Another Deadly Month

Two years after the President declared that his "mission" was "accomplished" in Iraq, the war rages on and May could become one of the deadliest months for our troops.

"Hostile fire has killed more U.S. soldiers and Marines in Iraq in May than during each of the three previous months.

If the trend continues, May will be one of the deadliest months for U.S. troops during the past year.

So far, insurgents have killed 54 American troops in May, including 14 in the last three days. With a week left, the month will likely eclipse all but two others - November and September 2004 - for deaths by hostile fire since June 2004, based on figures tabulated by Iraq Coalition Casualty Count, a group that tracks troop deaths from Department of Defense news releases.

The casualty figures appear to end a trend that started soon after national elections in January, when insurgents seemed to shift from targeting U.S. forces to attacking the nascent Iraqi army and police.

With sectarian violence increasing between the nation's Shiite and Sunni Muslims, the figures raise the question of whether Iraq is turning into two battlefields: one of insurgents vs. the U.S. military and another of Iraqi sects fighting each other.

Since the nation's interim government took office on April 28, more than 590 Iraqis have been killed in attacks, most of them civilians.

'There is going to be a wave of violence (targeting U.S. forces) as long there is occupation,' said Amer Hassan Fayadh, a Baghdad University political science professor. At the same time, 'when the regime fell, the Iraq state collapsed, too. The replacements for the police were (sectarian) militias.'"

What's ironic is that the Fundies and bigots are spewing their anti-Muslim rhetoric at light speed -- which will only serve to exacerbate the danger our troops are in.

Jesus! What a mess we are in!