Hasan and left his wife injured (and the Hasan's car then crashed into two Iraqi soldiers were injured), a Taji home bombing targeted Judge Tuma Jabar Lafta and claimed his life as well as the life of his wife and their two daughters, 1 police officer was shot dead in Taji, a Taji home invasion (assailants wore "Iraqi army uniforms") targeting "a Ministry of Industry worker" resulted in the death of him and a daughter -- as the assailants fled, 1 was injured and two neighbors were injured and they note the US death we mentioned earlier, "A U.S. service member was killed on Friday while conducting operations in southern Iraq, the U.S. military said in a statement."

Meanwhile Jeff Winkinson (South Carolina's State) reports a helicopter battalion from the state's National Guard will leve for Fort Hood (send-off ceremony Sunday) and then deploy to Iraq but "are expected to return home in about one year." In about one year. One year. Those doing the math, May is tomorrow. That's the fifth month of the year. Supposedly ALL Us forces leave Iraq at the end of December. That's seven months from now. But this battalion is supposed "to return home in about one year."

The following community sites -- plus Antiwar.com and War News Radio -- updated last night and today: