Mayday! Mayday!
Four years ago today, Duhbya declared, "Major combat operations in Iraq have ended". Are our troops now engaged in just minor combat operations there?.
In that same speech, he also said, "The war on terror is not over; yet it is not endless. We do not know the day of final victory, but we have seen the turning of the tide." Uhh ... sure. Yesterday, the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center released its 2006 Country Reports on Terrorism and according to its statistics ("In all cases limited to incidents targeting noncombatants") between 2005 and 2006, terrorism incidents worldwide increased from 11,153 to 14,338, deaths from terrorism increased from 14,618 to 20,498 and injuries increased from 24,761 to 38,191. The good news was that kidnappings were down: from 34,838 to only 15,854. I guess that's the tide turning?
In that same speech, he also said, "The war on terror is not over; yet it is not endless. We do not know the day of final victory, but we have seen the turning of the tide." Uhh ... sure. Yesterday, the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center released its 2006 Country Reports on Terrorism and according to its statistics ("In all cases limited to incidents targeting noncombatants") between 2005 and 2006, terrorism incidents worldwide increased from 11,153 to 14,338, deaths from terrorism increased from 14,618 to 20,498 and injuries increased from 24,761 to 38,191. The good news was that kidnappings were down: from 34,838 to only 15,854. I guess that's the tide turning?
On 5/01/2007 11:25 AM,
Howard said…
Kidnapping is such a hassle! From the struggle to get them into a van to the negotiations for their release. Plus you have to feed and water the captive who is constantly whining about how poor the service is. And they won't cooperate when you are trying to tape them saying that their nation is wrong and abusive. It's just easier to kill them to send your message nowadays.
(I may flesh this out into a post now).
On 5/01/2007 1:36 PM,
Jami said…
I was thinking exactly the same thing - the killing vs. kidnapping part, that is, not the posting part. I haven't gone through the entire State Department spin on the report yet, but I wouldn't be surprised to find out that's what they're saying.
On 5/01/2007 3:50 PM,
Howard said…
Hopefully, it will be close and the post I'm about to publish will be all the more satirical.
On 5/01/2007 7:40 PM,
Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
On 5/02/2007 12:30 PM,
Anonymous said…
So major combat operations are still ongoing?
On 5/02/2007 12:54 PM,
Jami said…
No, they can't be! After all, our Dear Leader said they were all over.
On 5/02/2007 3:32 PM,
robkroese said…
I have a problem with any wars against abstract concepts. Aren't we still fighting wars against poverty and drugs too? Maybe we should lobby for a war on violence.
On 5/02/2007 3:42 PM,
Jami said…
Man, I hope your tongue is planted firmly in your cheek! After the astounding success (NOT!!) of the other social "wars" we've initiated, the last thing we need is a government-sponsored War on Violence, too. See this post, too.
On 5/09/2007 11:37 PM,
Anonymous said…
About all I can say about Bush is this: his speeches all make more sense in the original German.
Polar Bear.
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