FALLEN SOLDIERS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN: STARTING THE WEEK WITH THE PROPER PERSPECTIVE: 11-24-2008

THIS WEEK, THE PENTAGON RELEASED THE NAMES OF 12 SOLDIERS KILLED IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN:

Our Soldiers Continue To Die.

As the holidays approach what would you like to see Obama do to signal a change in war strategy?

Army PFC Theron V. Hobbs, 22, of Albany, Ga.

Army SSG Timothy H. Walker, 38, of Franklin, Tenn.

Army SPC James M. Clay, 25, of Mountain Home, Ark.

Army SGT Jose Regalado, 23, of Los Angeles

Army SPC Armando A. De La Paz, 21, of Riverside, Calif.

Army SPC Corey M. Shea, 21, of Mansfield, Mass.

Army SCP Jonnie L. Stiles, 38, of Highlands Ranch, Colo.

Army CWO Donald V Clark, 37, of Memphis, Tenn.

Army CWO Christian P Humphreys, 28, of Fallon, Nev.

Marine Cpl Aaron M Allen, 24, of Buellton, Calif.

Marine GySgt Marcelo R Velasco, 40, of Miami

Army PVT Charles Yi Barnett, 19, of Bel Air, Md.

We can only thank these soldiers and pray for their families in this supreme of sacrifices.

DNC CONVENTION DOESN'T GIVE A DAMN AS DEATH TOLL RISES IN IRAN AND AFGHANISTAN: STARTING THE WEEK WITH THE PROPER PERSPECTIVE

THIS WEEK, THE PENTAGON RELEASED THE NAMES OF 12 SOLDIERS KILLED IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN:

Marine LCpl Jacob J Toves, 27, of Grover Beach, CA
Marine Cpl Anthony G Mihalo, 23, of Naperville, IL
Marine LCpl Juan Lopez-Castaneda, 19, of Mesa, AZ
Army SSG Kristopher D Rodgers, 29, of Sturgis, MI
Army PVT Janelle F King, 23, of Merced, CA
Army 1LT Donald C Carwile, 29, of Oxford, MS
Army PFC Paul E Conlon Jr, 21, of Somerville, MA
Army PFC Jonathon L Luscher, 20, of Scranton, PA
Marine LCpl Travis M Stottlemyer, 20, of Hatfield, PA
Marine Sgt Nickolas Lee Hopper, 27, of Montrose, IL
Army SFC George Stanciel, 40, of Greenwood, MS
Army SFC David J Todd Jr, 36, of Marrero, LA

In the midst of DNC Commmittee meetings, brokering, posturing, eating, drinking and back slapping...let's remember those families listed above who really aren't thinking about "history". There is nothing more important than their story. Pray for them in their sacrifice.

OLYMPIC RESULTS VS. FALLEN SOLDIERS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN: STARTING THE WEEK WITH THE PROPER PERSPECTIVE: 8-18-2008

THIS WEEK, THE PENTAGON RELEASED THE NAMES OF 9 SOLDIERS KILLED IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN: THEIR FAMILIES ARE FINDING IT HARD TO FOCUS ON THE BEIJING OLYMPICS.
HOW ABOUT YOU?

Navy PO2 Anthony M Carbullido, 25, of Agat, GU
Army SGT Jose E Ulloa, 23, of New York, NY
Army SGT Kenneth B Gibson, 25, of Christiansburg, VA
Army PFC John A Mattox, 23, of Daingerfield, TX
Marine Cpl Adam T McKiski, 21, of Cherry Valley, IL
Marine Cpl Stewart S Trejo, 25, of Whitefish, MT
Marine Sgt Michael H Ferschke Jr, 22, of Maryville, TN
Army CPL James M Hale, 23, of Naperville, IL
Marine PFC Daniel A C McGuire, 19, of Mashpee, MA

SOME OF US WISH THE ATHLETES WOULD JUST SAY "HELLO" TO TO THE TROOPS, WE AT HOME HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN THEIR SACRIFICE.

FALLEN SOLDIERS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN: STARTING THE WEEK WITH THE PROPER PERSPECTIVE: 8-11-2008

THIS WEEK, THE PENTAGON RELEASED THE NAMES OF 16 SOLDIERS KILLED IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN:

Army SGT Errol M James, 29, of St Croix, VI
Army SPC Ronald A Schmidt, 18, of Newton, KS
Army PVT Timothy J Hutton, 21, of Dillon, MT
Marine Capt Garrett T Lawton, 31, of Charleston, WV
Army SGT Gary M Henry, 34, of Indianapolis, IN
Army SPC Jonathan D Menke, 22, of Madison, IN
Army SGT Jaime Gonzalez, Jr, 40, of Austin, TX
Army SSG Brian K Miller, 37, of Pendleton, IN
Army SGT Ryan P Baumann, 24, of Great Mills, MD
Army PFC Jennifer L Cole, 34, of American Canyon, CA
Army SPC Andre D Mitchell, 25, of Elmont, NY
Army PFC David J Badie, 23, of Rockford, IL
Army 2LT Michael R Girdano, 23, of Pennsylvania
Army SPC William J Mulvihill, 20, of Leavenworth, KS
Army PVT Jair De Jesus Garcia, 29, of Chatsworth, CA
Army SPC Kevin R Dickson, 21, of Steelville, MO

In the midst of Olympic glory let's not forget there is a war going on and anyone of the above mention soldiers families would much rather be in Beijing than where they are right now feeling what they are feeling. Thank you for your sacrifice.

FALLEN SOLDIERS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN: STARTING THE WEEK WITH THE PROPER PERSPECTIVE: 7-29-2008

THIS WEEK, THE PENTAGON RELEASED THE NAMES OF 23 SOLDIERS KILLED IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN: THEIR FAMILIES DON'T CARE ABOUT THE SURGE, AND 16 MONTHS IS TOO LATE FOR THEIR LOVED ONES TO COME HOME.

Army SGT Brian S Leon Guerrero, 34, of Hagatna, Guam
Army SGT Samson A Mora, 28, of Dededo, Guam
Army MSG Mitchell W Young, 39, of Jonesboro, Ga.
Army 1LT Jonathan P Brostrom, 24, of Hawaii
Army SGT Israel Garcia, 24, of Long Beach, Calif.
Army CPL Jonathan R Ayers, 24, of Snellville, Ga.
Army CPL Jason M Bogar, 25, of Seattle
Army CPL Jason D Hovater, 24, of Clinton, Tenn.
Army CPL Matthew B Phillips, 27, of Jasper, Ga.
Army CPL Pruitt A Rainey, 22, of Haw River, N.C.
Army CPL Gunnar W Zwilling, 20, of Florissant, Mo.
Army PFC Sergio S Abad, 21, of Morganfield, Ky.
Army SSG Jeremy D Vrooman, 28, of Sioux Falls, S.D.
Army SSG David W Textor, 27, of Roanoke, Va.
Marine LCpl Jeffery S Stevenson, 20, of Newton, N.J.
Air Force TSgt Jackie L Larsen, 37, of Tacoma, Wa.
Marine 1st Lt Jason D Mann, 29, of Woodlynne, N.J.
Army PFC Willington M Rhoads, 23, of Las Vegas
Navy PO3 Daniel R Verbeke, 25, of Exton, Pa.
Marine SSgt Danny P Dupre, 28, of Lockport, La.
Army 1LT Nick A Dewhirst, 25, of Onalaska, Wis.
Marine PFC Ivan I Wilson, 22, of Clearlake, Calif.

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US Troop Deaths: Iraq At All Time Low, Is It The Surge Or Just Time To Go?

Casualty or Survivor?

The number of U.S. soldiers killed in combat in Iraq has dropped sharply this month, putting July on track to have the lowest casualties for the military since the U.S.-led invasion of the country in 2003. President Bush and candidate McCain will say "the surge has worked" and that is why we will stay. Presidential candidate Obama will say the war has been over for months and that is why "I will get our troops home in 16 months." Whom is right?

Deployment of additional U.S. troops to Iraq last year, a decision by Sunni Arab tribal leaders to turn against al-Qaida and a ceasefire imposed by Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on his Mahdi Army are all factors credited with the reduced violence.

The U.S. combat death toll in July is down from 23 in June and 15 in May, the icasualties.org data showed.

Overall in July, nine U.S. soldiers have died in Iraq. The other four were from non-hostile incidents such as accidents.

Total U.S. military deaths were 29 in June and 19 in May, also taking into account non-hostile events.

Contrast with Afghanistan
The numbers contrast with the conflict in Afghanistan, where more U.S. soldiers were killed in May and June compared to Iraq. There are 144,000 U.S. troops in Iraq and 36,000 in Afghanistan.

Around 4,120 U.S. soldiers have died in Iraq since the invasion. The number in Afghanistan stands at 561 since the Taliban government was toppled in 2001.

The Iraq and Afghanistan wars are key issues in the U.S. presidential election campaign.

Democratic candidate Barack Obama wants to shift the focus of U.S. military efforts from Iraq to Afghanistan. source Reuters

For Me, Speaking Out Against This War In Iraq Is Beyond Personal

Fourth Of July

By Erin Aubry Kaplan

The image was so terrible as to be almost preposterous. A trick. I looked twice, three times, to make sure I was seeing things right.

When I realized I was, when I saw there was no reconciling the image or reducing it to something remotely encouraging, my heart sank somewhere beneath the soles of my shoes.

The photo essay in the current issue of The Nation’ magazine is only one page, titled “War is Personal.” In it, a wounded Iraqi war vet named Jose Pequeno sits on the edge of a hospital bed, his bare back to us, slumped forward into his mother’s arms. The mother’s embrace is full, her face tender; she looks weary but determined.

Also at a total loss. For her son is missing nearly half his head.

There is a big concave space where the head should be, a savage emptiness beyond which you see the wall and curtains of a bare room. The text explains that a grenade went off inside Jose’s helmet, that doctors told his mother he’d lost a couple of bottom lobes and wouldn’t live. But he did. I have no idea how. I’m not too ashamed to say that, in the long moments I sat trapped in the photo and all that it stood for, I wished he hadn’t.

I wanted mercy for Jose. I don’t, however, want it for the rest of us who have stood by and let this senseless war happen. We need to see more of this to put the rotten fruit of our irresponsibility in our faces. The physical toll of war on the people waging it is always monstrous, but Americans tend to justify it with an assumption that the fight was unavoidable or the sacrifice had to made for the cause of liberty.

That was never, ever the case with Iraq, and the worst part of it is, we knew that was the case well before this war got under way. We knew there were no weapons of mass destruction and that Al Qaeda and 9/11 had nothing to do with Saddam Hussein. We pulled the wool over our own eyes and now claim that, bad as things might be, we can’t see a way out of Iraq.

That is crap, sheer political cowardice. Having made such a mess, we have no choice but to make a way out. It hasn’t helped that we get zero pressure from an American press that, with the exception of the Nation and a few other publications, has been disgustingly, dangerously polite the last five years.

My suggestion is that we black out American Idolatry and 24-hour celebrity worship, substitute it all with war footage for about a week and see how we respond to the ultimate reality show. The raw visuals are what helped to end the Vietnam War, though it took ten years. We don’t have that kind of time anymore.

Nor do I have any patience left for feverish, election-season debates about patriotism. In short, John McCain the war vet and ex-POW has no business promoting war as patriotism’s ultimate test, and Barack Obama should have a better response to questions about fealty to his country than loudly claiming the p-word and wearing those wearisome flags on his lapel. What about ending the war? Isn’t patriotism about moral action? Isn’t that what Obama promised in the beginning?

But moral action is still our fight, not our candidates’. Jose and so many others, including hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians, are suffering mightily for our sins. Repentance starts with acknowledging the truth, however damning. The photo of Jose wouldn’t let me do otherwise. I’ll let you know if I ever see his face.

ERIN AUBRY KAPLAN, a contributing blogger with 3BAAS Media Group, is the first African American in history to be a weekly op-ed columnist for the Los Angeles Times. Her musings continue to appear in the Times, Essence magazine, and a host of other publications. Kaplan is currently working on her much anticipated book.

FALLEN SOLDIERS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN: STARTING THE WEEK WITH THE PROPER PERSPECTIVE: 6-30-2008

THIS WEEK, THE PENTAGON RELEASED THE NAMES OF 20 SOLDIERS KILLED IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN:

Navy HN Dustin Kelby Burnett, 19, of Fort Mohave, AZ
Army CWO Robert C Hammett, 39, of Tucson, AZ
Army MAJ Dwayne M Kelley, 48, of Willingboro, NJ
Army SGT Alejandro A Dominguez, 24, of San Diego, CA
Army SPC Joel A Taylor, 20, of Pinetown, NC
Army PFC James M Yohn, 25, of Highspire, PA
Army SPC Joshua L Plocica, 20, of Clarksville, TN
Army PFC Bryan M Thomas, 22, of Lake Charles, LA
Marine SSgt Christopher D Strickland, 25, of Labelle, FL
Army SPC Ryan J Connolly, 24, of Vacaville, CA
Army CPT Gregory T Dalessio, 30, of Cherry Hill, NJ
Army LTC James J Walton, 41, of Rockville, MD
Army SPC Anthony L Mangano, 36, of Greenlawn, NY
Army SGT Nelson D Rodriguez Ramirez, 22, of Revere, MA
Army SGT Andrew Seabrooks, 36, of Queens, NY
Army SSG Du Hai Tran, 30, of Reseda, CA
Marine Sgt Matthew E Mendoza, 24, of San Antonio, TX
Marine Lt Col Max A Galeai, 42, of Pago Pago, AS
Marine Capt Philip J Dykeman, 38, of Brockport, NY
Marine Cpl Marcus W Preudhomme, 23, of North Miami Beach, FL

Politicians tell us, "the War is going well. The 'push' is working. Things are so much better."

But this matters not to these heroes and their families.

We are silent and grateful for your sacrifice.

FALLEN SOLDIERS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN: STARTING THE WEEK WITH THE PROPER PERSPECTIVE: 6-16-2008

THIS WEEK, THE PENTAGON RELEASED THE NAMES OF FIVE SOLDIERS KILLED IN IRAQ.

Army SFC David R Hurst, 31, of Fort Sill, OK
Army SPC Thomas F Duncan, III, 21, of Rowlett, TX
Army SSG Tyler E Pickett, 28, of Saratoga, WY
Army SGT Steve A McCoy, 23, of Moultrie, GA
Army SGT John D Aragon, 22, of Antioch, CA

AS THE WAR CONTINUES SO DO OUR PRAYERS

FALLEN SOLDIERS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN: STARTING THE WEEK WITH THE PROPER PERSPECTIVE: 5-18-2008

IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS, THE PENTAGON RELEASED THE NAMES OF 8 SOLDIERS KILLED IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN:

Army SGT Isaac Palomarez, 26, of Loveland, CO
Army SPC Mary J Jaenichen, 20, of Temecula, CA
Army PFC Ara T Deysie, 18, of Parker, AZ
Army SGT Joseph A Ford, 23, of Knox, IN
Army PVT Matthew W Brown, 20, of Zelienople, PA
Army CPL Jessica A Ellis, 24, of Bend, OR
Army SSG Victor M Cota, 33, of Tucson, AZ
Army SGT John K Daggett, 21, of Phoenix, AZA famed

We are Humbled, Grateful And Continue To Pray For Your Families.

FALLEN SOLDIERS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN: STARTING THE WEEK WITH THE PROPER PERSPECTIVE: 5-11-2008

IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS, THE PENTAGON RELEASED THE NAMES OF 43 SOLDIERS KILLED IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN:

Click Below To Read All The Names And Please Pray For Their Families.

Army CPL David P McCormick, 26, of Fresno, TX
Air Force SrA Jonathan A V Yelner, 24, of Lafayette, CA
Army SFC David L McDowell, 30, of Ramona, CA
Army PFC Adam L Marion, 26, of Mount Airy, NC
Army SGT Marcus C Mathes, 26, of Zephyrhills, FL
Army SGT Mark A Stone, 22, of Buchanan Dam, TX
Army SSG Clay A Craig, 22, of Mesquite, TX
Marine Sgt Merlin German, 22 of Manhattan, NY
Army SSG Bryan E Bolander, 26, of Bakersfield, CA
Army CPT Andrew R Pearson, 32, of Billings, MT
Army SPC Ronald J Tucker, 21, of Fountain, CO
Army SSG Chad A Caldwell, 24, of Spokane, WA
Army SFC Lawrence D Ezell, 30, of Portland, TX
Army SPC Jeffrey F Nichols, 21, of Granite Shoals, TX
Army PVT Corey L Hicks, 22, of Glendale, AZ
Army SPC Jeremy R Gullett, 22, of Greenup, KY
Army SSG Kevin C Roberts, 25, of Farmington, NM
Marine LCpl Casey L Casanova, 22, of McComb, MS
Marine Cpl Miguel A Guzman, 21, of Norwalk, CA
Marine LCpl James F Kimple, 21, of Carroll, OH
Marine Sgt Glen E Martinez, 31, of Boulder, CO
Army SGT Jerry L DeLoach, 45, of Jackson, GA
Army SPC Alex D Gonzalez, 21, of Mission, TX
Army PFC Aaron J Ward, 19, of San Jacinto, CA

Why America Is Angry: This Iraq War Is Like The Energizer Bunny, But Not In A Good Way

Dateline - May 1, 2003. President Bush declares the end of major combat in Iraq as he speaks aboard the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln off the California coast.

The White House said Wednesday, April 30, 2008, that President Bush has paid a price for the "Mission Accomplished" banner that was flown in triumph five years ago but later became a symbol of U.S. misjudgments and mistakes in the long and costly war in Iraq. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

ATTACK ON IRAN IMMANENT, HOW WILL THE NEW PRESIDENT HANDLE TWO WARS

Everyone thinks of ending their work career "with a flourish", "with a bang" but none is taking it more literally than our out-going president, George Bush. Because today he and the Pentagon announced that staff persons were, preparing and coming up with the battle plan for attacking Iran. And part of the plan, is not first ending conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. So Hillary, Barack, McCain... be careful for what you ask for it may come true!

The nation's top military officer said today that the Pentagon is planning for "potential military courses of action" against Iran, criticizing what he called the Tehran government's "increasingly lethal and malign influence" in Iraq.

In a speech Monday at West Point, Gates said Iran "is hell-bent on acquiring nuclear weapons." He said a war with Iran would be "disastrous on a number of levels. But the military option must be kept on the table given the destabilizing policies of the regime and the risks inherent in a future Iranian nuclear threat."

Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, who was nominated this week to head all U.S. forces in the Middle East, is preparing a briefing soon to lay out detailed evidence of increased Iranian involvement in Iraq, Mullen said. The briefing will detail, for example, the discovery in Iraq of weapons that were very recently manufactured in Iran, he said.

"The Iranian government pledged to halt such activities some months ago. It's plainly obvious they have not. Indeed, they seem to have gone the other way," Mullen said.

He said recent unrest in the southern Iraqi city of Basra had highlighted a "level of involvement" by Iran that had not been understood by the U.S. military previously. "It became very, very visible in ways that we hadn't seen before," he said.

Washington Post.com has all the major players who are gearing up for the war.

1,300 Iraqi Soldiers And Policemen Are Fired: Who Said Things Are Getting Better?

Iraq's government moved Sunday to restore discipline within the ranks of the security forces, sacking more than 1,300 soldiers and policemen who deserted during recent fighting against Shiite militias in Basra.

It seems that fractionism is outweighing what's right and the law. And this is one of the biggest problems we face in what is becoming an unwinable war. Who can bring peace and organization to a country that is steeped in sects and religious groups, that refuse to fight or arrest their "brothers of the same faith" no matter how wrong they might be?

Iraq's Cabinet feels ratcheting up the pressure on anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr by approving draft legislation barring political parties with militias from participating in upcoming provincial elections is the solution.

Al-Sadr, who heads the country's biggest militia, the Mahdi Army, has been under intense pressure from Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, also a Shiite, to disband the Mahdi Army or face political isolation.

Al-Sadr's followers are eager to take part in the local elections because they believe they can take power away from rival Shiite parties in the vast, oil-rich Shiite heartland of southern Iraq.

And in a new move to stem the flow of money to armed groups, the government ordered a crackdown on militiamen controlling state-run and private gas stations, refineries and oil distribution centers.

It is believed that gas stations and distribution centers, especially in eastern Baghdad and some southern provinces, are covertly controlled by Shiite militiamen dominated by the Mahdi Army.

The failure of government forces to capture Basra despite superiority in numbers and firepower was an embarrassment to al-Maliki, who ordered the offensive and personally supervised it during the first week.

SLOBODAN LEKIC, Associated Press Writer

What 25 Billion Dollars Has Bought Us In Iraq!

Our New Hero - U.S. Senator Bob Menedez (D-New Jersey)

FALLEN SOLDIERS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN: STARTING THE WEEK WITH THE PROPER PERSPECTIVE: 4-06-2008

THIS WEEK, THE PENTAGON RELEASED THE NAMES OF 10 SOLDIERS KILLED IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN:

Marine Maj William G Hall, 38 of Seattle, WA
Army SGT Jevon K Jordan, 32, of Norfolk, VA
Army SGT Dayne D Dhanoolal, 26, of Brooklyn, NY
Air Force SSgt Travis L Griffin, 28, of Dover, DE
Army SPC Charles A Jankowski, 24, of Panama City, FL
Army SPC Durrell L Bennett, 22, of Spanaway, WA
Army PFC Patrick J Miller, 23, of New Port Richey, FL
Army SGT Terrell W Gilmore, 38, of Baton Rouge, LA
Army CPL Steven I Candelo, 20, of Houston, TX
Army SGT Nicholas A Robertson, 27, of Old Town, ME

Politicians tell us the War is going well. The "push" is working. Things are so much better. But this matters not to these heroes and their families. We are silent and grateful for your sacrifice.

FALLEN SOLDIERS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN: STARTING THE WEEK WITH THE PROPER PERSPECTIVE: 3-31-2008

THIS WEEK, THE PENTAGON RELEASED THE NAMES OF 14 SOLDIERS KILLED IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN:

Air Force TSgt William H Jefferson Jr, 34, of Norfolk, VA
Army PFC Tyler J Smith, 22, of Bethel, ME
Army PFC Antione V Robinson, 20, of Detroit, MI
Army SGT Thomas C Ray II, 40, of Weaverville, NC
Army SGT David S Stelmat, 27, of Littleton, NH
Army SGT David B Williams, 26, of Tarboro, NC
Army SSG William R Neil Jr, 38, of Holmdel, NJ
Army PVT George Delgado, 21, of Palmdale, CA
Army SSG Christopher M Hake, 26, of Enid, OK
Army PFC Andrew J Habsieger, 22, of Festus, MO
Army SPC Jose A Rubio Hernandez, 24, of Mission, TX
Army SSG Joseph D Gamboa, 34, of Yigo, GU
Army SPC Gregory B Rundell, 21, of Ramsey, MN
Army SPC Joshua A Molina, 20, of Houston, TX

FALLEN SOLDIERS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN HIT LANDMARK 4000: STARTING THE WEEK WITH THE PROPER PERSPECTIVE: 3-24-2008

YESTERDAY 4 MORE SOLDIERS WERE KILLED IN A BOMBLAST IN BAGHDAD BRINGING THE AMERICAN DEATH TOLL IN THE IRAQ WAR TO AT LEAST 4,000

THESE ARE THE NAMES OF 22 FALLEN SOLDIERS THE PENTAGON HAS RELEASED IN THE LAST THREE WEEKS FROM IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN:

Army CPL William D O'Brien, 19, of Rice, TX
Army SPC Lerando J Brown, 27, of Gulfport, MS
Army SSG Michael D Elledge, 41, of Brownsburg, IN
Army SPC Christopher C Simpson, 23, of Hampton, VA
Army SGT Gregory D Unruh, 28, of Dickinson, TX
Army SSG Juantrea T Bradley, 28, of Greenville, NC
Army SPC Dustin C Jackson, 21, of Arlington, TX
Army PFC Tenin L Samten, 33, of Prescott, AZ
Army SGT Gabriel Guzman, 25, of Hornbrook, CA
Army SGT Phillip R Anderson, 28, of Everett, WA
Army SPC Donald A Burkett, 24, of Comanche, TX
Army CPT Torre R Mallard, 27, of OK
Army SSG Laurent J West, 32, of Raleigh, NC
Army SFC Shawn M Suzch, 32, of Hilltown, PA
Army SSG Ernesto G Cimarrusti, 25, of Douglas, AZ
Army SSG David D Julian, 31, of Evanston, WY
Army CPL Robert T McDavid, 29, of Starkville, MS
Army CPL Scott A McIntosh, 26, of Houston, TX
Army SSG Collin J Bowen, 38, of Millersville, MD
Air Force SSgt Christopher S Frost, 24, of Waukesha, WI
Army SPC Steven R Koch, 23, of Milltown, NJ
Army SGT Robert T Rapp, 22, of Sonora, CA

Soldiers In Iraq We Salute You, But George Could Kiss Our Black...

The Shock & Awe Of The War Bush Insists On Fighting

Five years after launching the invasion of Iraq, President Bush strongly signaled Wednesday that he won't order troop withdrawals beyond those already planned because he refuses to "jeopardize the hard-fought gains" of the past year.

As anti-war activists demonstrated around downtown Washington, the president spoke at the Pentagon to mark the anniversary of a war that has cost nearly 4,000 U.S. lives and roughly $500 billion. The president's address was part of a series of events the White House planned around the anniversary and next month's report from the top U.S. figures in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker.

The story continues WAR IS HELL: THE 5 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE IRAQ WAR

5 U.S. SOLDIERS KILLED TODAY, HOW WILL YOU VOTE IN THE FUTURE?

The Real Red Phone Moment!

The war rages on contrary to reports that. "Things are better and it has been worse" Just hours ago, Five U.S. soldiers were killed and three others were wounded Monday when a suicide bomber walked up to their foot patrol in a Baghdad neighborhood and detonated explosives, authorities said. Four of the soldiers were killed on the spot, and one died later of injuries from the blast, the U.S. military said. An Iraqi interpreter also was wounded in the attack.

"Initial reports indicate the explosive device was a suicide vest," the military said in a statement.It was the deadliest single attack on U.S. troops since Jan. 28, when five soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb in the northern city of Mosul. Earlier in January, six soldiers were killed when a booby-trapped house blew up in Diyala province.

Monday's suicide bombing in the Mansour neighborhood broke a relative calm that had prevailed in the district, Iraqis said. In light of such news, how does this war determine your upcoming presidential vote if at all?

Read Josh Partlow and William Branigin Washington Post Foreign Service for more on this sad news.