WASHINGTON - Democrats are not expected to take up President Bush's war spending request until November, giving them time to calculate their next move and see if Republican support for his policies deteriorates.
The delay in passing the bill, which Bush says is needed by Oct. 1, is likely to intensify the standoff between the Democratic-controlled Congress and Bush, who says at least 130,000 troops are needed in Iraq through next summer.
Now, with the exception of Dennis Kucinich, all other Democrats seem to be confused. I’m not quite sure that they have done their homework. Or, if they have done their homework, they are playing games with the American people so that they can continue to make money from special interest groups and corporate interest groups who are engaged in war profiteering. Or, they think they should prolong this death and destruction so that Republicans can look worse and so they can ensure that people vote for anybody but a Republican without thinking who that “anybody” is in 2008.
Whatever it is, the Democrats appear to be in need of some help in making a decision. So here are various statistics including some statistics from the Brookings Institution’s Iraq Index:
3,777 US Soldiers Killed, 27,848 Seriously WoundedJournalists killed - 112, 74 by murder and 38 by acts of war
Journalists killed by US Forces - 14
Iraqi Police and Soldiers Killed - 7,442
Iraqi Civilians Killed, Estimated - A UN issued report dated Sept 20, 2006 stating that Iraqi civilian casualities have been significantly under-reported. Casualties are reported at 50,000 to over 100,000, but may be much higher. Some informed estimates place Iraqi civilian casualities at over 600,000.
Non-Iraqi Contractors and Civilian Workers Killed - 539
Non-Iraqi Kidnapped - 305, including 54 killed, 147 released, 4 escaped, 6 rescued and 94 status unknown.
Iraqis Displaced Inside Iraq, by Iraq War, as of May 2007 - 2,135,000
Iraqi Refugees in Syria & Jordan - 1.3 million to 1.75 million
Iraqi Unemployment Rate - 27 to 60%, where curfew not in effect
Consumer Price Inflation in 2006 - 50%
Iraqi Children Suffering from Chronic Malnutrition - 28% in June 2007 (Per CNN.com, July 30, 2007)
Percent of professionals who have left Iraq since 2003 - 40%
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