U.S. Soldiers Stage Mutiny, Refuse Orders in Iraq Fearing They Would Commit Massacre

Bombing Afghanistan was kind of like a waste of ammo. Perhaps they should have quietly sent in CIA operatives to hunt bin laden. On 2nd thought...
I guess I like your idea better. They could have gone over Afghanistan with a fine tooth comb.

 

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/11/13/cbsnews_investigates/main3496471.shtml

 

"In 2005, for example, in just those 45 states, there were at least 6,256 suicides among those who served in the armed forces. That’s 120 each and every week, in just one year. "

If that number is accurate, which I highly doubt, as it's coming from CBS...That's for all Veterans, of all ages, and the vast majority of which never saw a single day of combat. My Dad's a veteran and in his seventies. If he were to commit suicide, would it be because of Iraq?

"One age group stood out. Veterans aged 20 through 24, those who have served during the war on terror." Again, a large number of these people were never in the war but served during the war.

And let's just say the suicide rate were 25 per 100,000 for Iraq veterans, though that's not what the article really says, but tries to pass off. How many Americans have served in Iraq? Gotta be less than a million, no? Well then the math says that there would 250 or fewer suicides among Iraq veterans.

This is typical media spinning.

 

Have you ever seen war M8? Or someone get killed in front of your eyes? Getting their head blown of while right next to you by a sniper? Seen body parts hanging from the ceiling? Someone you were just talking to a minute ago now is nothing more than pieces of exploded flesh?
If you had experience some of that on a daily basis you would have nightmares too and consider suicide. Numbers are for politicians and pundits to use to their agenda. Reality is that those exposed to war and death and suffering question life and living. And unfortunately for a lot of them the pain and memories are too strong and painful to bare and end their life.

 

Yes, we all agree war is hell. There likely is a higher frequency of suicide and mental health problems among war veterans. But those numbers are ridiculous, which is what my point was.

Are we interested in the truth, or in manipulating facts to fit our agenda? Many of those in the media seem interested in the latter, and this looks like a classic case of it to me.

 

Based on what? Your feelings of what they should be?

Great question. So?

Indeed.

 

Yea but about war profiteers? How are they to make money? You have to understand that war is big business for some.

 

Already explained. The math doesn't add up.

 

DP P&R post of the month. Spot On.

 

How true. I second that.

 

Do you have better math?

 

http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showpost.php?p=5749410&postcount=23

That's the post. If you don't get it, I can't help you.

Let's say the suicide rate among Iraq veterans is 25 per 100,000. That would mean at most there have been 250 suicides total. Common sense then tells you that it's utterly impossible that 105 Iraq veterans are committing suicide every month, lol.

 

Even 1 suicide per 100,000 is way too many!

 

"Estimates vary on the number of Vietnam veterans who have committed suicide, the definition of suicide can be ambiguous, and there is no other reporting method that we know. Estimates range from 20,000 to 200,000 suicides."
source
I don't think anyone really knows for sure.
Edit: Oops, I just saw this source was for the Vietnam war. I guess in a way it still applies. No one can say they know the exact numbers, but seeing people being blown up around you can screw with your mind.

 

I agree. I want them all to come home. I have a relative set to be sent back in a short time and I don't want him to go. None of us do.

 

I have a very good friend serving in Iraq as we speak and I would hate to see him get hurt because of Bush's war. I consider the Iraqi war an illegal war and I feel for every human being that is dying senselessly because of it.

 

Guerilla: I'm surprised the article hasn't been widely circulated.

The IED killing that got Charlie Company to refuse to go back out for fear they would go on a rampage occurred in June this year. The Company returned to Germany in October after a long and brutal tour.

The first portion of the story was published in late Nov this year with 3 other installments quickly following and being fully published by mid December. The reporter who wrote the story was embedded with the soldiers at the time of the incident.

Its such a powerful story. I have no idea why it hasn't gotten enormous exposure since its full publication in mid December.

Rebecca: I agree you captured one of the crazinesses of this war. Once in Iraq and while fighting continued the US has spent billions on repair.

So much of that was subsequently destroyed by different elements of the Iraqi population in opposition to the US the Iraqi govt or both.

Lots of wasted money.

I feel for the soldiers. It appears the military does a better job now then in the past in trying to help these guys since their trauma. It is an enormous job.

We should be working our way out of Iraq. Its an enormous waste and toil on all aspects of America.

 

I agree fully with that.