One Day’s Cost in Iraq
From news reports for November 15, 2006,
Anbar Province
Bring `em on: One U.S. soldier and three Marines were killed during combat in Anbar Province, the insurgent stronghold in western Iraq, the military said in a statement Wednesday. The soldier assigned to 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division and the three Marines assigned to Regimental Combat Team 7 died Tuesday from wounds sustained in “enemy action while operating in Anbar Province,” the statement said.Baghdad
A suicide bomber drove his car into a tent where a funeral was being held in the mostly Sunni-Arab neighborhood of Dora in southern Baghdad, killing three people and wounding 15. Three bodies, blindfolded with their hands and legs tied, were found by police in eastern Baghdad. A car bomb exploded in a parking lot in central Baghdad on Wednesday, killing eight people and wounding 32. The car exploded near a gasoline station about 9:45 a.m. in the Bab Shargi neighborhood. Gunmen attacked the convoy of Salama al-Khafagi, a former member of the governing Council, wounding a bodyguard and killing a passer-by in the western Jamiaa district of Baghdad. Two Shiites were killed by gunmen who set fire to their home in southern Baghdad.Baquba
In Baqouba, Luma al-Karkhi, who worked for the independent weekly al-Dustor, was shot and killed while on her way to work. With the slayings of al-Taie and al-Karkhi, at least 91 journalists have been killed in Iraq since hostilities began in March 2003. Two mortar rounds landed near a police station in the city of Baquba, 65 km (40 miles) north of Baghdad.Basra
British forces killed an insurgent when they came under fire from a house in Basra. A British soldier was wounded and an Iraqi woman was killed by the insurgent.Near Diwaniya
Gunmen abducted 12 workers at a brick factory on Tuesday in a town near Diwaniya, 180 km south of Baghdad.Kirkuk
In Kirkuk, gunmen killed a police officer in a drive-by shooting as he was heading to work. Gunmen killed a traffic police officer in the northern city of Kirkuk.Kut
A former member of Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party was gunned down outside his home in the city of Kut.Latifiya
Police found 10 bodies in the town of Latifiya, 40 km south of Baghdad, and they were investigating whether they were those of 10 Shi’ite travellers kidnapped at the weekend.Mosul
In Mosul, gunmen intercepted the car of journalist Fadia Mohammed al-Taie, killing her and her driver. Al-Taie worked as a reporter for the independent weekly newspaper al-Massar. The morgue in Mosul received the bodies of four people shot dead, including two policemen.Samarra
Police retrieved the body of a woman from the Tigris river in Samarra. She had gunshot wounds in her head and was bound.
Hattip to cyberotter at dailykos for this compilation.
21 Comments
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And Bush thinks our troops are going to resolve this how?
For the zillionth time, this can not be solved militarily, it must be solved politically.
When this Baker group comes to the exact same conclusion Sen Kerry reached from the beginning, will the media finally stop with the botched joke incident that the idiot Chris Wallace again made the topic of discussion today and focus on the facts?
I’m not holding my breath.
This is tragic on so many levels.
Well, Chris Wallace did keep trying to hammer away at the ‘botched joke’ issue and make it the centerpiece of an anti-JK smear job to undercut his possible presidential run. But Senator Kerry was well-prepared for that and he refused to let Wallace drag him off message.
Senator Kerry did assert full ownership of his botched joke and emphasized that it was his own choice to withdraw from the last weeks of the campaign in order to not let the Republican attack team turn that non-issue into a distraction that would take focus away from the other candidates and their campaigns.
The Senator also kept reminding the viewers of what the recent election results meant in Washington; stressed the need for everyone to focus on moving ahead and doing what needs to be done right now; and closed with a firm statement of support for the troops in the context of what their civilian leadership has to do to solve the problems that put them in harm’s way.
Throughout the interview Senator Kerry came across as being firm, confident, calm, well-prepared, personable and, yes, presidential. He spoke in clear and uncluttered language and didn’t let himself be knocked off message. He took responsibility for his own actions in the past but emphasized the leadership role he is playing now and will continue to play in the future.
It was a good, solid performance by a skilled and seasoned performer. Otter gives it two paws up.
keep up the good work sir,
Otter
Senator Kerry,
I thought that was a great appearance on Fox News. Chris Wallace was relentless yet you managed to answer the questions and then bring the subject back to the reality that Iraq is today. You’re right—the whole thing amounts to Washington parlor games.
I was sorry to hear about that woman who lost her son in Iraq who focused her anger on you; however, your answer was poignant and respectful to what must have been a horrible day for her. This is what upset me about the whole incident in the first place—that the White House would lie about what you meant and upset the military and military families.
It was very tough facing those questions, but as you said, leadership is what is most important, not verbal gaffes. And we all know you have shown that the whole time.
That was a strong appearance with Chris Wallace. Wallace kept trying to make it about Sen. Kerry’s joke, and Kerry, rightfully, kept putting it back on what is going on in the world and things that actually matter to the American people. Most people don’t care about a botched joke, they care about a botched policy that leaves American troops in harm’s way in support of a policy that is not working.
This is the greater outrage, as Kerry made clear. Americans care about health care, the environment and developing an energy policy that leaves us less dependent on foreign countries for energy and so forth. I think that Kerry was able to turn the interview away from this fake discussion about a pronoun and make it about real issues that will face the new Democratic Congress in January. I’m glad he did.
The people care about someone who will fight for their issues in the Congress. They don’t care about what Washington seems to be obsessed with which is some sort of childish game of who has insider support or not at the moment. It’s sad to see Wallace concentrate on a joke instead of the issues that really affect Americans.
Thank you Senator for going on Fox and addressing this. It is time that we moved beyond this silly episode and got back to focusing on what needs to be done to bring this country out of the awful Bush years and back on track.
You made US PROUD Senator Kerry, Like always you took control of the interview…Kept him on the subject and let them know you knew where they were coming from…Great Job, now lets’ get to work on “08”, YOU are OUR choice and as always, in many eyes have been the truly elected leader of America, NOW LET’S MAKE IT OFFICAL….KERRY “08”....I see a BLUE White House in “08”, Red, White, and KERRY Blue…GO SENATOR GO…...BlueRose
A new survey was released that shows people voted on Iraq, health care, and the economy. Kerry brought the discussion back to those issues, right on target and made it clear that he has had a definite agenda to deal with them for a long time. I think Chris Wallace looked like a hack by the end because it was so clear the whole story was manufactured. Great job Senator!!
Senator Kerry,
You knocked it out of the ball park once again this morning on Fox. I’m glad you are coming out swinging against the media and stating your agenda for America. I notice Senator that you kept stating moral authority of America. I sense you are laying the groundwork for your campaign theme in 08.
Good job, Senator Kerry. You called the media obsession with the “botched joke” non-issue what it is: “picayune”, inside-the-beltway stupidity. (You couldn’t use the word stupidity, but I can : )). You kept returning the discussion to the larger picture, to the issues that matter. This is, in fact, why I am proud to have you as my senator, and why I want you to be president: because you focus on issues that matter.
Two of your phrases stick out in my mind at the moment. In fall 2003, during the Hardball interview at Harvard when I first saw the potential of your presidential candidacy, you mentioned that you wanted to change—that is, elevate—the level of political conversation in this country. More recently, you ended a written public statement with: “Let’s get serious”.
It seems to me that your work the last two years has been about both these things: changing the national conversation and getting people to focus on serious issues. You know what matters, and you continue to work for the things that matter, and we thank you for this.
As far as I’m concerned, “Let’s Get Serious” is a pretty decent motto for the next 2 years. We have got serious problems, and changing the direction of our country and regaining our democracy is serious business. No more time for trivialities, no more time for inside-the-beltway cynical gossip, no more time for the paralysis of fear, no more time for sleaze.
It’s time for Senator Kerry.
MBK,
I can deal with that campaign motto as well “Let’s Get Serious”. It fits perfectly with the overall burgeoning campaign.
The transcript is up at foxnews.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,230589,00.html
It reads very well. At least Sen Kerry’s part.
Holy cow, how many times did he try to get Wallace to move on to real issues and away from the spin from the dropped pronoun?
I am so ticked off. I had to write Chris Wallace:
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Chris Wallace,
Senator Kerry must have ‘knocked one out of the park’ in his interview with you this morning! I won’t know that for sure until 3:00 p.m. this afternoon (Pacific Time…6:00 p.m. your time) because that is when the interview will air here in Murrieta, California. Why do I assume that Senator Kerry gave a great interview ? First, because he is very intelligent and articulate and he usually does well in an interview setting (remember the Presidential Debates?). And secondly, because of the ‘pre-emptive strike’ on his interview that I just watched on the 7 - 8:00 a.m. show on Fox News.
I rarely watch your network (I have issues with the ‘fair and balanced’ thing), but this morning, I turned it on at 5:00 a.m. so that I would be SURE not to miss Senator Kerry’s interview. The first mention of Senator Kerry came in shortly after 7:00 a.m….a ‘tease’. There were several of these and, I must say, I DID notice considerable improvement in the quality of the video you chose of the Senator. Your network showed Kerry relating well to all sorts of people…crowds of adoring adults, groups of children…you even showed him making a Senate Floor speech. That really was an improvement over the Election 2004 days.
Then came the ‘pre-emptive strike’. No interview yet. But your network brought on two pundits (one Democratic consultant and one Republican consultant), showed a WRITTEN part of Senator Kerry’s response to a question about the ‘botched joke’ and then proceeded to analyze it… VERY unfairly, and not balanced at all. And the analysis was all framed as ...this was not a botched joke, Kerry had really disrespected the troops. Well, I attended that rally at Pasadena City College, and the Senator never disrespected the troops. What’s more important, because he is a veteran, he never WOULD do that.
So I KNOW Senator Kerry did a great job in your interview. I can’t wait to see it…the whole thing. It is truly a disgrace that a powerful television network, like Fox or any other, feels the need to spin something so insignificant as a joke in order to try to discredit Senator Kerry. Are you all really that afraid of him? He DID raise a lot of money for 2006 candidates ($1 million in 24 hours, I think.) He would be a STRONG Presidential candidate in 2008, if he decides to run. Maybe that strikes fear into the hearts of some people. But for many of us, it gives us great hope.
Sincerely,
YvonneCa
P.S. Below is a letter I sent to the New York Times on this subject:
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Editor, New Your Times,
I wish John Kerry were President. The country really could use an intelligent, truthful, experienced and articulate leader right now. That’s who John Kerry is, and anyone who has paid attention to his patriotic efforts in support of our country AND our troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan since the 2004 presidential election knows that…including President Bush. Like many Americans, I’m really getting tired of the ‘spin’ that keeps being applied to… even ordinary events…during an election season, with the goal of winning an election. I believe that is what is happening now, with Senator Kerry’s remarks on Monday in Pasadena.
I attended the rally for Phil Angelides in Pasadena, California where Senator Kerry spoke. I would like to provide an ‘eye-witness’ account of the event that may be missing for readers of your article, “Kerry and GOP Spar Over Iraq Remarks”, dated October 31, 2006. It is my hope that providing some context to your readers may allow for a more fair judgement of the remarks made by Senator Kerry.
I attended this rally because of my great respect for both Senator John Kerry and Senator Barbara Boxer (both in attendance that day). I looked forward to hearing what they would have to say about the serious issues facing our nation, and about their hopes for my Democratic Party. I know that Senator Kerry has been relentless in his efforts to support Democratic candidates across the nation for the past two years…and I have watched in amazement as he has given money and traveled from state to state campaigning in recent months. He has spoken out consistently and strongly against Bush Administration policies in Iraq. He has spoken out consistently and strongly in support of health care, the environment, the middle class and our troops. His words have been supported by his actions in the Senate, and his leadership has given hope of a better direction for our country to many Americans, like me.
What I saw on Monday in Pasadena was a hardworking, patriotic Senator Kerry…standing up for Phil Angelides, standing up for my state of California, standing up for the students at Pasadena City College, and ... as always…standing up for our troops around the world. He may have been a little tired from working so hard to turn this country around by standing up for Democratic candidates. After all, how many cities has he visited in the past week? How many in the past month? Plenty. He may have been tired enough that he botched a line he has delivered correctly a hundred times at other rallies. But his passion for and dedication to our troops both during and after the battle came through loud and clear.
I have been angered and dismayed at what I have read today about this incident. Republicans are magnifying and using an insignificant error to attack John Kerry again…Swiftboat II. Why? I think it’s because they are desperate to win on November 7th. They know John Kerry is leading the charge for the Democrats, and he has truth on his side. So they took a simple verbal gaffe…from a good man who is as articulate as they come…and decided to repeat their despicable ‘swiftboating’ technique against Senator Kerry AGAIN. How pathetic that this is all they know how to offer.
This time will be different, though. The American people are awake and they know the truth. And this time, I’m confident that John Kerry will WIN.
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Then I read the transcript of the interview…FANTASTIC. The Senator doesn’t need MY help. WOW ! ! Great job, Senator Kerry!!!
For media hack Chris Wallace, some = all?
Here’s what he says in the interview:
WALLACE: Well, I must say — and we told you before you came on that we were going to talk some about the joke.
All but the last minute of the interview was dedicated to trying to push Sen Kerry to discuss the pronoun. Thankfully, the Senator turned it around, and not only got his message out, but made it obvious that Wallace’s focus was misguided.
As the original post here makes tragically clear, people are dying in a war which can not be ended with the current policy. Yet Wallace thinks, somehow, that the important issue of the day is two dropped letters from a speech of three weeks ago.
I hope this interview puts an end to this silly episode in journalistic ineptitude. It’s sad, with so many good people trying to report the real news - and they are still out there - that this noise has taken over.
Is this spin really what the public wants?
I don’t think so.
Come on, FoxZzzznews. People are waking up. If you want to be seen as a serious player, stop with the children’s games.
Frank Rich nails it in his op-ed today:
The entire editorial is viewable at the NYTimes Select site and other sites such as this one for those who don’t have NYTimes Select access.
Just reminds me that JK laid out the same plan so long ago. I look forward to seeing the Democratic leaders in Congress demonstrate how to “get serious” in addressing the needs of Iraq and its people.
Senator Kerry, fantastic job with Chris Wallace this morning. Very happy to see you and hear your dignified, confident, focused on the facts reponses to Mr. Wallace. You have been sorely missed. Please continue to speak out on Iraq and all the other issues facing our country today whenever possible on the MSM. America needs you , Senator, and when the time is right, whatever your decision, I will stand with you to the end. God Bless.
My huge issue with the botched joke farce is that ANYONE in the news business, certainly two years from when JK was the Dem presidential nominee, should be fully aware of his long term commitment and effort on behalf of the active military and veterans. His record in the Senate, on committees and otherwise is simply not debatable for a nanosecond.
To what end do you achieve by taking the GOP false pass and running it to the end zone? I have no idea how many in the military heard the PRESS establish the comment as a true insult, and no hate a man who has worked as much as anyone in our out of government on their behalf. They and their families further spreading this anger over the next two years, not to mention any one else who wants to smear JK.
So this idea that was patently false from the beginning, was given credibility by the media, John McCain (who REALLY knows JK’s commitment) and even big name Democrats. Did the media talk to veterans’ groups that could have set the record clear? No, they used the American Legion, about as pro Republican as you can get, to add to the smear.
And my beef with that is, thanks to the media treatment of Dukakis, Clinton, Gore and Kerry, America is in a mell of a hess.
It all comes down to accuracy and the journalism code that surfaced briefly in the era following Edward Murrow, getting ditched in favor of dollars. I know that presidential and political reporting has been this lousy before - for over a century. What ticks me off is that we actually did start down a better route - and apparently it was just too hard to stick with. Both the media and the public wanted less substance and seriousness.
As far as “winning the war in Iraq”, soon to be the cliche of oxymorons, would some war history buffs do a compilation of the number of wars that stopped due to losing support of the aggressors populace? The ones that were stopped because the aggressors had emptied their treasury and couldn’t get any more credit?
The Iraq fiasco is a definitive loss for the Iraqis, as much or more than the Americans, not to mention the rest of our now more unstable world. There is no winning it. There is only one best outcome: that we limit the further loss and destruction, while moving the whole region into more diplomatic avenues for conflict resolution.
Great job with Mike Wallace, Senator Kerry. I think your interviews with him are a more realistic way to counter the rest of their disinformation than by refusing to appear on the station. Fox is losing audience and there have to be more minds that can be opened to the reality of Fox’s ‘fair and balanced’ reporting.
FYI, a rebroadcast of this morning’s interview with Senator Kerry will be shown on the Fox News cable channel at 6 pm EST. Check your local listings for possible other schedulings of the ‘Fox News Sunday’ program.
Video of the Senator’s interview is up at C&L
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/11/19/wallace-torments-kerry-with-botched-joke-interrogation/
Transcript at Fox News
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,230589,00.html
If you’re like me and like to read along :-)
Terrific interview. It’s obvious Wallace wasn’t prepared for Senator Kerry’s tremendous poise. Wallace’s bumbling through a series of “buts” showed his unprofessionalism.
It was great to hear Senator Kerry lay out the issues that the new Democratic majority will focus on. I’m really thankful that he’s on our side.
Senator, as always, thank you for your leadership.
Great interview - the contrast between the distinguished, thoughtful, serious Senator and the petty small minded interviewer couldn’t have been more extreme. Even the question most designed to sandbag the Senator backfired. Chris Wallace read a letter from a mother of a soldier killed in Iraq who wrote the Senator and has yet to receive a response. The Senator’s response, both verbally and from the expression in his eyes, showed that he both sympathized with her and was profoundly sorry that she was hurt by pronoungate.
Senator Kerry did a great job switching the topic to issues that are important to Aericans. The NYT used one quote in an article that Kissinger now also sees that diplomacy is the only answer in Iraq.
“Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, the Democratic presidential candidate in 2004, cited Mr. Kissinger’s own negotiations with the North Vietnamese in arguing for engagement with Iran and Syria.
If you pursue legitimate diplomacy, the way Henry Kissinger did when he made multiple trips, night after night, day after day, twisting arms, working; if you make the effort that Jim Baker did to build a legitimate coalition, I’m confident we can do what’s necessary to get the neighborhood — and I include in that Iran and Syria — to take greater stakes,” Mr. Kerry told Fox News. “
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/19/washington/19cnd-policy.html?hp&ex=1163998800&en=3cdc762ab54b839d&ei=5094&partner=homepage
Congratulations to Senator Kerry for getting serious points out there - too bad the NYT didn’t mention that he pointed out that he and others wanted this 3 years ago.
I think Sen. Kerry was great in the interview. Chris Wallace is an absolute jerk and Kerry had no trouble handling him. He may have to go through the “joke” questions a few more times but he should get out there and do it. The way he handled it before the South Carolina teachers is the perfect way to approach it when he is out among the people, but all of the so-called political pundits will feel it necessary to have a go at him. He just needs to keep going and not let them get to him. After all, they only have one vote—just like us, and there are more of us than there are of them! Run, John, run!
The Chris Wallace interview on Fox News Sunday was an excellent platform for the senator to address the repug smears regarding this non-controversy. At once the senator was able to communicate with millions of voters. He stayed calm in the interview unlike former president Bill Clinton who lost his temper with Mr. Wallace.
Also, I think it was very wise of the senator and his advisers to go to a conservative show like this one. Fox News has the highest ratings which is why the senator should stick to this conservative channel rather than going to a progressive-leaning show the Countdown with Keth Olbermann. Also it was a wise decision to not announce his candidacy till next year, that is, if the senator intends to run again. I hope he does because he has the best plan to bring peace in Iraq and the Middle East region as a whole.
It would be best if the senator didn’t go to Iraq to talk to the troops. His advisers are correct to have him do network interviews like the one he did yesterday. As the senator said yesterday its time to move on from this non-controversy and discuss the real problems facing our country. He is right.
This is a great blog for true Kerry supporters who can voice their opinions without fear of being censored for their democratic viewpoints. Thank you for providing this forum.