Irregular Times Diaries: Unfit Discussion

August 23, 2007 – Thursday

1609 days into the war

U.S. MILITARY DEATHS IN IRAQ: 3722
U.S. MILITARY WOUNDED IN IRAQ: 27506

IRAQI CIVILIAN DEATHS
(MINIMUM): 70264
(MAXIMUM): 76771
(LANCET ESTIMATE) 600,000

COST OF THE WAR SO FAR (ROUNDED TO THE NEAREST MILLION): $454,478,000,000

Please note that the above figures, from the IBC website, are NOT estimates of total Iraqi civilians killed as a result of the US invasion and its aftermath. Rather, they are a count of Western-reported verifiable violent deaths, and likely to be a small percentage of the true figure. Les Roberts, author of the Lancet Report, believes the actual number may now be as high as 1,000,000.

RED DAVE

August 22, 2007 – Wednesday

1607 days into the war

U.S. MILITARY DEATHS IN IRAQ: 3707
U.S. MILITARY WOUNDED IN IRAQ: 27409

IRAQI CIVILIAN DEATHS
(MINIMUM): 70182
(MAXIMUM): 76683
(LANCET ESTIMATE) 600,000

COST OF THE WAR SO FAR (ROUNDED TO THE NEAREST MILLION): $454,200,000,000

Please note that the above figures, from the IBC website, are NOT estimates of total Iraqi civilians killed as a result of the US invasion and its aftermath. Rather, they are a count of Western-reported verifiable violent deaths, and likely to be a small percentage of the true figure. Les Roberts, author of the Lancet Report, believes the actual number may now be as high as 1,000,000.

RED DAVE

Let’s assume that the General will perform his public act of defecation on September 15.

Today being August 21, that means

THE PETRAEUS COUNTDOWN
…

25 DAYS

Petraeus Report Won’t be Written by Petraeus
James Joyner | Wednesday, August 15, 2007

The long-touted September progress report wherein counterinsurgency guru David Petraeus will tell us how the Surge is going won’t actually be written by Petraeus. And, no, it’s not just that he’s going to staff it out like he did the COIN manual he “wrote.” No, it’ll be written in the White House.

Administration and military officials acknowledge that the September report will not show any significant progress on the political benchmarks laid out by Congress. How to deal in the report with the lack of national reconciliation between Iraq’s warring sects has created some tension within the White House.

Despite Bush’s repeated statements that the report will reflect evaluations by Petraeus and Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, administration officials said it would actually be written by the White House, with inputs from officials throughout the government. And though Petraeus and Crocker will present their recommendations on Capitol Hill, legislation passed by Congress leaves it to the president to decide how to interpret the report’s data.

http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/arc…n_by_petraeus

RED DAVE

August 21, 2007 – Tuesday

1606 days into the war

U.S. MILITARY DEATHS IN IRAQ: 3707
U.S. MILITARY WOUNDED IN IRAQ: 27409

IRAQI CIVILIAN DEATHS
(MINIMUM): 70182
(MAXIMUM): 76683
(LANCET ESTIMATE) 600,000

COST OF THE WAR SO FAR (ROUNDED TO THE NEAREST MILLION): $453,914,000,000

Please note that the above figures, from the IBC website, are NOT estimates of total Iraqi civilians killed as a result of the US invasion and its aftermath. Rather, they are a count of Western-reported verifiable violent deaths, and likely to be a small percentage of the true figure. Les Roberts, author of the Lancet Report, believes the actual number may now be as high as 1,000,000.

RED DAVE

Every US death individually, including home town.

http://www.antiwar.com/casualties/list.php

MILITARY CASUALTY INFORMATION

http://siadapp.dmdc.osd.mil/personnel/CASUALTY/oif-deaths-total.pdf

CASUALTY TYPE

Hostile 3,013
Nonhostile 647
Total 3,660

GENDER

Male 3,584
Female 76
Total 3,660

OFFICER/ENLISTED

Officer
E5-E9 1,170
E1-E4 2,142
Total 3,660

AGE

35 439
Total 3,660

COMPONENT

Active 2,938
Reserve 286
National Guard 43

Total 3,660

RACE/ETHNICITY

American Indian or Alaska Native 39
Asian 68
Black or African American 346
Hispanic or Latino 397
Multiple races, pending, or unknown 46
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 39
White 2,725
Total 3,660

The source has a further breakdown by branch of service

http://siadapp.dmdc.osd.mil/personnel/CASUALTY/oif-deaths-total.pdf

RED DAVE

August 20, 2007 – Monday

1605 days into the war

U.S. MILITARY DEATHS IN IRAQ: 3706
U.S. MILITARY WOUNDED IN IRAQ: 27409

IRAQI CIVILIAN DEATHS
(MINIMUM): 70059
(MAXIMUM): 76552
(LANCET ESTIMATE) 600,000

COST OF THE WAR SO FAR (ROUNDED TO THE NEAREST MILLION): $453,621,000,000

Please note that the above figures, from the IBC website, are NOT estimates of total Iraqi civilians killed as a result of the US invasion and its aftermath. Rather, they are a count of Western-reported verifiable violent deaths, and likely to be a small percentage of the true figure. Les Roberts, author of the Lancet Report, believes the actual number may now be as high as 1,000,000.

RED DAVE

August 19, 2007 – Sunday

1604 days into the war

U.S. MILITARY DEATHS IN IRAQ: 3706
U.S. MILITARY WOUNDED IN IRAQ: 27409

IRAQI CIVILIAN DEATHS
(MINIMUM): 69973
(MAXIMUM): 76458
(LANCET ESTIMATE) 600,000

COST OF THE WAR SO FAR (ROUNDED TO THE NEAREST MILLION): $453,343,000,000

Please note that the above figures, from the IBC website, are NOT estimates of total Iraqi civilians killed as a result of the US invasion and its aftermath. Rather, they are a count of Western-reported verifiable violent deaths, and likely to be a small percentage of the true figure. Les Roberts, author of the Lancet Report, believes the actual number may now be as high as 1,000,000.

RED DAVE

This year, it’s difficult to appreciate the Democrats, what with their failure to follow through on the promises of the 2006 congressional election. I can, however, say this much:

While looking through the transcript of this morning’s Democratic presidential debate, I suddenly felt very thankful that, with all the shortcomings of these candidates, at least Joseph Lieberman is not amongst those running this time around.

It practically makes me want to go put on a hat with a belt buckle on it and shoot a turkey.

August 18, 2007 – Saturday

1603 days into the war

U.S. MILITARY DEATHS IN IRAQ: 3702
U.S. MILITARY WOUNDED IN IRAQ: 27409

IRAQI CIVILIAN DEATHS
(MINIMUM): 69973
(MAXIMUM): 76458
(LANCET ESTIMATE) 600,000

COST OF THE WAR SO FAR (ROUNDED TO THE NEAREST MILLION): $453,343,000,000

Please note that the above figures, from the IBC website, are NOT estimates of total Iraqi civilians killed as a result of the US invasion and its aftermath. Rather, they are a count of Western-reported verifiable violent deaths, and likely to be a small percentage of the true figure. Les Roberts, author of the Lancet Report, believes the actual number may now be as high as 1,000,000.

RED DAVE

This warning about Hurricane Dean was given by the National Weather Service just a few hours ago: “Dean could become a potentially catastrophic category five hurricane at any time before it reaches Yucatan.”

Surely, passing over the Yucatan will diminish the power of Hurricane Dean, but only after pounding the Yucatan again.

Am I right in remembering that Hurricane Katrina was only a Category 2 hurricane?

In reading the National Weather Service forecast, it looks as if they’re predicting that Hurricane Dean will reach the Yucatan Penninsula in about four days… but could it turn north, to hit Texas?

Only one computer model predicts that Hurricane Dean will hit Texas, but the National Weather Service notes that that particular computer model <i>”has had a very reliably track record”</i>.

Watch out, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico! Get the hell out of Yucatan!