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Steve Gilliard, 1964-2007

It is with tremendous sadness that we must convey the news that Steve Gilliard, editor and publisher of The News Blog, passed away June 2, 2007. He was 42.

To those who have come to trust The News Blog and its insightful, brash and unapologetic editorial tone, we have Steve to thank from the bottom of our hearts. Steve helped lead many discussions that mattered to all of us, and he tackled subjects and interest categories where others feared to tread.

Please keep Steve's friends and family in your thoughts and prayers.

Steve meant so much to us.

We will miss him terribly.

photo by lindsay beyerstein

 

Center for American Progress: "Iraq by the numbers"



Our kids

Thanks to the Center for American Progress for this great post on the 4th anniversary of the Iraq Invasion - GO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE

March 19, 2007

Today, on the four-year anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, our military is stretched to the breaking point, Iraq is descending deeper into civil war, and the president is moving more—and more poorly prepared—troops into battle. The Center for American Progress has repeatedly advocated for a new strategy that would redeploy troops from Iraq to focus more attention on completing the mission left unaccomplished in Afghanistan and strengthen our ground troops by making sure that they are well-equipped and prepared—mentally and physically—when they are sent overseas. Clearly, we need a change in U.S. policy in Iraq:

The Cost in American Lives is Rising

3,217: Number of American troops killed in Iraq since the beginning of the war
54: Percentage of troops killed who were 24 years old or younger

Coalition Support is Waning
49: Number of countries in the Coalition of the Willing when the invasion began in 2003
21: Number of countries in the Coalition by mid-2007 after Britain, Denmark, and South Korea reduce their forces
135,000: Number of American troops in Iraq
11,095: Number of non-American troops that will remain in Iraq after the upcoming Coalition withdrawals

Staying the Wrong Course
29,100: Number of additional troops President Bush and his generals have officially requested to send to Iraq as part of an escalation strategy
Up to 50,000: Likely number of additional combat and support troops that will actually have to be deployed for the escalation, according to a Congressional Budget Office report
59: Percentage of Americans who think the Iraq war was a mistake
13: Percentage of Americans who prefer the option of sending more troops to options involving some form of withdrawal

continued at CAP's site

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