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News :: Peace |
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Iraq War Deaths Reach 1,000 American and over 10,000 Iraqi Dead; Local Vigil Planned to Mark Milestone |
Current rating: 1 |
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by NWFIMC Staff |
08 Sep 2004
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A tragic milestone in the Iraq War has finally been reached.
The Pentagon announced today that the US death toll in Iraq has now surpassed 1,000, over 800 of which have been killed since President Bush declared an end to major combat operations on May 1st, 2003. |
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A recent rise in insurgent fighting against American troops have killed eight US military personnel in the last two days, bringing the total number of troops killed to 1003 (including 3 "civilian contractors").
Military Families Speak Out, a group made up of over 1,600 military families who are calling for an immediate military withdrawal from Iraq, said in a statement on their web site "Our loved ones signed up to protect and defend Country and Constitution - not to be put in harm's way for oil markets and dreams of empire. As we honor the fallen, we call on the Administration to stop betraying our troops, their families and this nation! Not one more death in a war based on lies."
Presidential candidate John Kerry took a break from his campaign to issue a statement saying that the United States joined the friends and families of those who died in mourning their loss. John Kerry, as a US Senator voted to give President Bush the power to go to war in Iraq. More recently, both candidate's campaigns have stayed somewhat clear of the issue of Iraq, while focusing heavily on their past service during the 30 year-old Vietnam conflict.
There was no official comment on the milestone from Mr. Bush's campaign.
Of the 1,003 people who have been killed in the Iraq War, all but 138 were killed after President Bush officially declared victory over Saddam Hussein's army. Behind the Mr. Bush when he read his victory speech was a banner that read "Mission Accomplished."
After the major combat operations ended, the US military command in Iraq ordered the Iraqi Health Ministry to stop counting civilian deaths.
The US military has not been keeping count of the number of Iraqis killed in the war, but other agencies have attempted this monumental task. Conservative estimates of the civilian death count are over 10,000. Al-Jazeera recently reported a study that claimed the death count may be as high as 37,000.
Peace groups across the United States are planning to mark the tragic milestone with candlelight vigils, rallies, and protests against the war. United For Peace and Justice, the US peace group that recently held a massive anti-war march where 500,000 people participated in New York City, has called for vigils to take place all over the US to mark the milestone. A statement on their web site read:
"We will remember the more than 1,000 US servicemen and women who have died in Iraq. We will remember the many thousands of Iraqis--civilians and combatants, men and women, children the elderly--who have been killed. And we will remember that these deaths did not have to happen."
Locally here in Pensacola, Patriots for Peace plan to hold a solemn vigil for all the dead, American and Iraqi. The vigil will take place in Martin Luther King Plaza on Friday, September 10th at 4:30 pm and will last one hour.
For more information on the Pensacola Patriots for Peace vigil, please go to http://www.nwfimc.org/newswire/display/500/index.php
To see the names and pictures of the American dead, please visit
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2003/iraq/forces/casualties/
For information on the Iraqi dead, please visit
http://www.iraqbodycount.net |
See also:
http://www.unitedforpeace.org
http://www.mfso.org
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This work is in the public domain. |
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Re: Iraq War Deaths Reach 1,000 American and over 10,000 Iraqi Dead; Local Vigil Planned to Mark Milestone |
by indy media staff
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
11 Sep 2004
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This is a link to the report on the PFP vigil from 9/10/04
http://www.nwfimc.org/newswire/display/507/index.php |
