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Editor's Choice: 116
http://wits.nctc.gov/Main.do
According to the WITS database, for incidents between Jan. 1st 2005 and Dec. 31st 2006 in Iraq:
-2% of the victims were the result of Shia Extremists
-24% of the victims were the result of Sunni Extremists
-74% of the victims were the result of Unknown Perpetrators
Victims Types:
-4% of the victims were taken hostage
-36% of the victims died
-60% of the victims were wounded
Think about it: 74% % of the victims were the result of Unknown Perpetrators. These stats ultimately reveal very little.
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FYI-Detailed Stats (apologies for length):
Perpetrator(s): Islamic Extremist (Shia)
Dead: 381
Wounded: 377
Hostages: 276
Total Victims: 1034
Perpetrator(s): Islamic Extremist (Sunni)
Dead: 4935
Wounded: 8860
Hostages: 358
Total Victims: 14153
Perpetrator(s):Islamic Extremist (Sunni),Islamic Extremist (Shia)
Dead: 19
Wounded: 0
Hostages: 13
Total Victims: 32
Perpetrator(s): Islamic Extremist (Sunni),Islamic Extremist (Shia)
Dead: 66
Wounded: 68
Hostages: 0
Total Victims: 134
Perpetrator(s): Islamic Extremist (Sunni),Islamic Extremist (Sunni),Islamic Extremist (Sunni)
Dead: 0
Wounded: 0
Hostages: 0
Total Victims: 0
Perpetrator(s): Islamic Extremist (Sunni),Islamic Extremist (Sunni),Unknown
Dead: 2
Wounded: 14
Hostages: 7
Total Victims: 23
Perpetrator(s): Islamic Extremist (Sunni),Tribal/Clan/Ethnic
Dead: 0
Wounded: 0
Hostages: 2
Total Victims: 2
Perpetrator(s): Islamic Extremist (Unknown)
Dead: 157
Wounded: 317
Hostages: 40
Total Victims: 514
Perpetrator(s): Islamic Extremist (Unknown),Secular Political/Anarchist
Dead: 1
Wounded: 0
Hostages: 0
Total Victims: 1
Perpetrator(s): Secular Political/Anarchist
Dead: 22
Wounded: 71
Hostages: 0
Total Victims: 93
Perpetrator(s): Unknown
Dead: 15987
Wounded: 25993
Hostages: 1542
Total Victims: 43522
Perpetrator(s): Unknown,Islamic Extremist (Sunni),Islamic Extremist (Sunni)
Dead: 10
Wounded: 10
Hostages: 0
Total Victims: 20
Perpetrator(s): Unknown,Islamic Extremist (Sunni),Islamic Extremist (Unknown)
Dead: 9
Wounded: 16
Hostages: 0
Total Victims: 25
Perpetrator(s): Unknown,Unknown
Dead: 0
Wounded: 0
Hostages: 1
Total Victims: 1
The "Mission Accomplished" speech:
Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed. (Applause.) And now our coalition is engaged in securing and reconstructing that country.In this battle, we have fought for the cause of liberty, and for the peace of the world. Our nation and our coalition are proud of this accomplishment -- yet, it is you, the members of the United States military, who achieved it. Your courage, your willingness to face danger for your country and for each other, made this day possible. Because of you, our nation is more secure. Because of you, the tyrant has fallen, and Iraq is free.
Between the "end of major combat operations" and "proud of this accomplishment," it sounds like Bush has his "technical virginity."
jay k. is right. These timelines are non-binding goals as suggested by the Iraq Study Group. No one is tying anyone's hands. Rather, these goals provide a framework for success that shows Americans and the Iraqi people that this war is not open-ended and there is a plan.
It's ridiculous that Congress has to fight with the President-- four years into a war-- to get him to agree that there is a plan for the war.
Also, regarding the Washington Post headline: Sometime within the past 15 minutes, washingtonpost.com changed the headline to read "Bush Vetos Iraq War Emergency Funding Bill." But if you click on the link, it still takes you to the full story with the headline "Bush Keeps Vow to Veto War Funding Bill."
Ya think someone at washingtonpost.com is trolling the Salon War Room?
Yellow Dog, I am cracking up. I'm picturing Dubya sitting at his desk in the Oval Office playing with a "Bush in flight-suit Mission Accomplished" doll and Malibu Barbie. Better yet, Malibu Stacy from The Simpsons.
Anonymous writes: “I thought the ad was targeting someone who has already decided they want implants and is showing why Allergan silicone implants are the "smart choice".
I wondered about this too, Allergan as being the gold standard for safe, effective implants. But then I started imaging women walking around with “Allergan” stamped on their boobs like they’re designer bags. Oops. Unintentional pun.
The ad is confusing and surprising and makes you stop and think. Which is a great way to build brand recognition.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/07/business/media/07carr.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
In his biography, “Murdoch: The Making of a Media Empire,” William Shawcross quoted a 1983 interview with Mr. Murdoch.
“All newspapers are run to make profits. Full stop,” he said. “I don’t run anything for respectability. The moment I do, I hope someone will come and fire me and get me out of the place — because that’s not what newspapers are meant to be about.”
Ewww.
This is a common spelling mistake, and it's about time people learned the correct pluralization of "ho."
I've gotta say, I am sitting here at work CRACKING UP over that t-shirt. For more fun, check out some of the other truly wrong t-shirts at tshirthell.com (as linked in the article).
I don’t see any inconsistency in Thompson’s comments. His full response on abortion according to the survey and article:
* Under abortion: He checked the box for: "Abortions should be legal in all circumstances as long as the procedure is completed within the first trimester of the pregnancy." He did, however, support a number of restrictions on abortion: requiring parental notification, allowing states to impose waiting periods, and eliminating all federal funding of abortion. Lastly, he said Congress should leave legislation on abortion to the states.
So Thompson, as an individual, considers himself pro-life (i.e., abortion is immoral). He thinks Roe. v. Wade was decided badly by the courts as a matter of law and science. He believes the matter should have been left up to the states. This fits with true conservative principles of states’ rights and the rights of the individual. He personally believes abortion should be legal in the first trimester (although he as an individual finds abortion immoral). And he favors restrictions on abortion.
I may disagree with him on some of those points, but there’s nothing inconsistent, illogical or hypocritical in them.