Saturday, August 15, 2009

Gearing up for Iraq II - Afghanistan

soldiers

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8175991.stm

Some 51 members of the UK armed forces had limbs amputated by 31 March 2009 after being wounded in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence has said.This figure represents a total since the start of Operation Herrick which began in 2002.

There are currently roughly 9000 UK troops in Afghanistan.  A total of 57 UK troops were wounded in the first two weeks of July, compared with 46 in all of June and 24 in May.

Deaths - UK troops

UK_afgh_deaths_466

  Amputation (U.S Iraq conflict)

 

According to the Army Office of the Surgeon General, between September 2001 and January 12, 2009, there were 1,286 amputations in OIF, OEF, and unaffiliated conflicts. The total includes

935 major limb amputations and 351 minor amputations. 643 (50%) were wounded by improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Excluding amputations resulting from unaffiliated conflicts, but including foreigners and others who serve with the U.S. military forces, IEDs caused 55% of the 1,184 OIF and OEF amputations. Of the 1,184 OIF and OEF amputations, 77% were in the Army, 19% were in the Marines, 2% were in the Air Force, and 2% were in the Navy. There were 1,091 (92%) service members wounded in OIF and 93 (8%) service members wounded in OEF. Of the 935 service members with major limb loss, 638 have completed the Medical Evaluation Board process, and of those, 105 are either Continued on Active Duty (COAD), Continued in the Reserves (COAR), or Fit for Duty.

All the data available suggests that Afghanistan will substantially increase the death and amputation statistics of Iraq. iCasualties reports the following graph indicating coalition force, Afghan deaths since October 2001. These are staggering when contemplating a forty year war.

This bloodbath will exceed the figures for any modern war to date in regards to deaths and wounded requiring amputation per capita.  The U.S figures will be not forthcoming from the Obama administration or the MSM for as long as they can withhold it. It appears to be of the same national security as the torture photos. I predicted a total of 95,000 troops by years end. With the news from the UK on their information, I expect the heat there will be greater than the US and that is unfortunate.  Their orchestrated tanking of the economy was well timed.

The photo hit me as hard as a George Foreman body shot. Do you wonder what is going through both of their minds at the time of this photo?

4 comments:

  1. Have you been drinking again WP? This isn't Levins post, it's mine.

    In case you haven't noticed I have a personal website and blog personally devoted to calling out your "Fats" and Neo-Cons.

    If you are going to pick a fight, pick it with someone who likes the Pilgrims and hates your incumbent Fabian freak show.

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  2. Sorry Pud... my bad. Yep- I WAS hitting the ol Sausalito last night:

    "I just wish, Mr. Dundee, on one Christmas, only one, that I could see some of the hopeless ones and the dreamless ones, just on one Christmas, I'd like to see the meek inherit the Earth. That's why I drink, Mr. Dundee, and that's why I weep." (Night of the Meek)

    It's not the Fabians or the Fats... it's US... and that's why I drink as well. Sometimes it's just too goddam sad. But it's morning now... the skies and my head are somewhat clearer now. I have work to do outside.

    No fight here, man. This will be my last post (maybe... for a while anyway)... kind of like the one in Flanders. We have no one to blame but ourselves.

    Solidarity Forever... for the Union makes us strong.

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  3. We the people have so much, for others there is so little. Why can't we be happier with less?

    You pretty much nail it everytime you post. It is us. It has always been us. We are real and they are just gelatinous heaps of water and fectal leakage with the incredible ability to make us desire to swim in it.

    And so it goes. Don't wander too far away WP.

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  4. I am left with a blank stare.

    ReplyDelete