We support our professional military force

TRADITIONAL MOUNTAINEERING ™
www.TraditionalMountaineering.org ™ and also www.AlpineMountaineering.org ™

The factual source for this page has been removed from the web. We are unable to continue it past December 31, 2009

We respect and support our nation's professional military forces

We respect and support our nation's full time professional military forces
and the all the men and women of the Army Reserve and National Guard
who have been called away from their civilian lives for extended duty in fighting and dieing
for George W. Bush, the nation's elected Commander in Chief.

These men and women and their families are carrying a disproportionate share of the burden of this "preemptive" war.

The Commander-in-Chief

George W. Bush, our elected Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces
Official White House photo by Kimberlee Hewitt, February 26, 2006

THE "COALITION"

Congress actually authorized George W. Bush to go to war only against those nations directly connected with the 9-11 attacks
and only when he had built a (real) coalition of nations to join the United States in such an attack

"There have been 1,016 coalition deaths, 896 Americans, 60 Britons, six Bulgarians, one Dane, one Dutch, one Estonian,
one Hungarian, 19 Italians, one Latvian, six Poles, one Salvadoran, three Slovaks, 11 Spaniards, two Thai
and seven Ukrainians, in the war in Iraq as of July 19, 2004"

There have been 1,491 coalition troop deaths, 1,340 Americans, 76 Britons, seven Bulgarians, one Dane, two Dutch, two Estonians,
one Hungarian, 19 Italians, one Latvian, 16 Poles, one Salvadoran, three Slovaks, 11 Spaniards, two Thai
and nine Ukrainians in the war in Iraq as of January 5, 2005.

There have been 1,941 coalition troop deaths, 1,753 Americans, 90 Britons, 13 Bulgarians, one Dane, two Dutch, two Estonians,
one Hungarian, 25 Italians, one Kazakh, one Latvian, 17 Poles, one Salvadoran, three Slovaks, 11 Spaniards, two Thai
and 18 Ukrainians in the war in Iraq as of July 11, 2005.

There have been 2,376 coalition deaths, 2,177 Americans, one Australian, 98 Britons, 13 Bulgarians, two Danes, two Dutch, two Estonians,
one Hungarian, 26 Italians, one Kazakh, one Latvian, 17 Poles, one Salvadoran, three Slovaks,11 Spaniards, two Thai
and 18 Ukrainians in the war in Iraq as of December 30, 2005.

There have been 2,795 coalition deaths, 2,569 Americans, two Australians, 114 Britons, 13 Bulgarians, three Danes, two Dutch, two Estonians, one Fijian,
one Hungarian, 31 Italians, one Kazakh, one Latvian, 17 Poles, two Romanians, two Salvadoran, three Slovaks, 11 Spaniards, two Thai
and 18 Ukrainians in the war in Iraq as of July 28, 2006.

There have been 3,166 coalition deaths, 2,920 Americans, two Australians, 125 Britons, 13 Bulgarians, six Danes, two Dutch, two Estonians, one Fijian,
one Hungarian, 32 Italians, one Kazakh, one Latvian, 18 Poles, two Romanians, five Salvadoran, four Slovaks, 11 Spaniards, two Thai
and 18 Ukrainians in the war in Iraq as of December 7, 2006

There have been 3,250 coalition deaths, 3,000 Americans, two Australians, 127 Britons, 13 Bulgarians, six Danes, two Dutch, two Estonians, one Fijian,
one Hungarian, 32 Italians, one Kazakh, 3 Latvian, 18 Poles, two Romanians, five Salvadoran, four Slovaks, 11 Spaniards, two Thai
and 18 Ukrainians in the war in Iraq as of January 1, 2007

There have been 3,872 coalition deaths, 3,587 Americans, two Australians, 156 Britons, 13 Bulgarians, one Czech, seven Danes, two Dutch,
two Estonians, one Fijian, one Hungarian, 33 Italians, one Kazakh, one Korean, three Latvian, 20 Poles, two Romanians, five Salvadoran,
four Slovaks, 11 Spaniards, two Thai and 18 Ukrainians in the war in Iraq as of July 4, 2007

There have been 4,272 coalition deaths -- 3,966 Americans, two Australians, 174 Britons, 13 Bulgarians, one Czech, seven Danes, two Dutch,
two Estonians, one Fijian, one Hungarian, 33 Italians, one Kazakh, one Korean, three Latvian, 22 Poles, three Romanians, five Salvadoran,
four Slovaks, 11 Spaniards, two Thai and 18 Ukrainians -- in the war in Iraq as of February 18, 2008.

There have been 4,392 coalition deaths -- 4,080 Americans, two Australians, 176 Britons, 13 Bulgarians, one Czech, seven Danes, two Dutch,
two Estonians, one Fijian, four Georgians, one Hungarian, 33 Italians, one Kazakh, one Korean, three Latvian, 22 Poles, three Romanians, five Salvadoran,
four Slovaks, 11 Spaniards, two Thai and 18 Ukrainians -- in the war in Iraq as of May 26, 2008,

There have been 4,509 coalition deaths -- 4,195 Americans, two Australians, one Azerbaijani, 176 Britons, 13 Bulgarians, one Czech, seven Danes,
two Dutch, two Estonians, one Fijian, five Georgians, one Hungarian, 33 Italians, one Kazakh, one Korean, three Latvians, 22 Poles, three Romanians,
five Salvadoran, four Slovaks, 11 Spaniards, two Thai and 18 Ukrainians -- in the war in Iraq as of November 12, 2008.

There have been 4,537 coalition deaths -- 4,221 Americans, two Australians, one Azerbaijani, 178 Britons, 13 Bulgarians, one Czech, seven Danes,
two Dutch, two Estonians, one Fijian, five Georgians, one Hungarian, 33 Italians, one Kazakh, one Korean, three Latvians, 22 Poles, three Romanians,
five Salvadoran, four Slovaks, 11 Spaniards, two Thai and 18 Ukrainians -- in the war in Iraq as of January 1, 2009

There have been 4,641 coalition deaths -- 4,324 Americans, two Australians, one Azerbaijani, 179 Britons, 13 Bulgarians, one Czech, seven Danes,
two Dutch, two Estonians, one Fijian, five Georgians, one Hungarian, 33 Italians, one Kazakh, one Korean, three Latvians, 22 Poles, three Romanians,
five Salvadoran, four Slovaks, 11 Spaniards, two Thai and 18 Ukrainians -- in the war in Iraq as of July 3, 2009

There have been 4,690 -- coalition deaths -- 4,373 Americans, two Australians, one Azerbaijani, 179 Britons, 13 Bulgarians, one Czech, seven Danes,
two Dutch, two Estonians, one Fijian, five Georgians, one Hungarian, 33 Italians, one Kazakh, three Latvians, 22 Poles, three Romanians,
five Salvadoran, four Slovaks, one South Korean, 11 Spaniards, two Thai and 18 Ukrainians -- in the Iraq war as of December 29, 2009

OUR OWN WOUNDED IN ACTION

At least 8,016 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 10-22-04
At least 9,326 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 11-27-04

At least 10,252 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 01-05-05
At least 11,220 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 03-15-05
At least 12,350 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 05-12-05
At least 12,630 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 05-27-05
At least 13,190 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 06-29-05
At least 13,336 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 07-11-05
At least 13,438 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 07-15-05
At least 13,559 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 07-21-05
At least 13,657 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 07-27-05
At least 13,769 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 08-02-05
At least 14,120 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 08-27-05
At least 15,220 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 10-26-05
At least 15,353 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 11-09-05
At least 15,568 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 11-12-05
At least 15,805 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 11-24-05
At least 15,881 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 11-30-05
At least 15,995 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 12-06-05
At least 16,155 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 12-15-05
At least 16,061 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 12-23-05

At least 16,329 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 01-05-06
At least 16,420 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 01-12-06
At least 16,472 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 01-17-06
At least 16,548 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 01-26-06
At least 16,606 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 02-06-06
At least 16,653 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 02-09-06
At least 16,742 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 02-16-06
At least 16,825 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 02-22-06
At least 16,906 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 02-28-06
At least 17,004 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 03-07-06
At least 17,124 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 03-15-06
At least 17,269 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 03-21-06
At least 17,469 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 04-07-06
At least 17,549 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 04-16-06
At least 17,648 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 04-19-06
At least 17,762 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 04-28-06
At least 17,874 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 05-05-06
At least 18,088 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 05-19-06
At least 18,184 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 05-26-06
At least 18,254 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 06-02-06
At least 18,490 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 06-12-06
At least 18,572 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 06-22-06
At least 18,696 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 06-30-06
At least 18,786 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 07-07-06
At least 18,874 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 07-12-06
At least 18,988 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 07-19-06
At least 19,270 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 08-03-06
At least 19,387 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 08-08-06
At least 19,511 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 08-19-06
At least 19,609 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 08-24-06
At least 19,773 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 08-30-06
At least 19,945 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 09-08-06
At least 20,113 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 09-13-06
At least 20,322 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 09-22-06
At least 20,486 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 09-28-06
At least 20,687 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 10-04-06
At least 20,895 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 10-13-06
At least 21,077 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 10-18-06
At least 21,266 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 10-27-06
At least 21,419 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 11-03-06
At least 21,572 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 11-09-06
At least 21,682 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 11-16-06
At least 21,778 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 11-21-06
At least 21,921 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 11-29-06
At least 22,057 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 12-08-06
At least 22,229 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 12-13-06
At least 22,401 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 12-26-06

At least 22,565 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 01-01-07
At least 22,714 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 01-08-07
At least 22,834 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 01-11-07
At least 22,951 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 01-19-07
At least 23,114 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 01-29-07
At least 23,279 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 01-31-07
At least 23,417 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 02-07-07
At least 23,530 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 02-14-07
At least 23,677 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 02-23-07
At least 23,785 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 03-07-07
At least 24,042 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 03-14-07
At least 24,187 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 03-22-07
At least 24,314 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 03-31-07
At least 24,476 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 04-04-07
At least 24,645 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 04-11-07
At least 24,764 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 04-19-07
At least 24,912 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 04-30-07
At least 25,245 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 05-09-07
At least 25,378 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 05-16-07
At least 25,549 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 05-29-07
At least 25,830 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 06-05-07
At least 25,950 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 06-13-07
At least 26,129 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 06-20-07
At least 26,350 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 06-28-07
At least 26,558 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 07-06-07
At least 26,695 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 07-16-07
At least 26,806 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 07-20-07
At least 26,953 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 07-26-07
At least 27,104 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 08-02-07
At least 27,279 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 08-08-07
At least 27,409 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 08-20-07
At least 27,506 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 08-22-07
At least 27,662 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 08-29-07
At least 27,767 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 09-04-07
At least 27,848 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 09-12-07
At least 27,936 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 09-19-07
At least 28,009 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 09-29-07
At least 28,093 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 10-07-07
At least 28,171 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 10-11-07
At least 28,276 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 10-17-07
At least 28,327 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 10-26-07
At least 28,451 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 11-13-07
At least 28,489 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 11-15-07
At least 28,629 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 12-05-07
At least 28,661 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 12-12-07
At least 28,711 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 12-19-07
At least 28,773 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 12-30-07

At least 30,112 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 05-26-08
At least 30,774 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 11-12-08

At least 30,920 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 01-01-09
At least 31,354 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 07-03-09
At least 31,613 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. 12-31-09
~As reported periodically by the Department of Defense

2009 total wounded: 693
(the lowest since this action was started by Commander Bush)

Total US military killed and wounded to "unseat former USA friend, dictator Saddam Hussein in Iraq"
and "to keep the 'terrorists' too busy in Iraq to have time to think about landing on our shores
and attacking American families, school busses, homes and small businesses." More than 35,986.

More than 1,000,000 Iraqi Citizens may have died as a result of their "liberation"!

President Bush, in a speech on December 12, 2005 before the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia:
"I would say 30,000, more or less, have died as a result of the initial incursion and the ongoing violence 'against' Iraqis,"

The deaths of Iraqi Citizens caused by the US de-stabilization now exceeds 50,000 according to government observers in July 2006.
The deaths of Iraqi Citizens caused by "Military Intervention" now exceeds 70,927 according to Iraq Body Count in August 2007.

The Lancet, the scholarly British medical journal reported on a Johns Hopkins University study released in October 2006
that as many as 654,965 civilian deaths have occurred in Iraq as a result of the U.S. led preemptory military attack.
These deaths are over and above the normal pre-war rate of deaths in Iraq.
This total includes above normal deaths attributable to diseases and disruptions due to the failure of the US led Coalition
to restore damaged municipal water, sewer, electric power, communications and health and hospital systems, as well as violent deaths.
Read the full Johns Hopkins University study here.

Just Foreign Policy created an online and ongoing estimate that extrapolates from the Lancet study
using the trend implied by the Iraq Body Count tally of deaths reported in the Western media. Their counter today stands at 1,044,607.
Read the September 2007 Report here.

The forgotten righteous war in AFGHANISTAN

The troops were injured or died in support of the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom
or were part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan.

There have been 256 coalition deaths -- 217 Americans, one Australian, four Britons, seven Canadians, three Danes, two French, 16 Germans,
two Italians, one Norwegian and three Romanians -- in the war on terror as of July 29, 2005.

There have been 306 coalition deaths -- 249 Americans, one Australian, four Britons, seven Canadians, three Danes, three French, 17 Germans,
two Italians, one Norwegian, three Romanians and 17 Spaniards -- in the war on terror as of October 26, 2005.

There have been 317 coalition deaths -- 253 Americans, one Australian, five Britons, eight Canadians, three Danes, three French, 18 Germans,
three Italians, one Norwegian, one Portuguese, three Romanians, 17 Spaniards and one Swede -- in the war on terror as of December 5, 2005.

There have been 320 coalition deaths -- 256 Americans, one Australian, five Britons, eight Canadians, three Danes, three French, 18 Germans,
three Italians, one Norwegian, one Portuguese, three Romanians, 17 Spaniards and one Swede -- in the war on terror as of December 30, 2005.

There have been 368 coalition deaths -- 291 Americans, one Australian, seven Britons, 15 Canadians, three Danes, four French, 18 Germans,
five Italians, one Norwegian, one Portuguese, three Romanians, 17 Spaniards and two Swedes -- in the war on terror as of May 8, 2006.

There have been 413 coalition deaths -- 321 Americans, one Australian, 13 Britons, 19 Canadians, three Danes, seven French, 18 Germans,
five Italians, one Norwegian, one Portuguese, four Romanians, 18 Spaniards, two Swedes -- in the war on terror as of July 28, 2006

There have been 486 coalition deaths -- 338 Americans, one Australian, 40 Britons, 39 Canadians, three Danes, three Dutch, nine French, 18 Germans,
nine Italians, one Norwegian, one Portuguese, four Romanians, 18 Spaniards, two Swedes -- in the war on terror as of October 10, 2006.

There have been 493 coalition deaths -- 341 Americans, one Australian, 41 Britons, 42 Canadians, three Danes, three Dutch, nine French, 18 Germans,
nine Italians, one Norwegian, one Portuguese, four Romanians, 18 Spaniards, two Swedes -- in the war on terror as of November 3, 2006.

There have been 507 coalition deaths -- 352 Americans, one Australian, 42 Britons, 44 Canadians, three Danes, three Dutch, nine French, 18 Germans,
nine Italians, one Norwegian, one Portuguese, four Romanians, 18 Spaniards, two Swedes -- in the war on terror as of December 7, 2006.

There have been 509 coalition deaths -- 353 Americans, one Australian, 43 Britons, 44 Canadians, three Danes, three Dutch, nine French, 18 Germans,
nine Italians, one Norwegian, one Portuguese, four Romanians, 18 Spaniards, two Swedes -- in the war on terror as of January 1, 2007.

There have been 567 coalition deaths -- 383 Americans, one Australian, 54 Britons, 54 Canadians, one Czech, three Danes, six Dutch, nine French,
18 Germans, nine Italians, one Norwegian, one Portuguese, four Romanians, one South Korean, 20 Spaniards, two Swedes
-- in the war on terror as of May 9, 2007.

There have been 610 coalition deaths -- 403 Americans, one Australian, 61 Britons, 60 Canadians, one Czech, four Danes, eight Dutch, two Estonians, one Finnish, nine French,
21 Germans, nine Italians, one Norwegian, one Portuguese, four Romanians, one South Korean, 21 Spaniards, two Swedes
-- in the war on terror as of July 1, 2007.

There have been 758 coalition deaths -- 479 Americans, four Australians, 88 Britons, 78 Canadians, one Czech, nine Danes, 14 Dutch, two Estonians, one Finn, 12 French, 22 Germans, 11 Italians, three Norwegians, one Pole, two Portuguese, five Romanians, one South Korean, 23 Spaniards, two Swedes
-- in the war on terror as of February 18, 2008.

There have been 808 coalition deaths -- 502 Americans, five Australians, 96 Britons, 83 Canadians, three Czech, 14 Danes, 16 Dutch, two Estonians, one Finn, 12 French, 22 Germans, 11 Italians, three Norwegians, three Poles, two Portuguese, six Romanians, one South Korean, 23 Spaniards, two Swedes
-- in the war on terror as of May 26, 2008.

There have been 998 coalition deaths -- 621 Americans, six Australians, 122 Britons, 97 Canadians, three Czech, 16 Danes, 17 Dutch, three Estonians, one Finn, 22 French, 25 Germans, two Hungarians, 12 Italians, one Latvian, one Lithuanian, three Norwegians, eight Poles, two Portuguese,
eight Romanians, one South Korean, 23 Spaniards, two Swedes -- in the war on terror as of November 12, 2008

There have been 1,037 coalition deaths -- 626 Americans, seven Australians, 138 Britons, 106 Canadians, three Czech, 21 Danes, 18 Dutch, three Estonians, one Finn, 23 French, 25 Germans, two Hungarians, 12 Italians, one Latvian, one Lithuanian, three Norwegians, eight Poles, two Portuguese, eight Romanians, one South Korean,
25 Spaniards, two Swedes -- in the war on terror as of January 1, 2009

There have been 1,194 coalition deaths -- 713 Americans, 10 Australians, 171 Britons, 120 Canadians, three Czech, 24 Danes, 19 Dutch, four Estonians, one Finn, 26 French, 30 Germans, two Hungarians, 13 Italians, three Latvian, one Lithuanian, four Norwegians, nine Poles, two Portuguese, 11 Romanians, one South Korean,
25 Spaniards, two Swedes -- in the war on terror as of July 3, 2009

There have been 1,546 coalition deaths -- 937 Americans, 11 Australians, one Belgian, 244 Britons, 134 Canadians, three Czech, 28 Danes, 21 Dutch, seven Estonians, one Finn, 36 French, 31 Germans, two Hungarians, 22 Italians, three Latvian, one Lithuanian, four Norwegians, 16 Poles, two Portuguese, 11 Romanians, one South Korean,
26 Spaniards, two Swedes and two Turks -- in the war on terror as of December 29, 2009

Our own wounded in action in Afghanistan

At least 521 U.S. troops have been wounded in action as of July 29, 2005, according to the Pentagon.
At least 632 U.S. troops have been wounded in action as of October 28, 2005, according to the Pentagon.
At least 654 U.S. troops have been wounded in action as of December 5, 2005, according to the Pentagon.
At least 672 U.S. troops have been wounded in action as of December 31, 2005, according to the Pentagon.

At least 718 U.S. troops have been wounded in action as of May 8, 2006, according to the Pentagon.
At least 825 U.S. troops have been wounded in action as of July 29, 2006, according to the Pentagon.
At least 962 U.S. troops have been wounded in action as of October 11, 2006, according to the Pentagon.
At least 1008 U.S. troops have been wounded in action as of November 3, 2006, according to the Pentagon.
At least 1062 U.S. troops have been wounded in action as of December 8, 2006, according to the Pentagon.
At least 1084 U.S. troops have been wounded in action as of December 31, 2006, according to the Pentagon.

At least 1084 U.S. troops have been wounded in action as of January 1, 2007, according to the Pentagon.
At least 1217 U.S. troops have been wounded in action as of May 9, 2007, according to the Pentagon.
At least 1342 U.S. troops have been wounded in action as of July 1 2007, according to the Pentagon.
At least 1,875 U.S. personnel have been wounded in action as of December 31, 2007, according to the Pentagon.

At least 1,964 U.S. personnel have been wounded in action as of May 26, 2008, according to the Pentagon.
At least 2,581 U.S. personnel have been wounded in action as of November 12, 2008, according to the Pentagon
At least 2,618 U.S. personnel have been wounded in action as of December 31, 2008, according to the Pentagon.

At least 3,023 U.S. personnel have been wounded in action as of July 3, 2009, according to the Pentagon.
At least 4,737 U.S. personnel have been wounded in action as of December 31, 2009, according to the Pentagon.

OpEd: Day by Day . . .

"Day by day we note the deaths of one, two, three or four or more of our young men and women in Iraq. These heroic sacrifices for our country's Honor are not being reported day by day on the pages of our national media. Shame on the nation's Press.

And shame on the Bush Republican controlled government for failing to end its mislead diversion for oil and construction profits and for political influence in the Middle East. We need a new course that will internationalize the rebuilding of Iraq. We need a new Plan to share the reconstruction contracts and the financial and human cost of defusing this new insurgence of fundamentalist hate. . . "
Op Ed by Robert Speik, formerly First Lieutenant, Armored Force, Veteran of the Korean Conflict.
Published in The Source Weekly on November 2, 2004

OpEd: "WAR ON TERROR" IS A MISLEADING SLOGAN!

"Bush has alienated moderate Muslims"

IN MY VIEW
Op-Ed to The Bulletin
by Robert Speik
Published on April 16, 2004

“At no time in our history was the world more supportive of our nation than in the months after 9-11. Unfortunately, our misled attack on Iraq squandered the world’s support for America and also ended any possible mainstream Muslim support for moderate dialog.”

TERRORISM IS A TACTIC NOT AN ENEMY
Terrorism is a tactic not an enemy. We should not be misled. Fundamentalist religious extremism is the enemy, not the brainwashed bombers who kill innocents and themselves while acting as the tools of zealot leaders.

The horrific attack on the World Trade Center on 9-11 must have caused mainstream Muslims to question the humanity of their extremist fundamentalist Islamic leaders. A dialog could have led to a worldwide mainstream Muslim withdrawal of support for the use of terrorism as a fundamentalist tactic to force social change.

Al Qaeda was identified as the master terrorist organization. The forceful removal of the fundamentalist Taliban regime from power in Afghanistan succeeded, however, all our American efforts to capture or kill Al Qaeda’s Bin Laden, failed because the local population protected him. Afghanistan became and still is a barely controlled shambles of a Muslim country.

Unable to win the “War on Terror” in Afghanistan, the Bush administration sought to blame Iraq for enabling extremist terrorism.

We were misled by the Bush administration. There were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. There was no immediate threat from Saddam Hussein. The unprecedented pre-emptive US attack on Iraq was arrogant and has proved to be catastrophic.

There was no Al Qaeda connection. Women who lived in Saddam’s secular Iraq were educated, liberated and often powerful. Women living under the Al Qaida supported fundamentalist Taliban regime, were enslaved in their homes. Saddam Hussein and Bin Laden were at opposite ends of Islam. Both were harsh regimes, but we all tolerate even more brutal governments in the world today.

At no time in our history was the world more supportive of our nation than in the months after 9-11. Unfortunately, our misled attack on Iraq squandered the world’s support for America and also ended any possible mainstream Muslim support for moderate dialog.

This President misled this nation, and a very few other nations, by using the specter of terror to facilitate his attempt to impose an American style democracy on what was once an oil rich, ineffective, secular Islamic dictatorship. The real reason for Bush to invade Iraq was not the pursuit of terrorists, it was to seize control of Iraq’s oil and re-construction contracts by the United States.

Iraq is now in anarchy. Let us be truthful. Americans live in virtual blast bunkers. More people are injured and killed day by day. This misled War for oil and influence has resulted in the destruction of thousands of human lives, American wealth and prestige and it has destabilized the region.

It is ludicrous for us to believe the Bush administration can succeed in establishing a constitutional democracy in Iraq. Bush’s stated purpose is to create a showcase democracy to influence the citizens in the Arab world to overthrow their traditional governments. Does Bush actually think the stable oil rich monarchies, theocracies and dictatorships surrounding Iraq will tolerate an American style democracy in their midst?

People will say that we cannot talk to terrorists, but America, through the United Nations, absolutely must engage in a positive dialog with world wide mainstream Islam. Iraq may become a fundamentalist theocracy founded on hate for the western world.

Fundamentalist Islamic clerics interpret the Koran and preach doctrines that are clearly un-acceptable in today’s enlightened world. They teach Muslim women to be the servants of men and to be invisible outside the home. This view and practice is not accepted in the modern world. We must support Islamic women in their quest for education and basic human rights. Muslim men are taught to persecute questioners of their leader’s fundamentalist religious doctrines through intimidation, physical retaliation and killing. This behavior is not accepted in the modern world. Basic universal human rights cannot be violated in the name of Allah, or God.

Terror is being used also, to justify the ongoing imposition on all our American citizens, of the Bush administration’s conservative coalition formula for a “Conservative Democracy”.

Without a doubt, our own civil liberties, our pure science, our clean environment, our public schools, our fair tax system that focused on the rich, our treasury surplus, our valuable public lands, our national health care system, our social security system, our great middle class, and our skilled American jobs are being further compromised daily by the Bush administration in its zeal to satisfy the wealthy special interests that support it, and its overwhelming political desire to be re-elected at any cost.

Bush, Cheney, Rice, Powell, Rumsfeld, Ashcroft, Wolfowitz and Rowe have been exposed repeatedly for clearly and solemnly misleading this nation. They are dangerous scary people.

The Bush administration’s “War on Terror” fails because it misleads the nation away from the real opponent, worldwide fundamentalist religious extremism. Let us be truthful.
--Robert Speik enlisted as a Private during the Korean Conflict and became a First Lieutenant, Armored Force
OpEd: Terrorism is a tactic, not an enemy

Peace March in Bend Oregon on March 17, 2007

PHOTOGRAPHER'S STATEMENT:
The photograph was taken as part of a new documentary project largely exploring the public forums concerning ending the Iraq War. The photograph captures an elevated view of participants in the March 17, 2007 Peace March held at Brandis Square in downtown Bend, Oregon. Similar marches were held nationally over the St. Patrick's day weekend. The "Imagine Peace" March attracted many participants who each contributed with various forms of anti-war expression including placards [as pictured] costumes and theatrical props such as stilts. The grouped marched to City Hall taking a tour through the main downtown arterials leading to a grand loop moving away from and back to the downtown area, culminating at the historic "Old Church" where films were shown including documentary footage of John Lennon's opposition to the Vietnam War. --Clyde Keller

Note: This iconic image showing young and old, rich and poor making a public statement of their support of our professional military force is used here by permission of Photographer Clyde Keller, now of Bend Oregon. --Webmeister Speik

----- Original Message -----
From: DT
To: The Speik's
Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2007 10:49 AM
Subject: Re: TraditionalMountaineering Update: FREE Seminars and more!

Bob:
Please delete me from your emails. I enjoy your articles on the outdoors, but Peace marches are not my cup of tea!

Suggest you stay with your core business.
DT

----- Original Message -----
From: The Speik's
To: DT
Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2007 1:17 PM
Subject: Your patriotic suggestion

Hello DT
Thanks for your suggestion.

You should read an email I received in December 2006, from a soldier:

********
recipient = info@www.traditionalmountaineering.org
form_name = Comments
name =
email = --------- @ us.army.mil

comments = Hi Folks,
In my travels here I am doing quite a bit of mountaineering on a great many un-named peaks and very remote ranges.

I reference your site to many climbing colleagues from around the world over here and have found a great deal of very useful information.

This may not be what you ever envisioned for your site - but in the case of my job here in Afghanistan you are doing good work, providing a wonderful service and helping to save lives!

Thank You!
(Name withheld by TraditionalMountaineering to protect his identity)
Lieutenant-Colonel
US Army
Afghanistan

********

DT, because the Bush Administration's Republican operatives have contrived to politically divide the country into "Cut and Run Liberals" and "Patriotic Stay the Course Conservatives", I have been withholding the name of this Officer.

The "patriotic" attitude that you express does little to support our professional military force.

Our informed troops are loyal to their Band of Brothers. They are well aware of the fact that most of the American People no longer support the Administration's "Preemptive Strike" in Iraq. Images of quiet determined people in Bend who support the troops by ending the occupation in Iraq need not be concealed from the troops.

They are also aware that the Republican Party still controls the Senate by manipulating Senate Rules to require a 60% super majority on major legislation.

Also, a very great many of our professional military access our special page supporting them:
http://www.traditionalmountaineering.org/Photos_Bush_Commander.htm

DT, I am curious what you feel you are doing to "support our nation's full time professional military forces and the all the men and women of the Army Reserve and National Guard who have been called away from their civilian lives for extended duty in fighting and dieing for George W. Bush, the nation's "elected" Commander in Chief".
--Robert Speik, formerly, First Lieutenant, Armored Force, Korean Conflict

----- Original Message -----
From: DT
To: The Speik's
Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2007 1:44 PM
Subject: Re: Your patriotic suggestion

Bob:
Delighted to hear your web site is useful to our troops in combat.

I am (part of) Bend Parade of Flags. We install 160 (will be 300) flags in Bend 8x annually. We also fly flags when ever a Central Oregonian vet is KIA. They are flown during the normal display days with the KIA flags at Honor Court (Oregon and Wall). Their parents personally install the flags then. I am also (part of) of the Bend Fallen Heroes Memorial Committee which will be installing a memorial in Bend to honor all vets who served and display the names of 71 Bend vets who died from WW I to the present. I have met with the families of the 3 KIAs from Madras, Redmond, and Bend.

I am working on 20 other veterans projects.

I do not want my grandkids fighting terrorists and that is why they must be stopped now and "over there".

Thanks for your service to our country Bob.

Please delete from your email list just the same.
DT

----- Original Message -----
From: The Speik's
To: DT
Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2007 4:52 PM
Subject: Re: Your patriotic suggestion

DT
Rest assured, I have removed your name from the Updates List. No problem.

I do have to ask one more question.

"I do not want my grandkids fighting terrorists and that is why they must be stopped now and over there".

I have heard the slogan "fight them over there so they can not kill us over here". Can you explain how that would work? Might the killers charter a ship or airplane and land here to murder Americans? It seems it only takes a few terrorists to plot and murder thousands of Americans. How can we be sure to kill the dangerous killers and not the local "insurgents" over there in Iraq?

How do we stop the "terrorists . . . over there"? There seem to be thousands of them who appear and disappear. It must be hell on our soldiers to be "under the gun" with hostile people around them all the time. How do you identify the good Iraq people from the bad Iraq people?

Do you envision the terrorists coming to a table to surrender and stand down? The Bush Administration has never explained how we would "win" and what it would look like. Perhaps lots of flags?

The same voices that warn us of a genocide in Iraq if we should withdraw are the voices that told of nuclear mushroom clouds and gas delivered by drone airplanes. Don't be afraid for the Iraqis. They will do what they must to continue as a nation. We can not impose our form of democracy by military force.

DT, I think you could better serve our troops by calling for an end to this terrible mistake in Iraq.

No need to reply unless you need to set me right!
--Bob Speik

Note: This email exchange has been edited for brevity and clarity and to protect the identity of DT. --Webmeister Speik

The Democratic Political Party has a new legislative majority and the world is watching!

However, the Republican Political Party in 2007 is still in control of the Senate!

The Democrats gained many Senate seats in the last election, but only a bare 51 to 49 majority.

Senate rules grant endless speech time to Members before any vote unless 60% agree to end debate.
Democrats need 60 Senate votes to close endless Republican politics based debate!

Both the Republican Administration and Congress have negative approval ratings in the 65% range.
Republican political obstruction tactics can not fool those paying attention.
The question should be framed: do you disapprove of Republicans or of Democrats in Congress?

DEMOCRATS OFFER A BOLD NEW DIRECTION
based on traditional American values

THE DEMOCRATS SIX-POINT PLAN FOR 2007
Honest Leadership & open Government
We will end the Republican culture of corruption & restore a government as good as the people it serves.

Real security
We will protect Americans at home and lead the world by telling the truth to our troops, our citizens and our allies.

Energy independence
We will create a cleaner and stronger America by reducing our dependence on foreign oil.
.
Economic Prosperity & Educational Excellence
We will create jobs that will stay in America by restoring opportunity and driving innovation.

A Health care System that Works for Everyone
We will join 36 other industrialized nations by making sure everyone has access to affordable health care

Each day since November 2004, as we updated our Home Page,
we memorialized the reported loss of our men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan.

We suspended those daily loss updates on our Home Page at the end of 2007 in order to have
more time to assist the Presidential Campaign of Senator Barack Obama!

Barack Obama will soon be President!
Here is one of the reasons:

Cost of the War in Iraq

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