Troops need supplies

When I read that our troops in harm’s way lack blood clotting supplies (6/9, A-1), I was torn between cursing and crying.

My soldier nephew is now en route to Afghanistan, where there many not be the protective gear or medical supplies necessary to keep him alive.

I thank our reporters for bringing us the truth from war zones. The government won’t tell us. But I wonder what we can do about this shameful neglect other than send needed supplies in care packages?

Barbara Jo Kerr
Louisburg, Kan.

Comments

[GCYL]

So CRD, what "trickle of good news" would excuses the "bad faith upon which the war was premised and the morass of bad planning in the execution of the occupation of Iraq and how it's disserved our troops there, who are dying at a rate of over 50 per month, and suffering non-mortal injuries at a far higher rate"?

[CRD]

"OF COURSE YOU DIDN'T KNOW . . AND I DIDN'T KNOW!.... WHY DIDN'T WE KNOW?
OUR MEDIA WOULDN'T TELL US!"

buh-loney. Right-wingnut rhetoric. No one disputes that good things as well as bad things are happening in Iraq.

However, none of the trickle of good news excuses the bad faith upon which the war was premised and the morass of bad planning in the execution of the occupation of Iraq and how it's disserved our troops there, who are dying at a rate of over 50 per month, and suffering non-mortal injuries at a far higher rate.

[tomw]

Yes, Engineer, I did know some of what you detailed. Maybe not the exact figures, but certainly close enough to have the general idea. The question is, how did you know? Or how did the original e-mailer know? The media, of course. I hear these kind of statements regularly on talk radio. "The media won't tell us but...". The people had to find the information somewhere. Silliness.

[Engineer]

jack
During WWII the Government told us what it wanted us to know and nothing else. Information flows much more freely now. As to what is going on in Iraq I'm adding an e-mail that covers some of the activities:

"IRAQ PROGRESS

Thought you would be interested in the following:

Did you know that 25 Iraq students departed for the United States in January 2005 for the reestablished Fulbright program?

Did you know that the Iraqi Navy is operational?! They have 5 - 100-foot patrol craft, 34 smaller vessels and a naval infantry regiment.

Did you know that Iraq's Air Force consists of three operational squadrons, which includes reconnaissance and 3 US C-130 transport aircraft (under Iraqi operational control) which operate day and night, and will soon add 16 UH-1 helicopters and 4 Bell Jet Rangers?

Did you know that Iraq has a counter-terrorist unit and a Commando Battalion?

Did you know that the Iraqi Police Service has over 55,000 fully trained and equipped police officers?

Did you know that there are 5 Police Academies in Iraq that produce over 3500 new officers each 8 weeks?

Did you know there are more than 1100 building projects going on in Iraq? They include 364 schools, 67 public clinics, 15 hospitals, 83 railroad stations, 22 oil facilities, 93 water facilities and 69 electrical facilities.

Did you know that 96% of Iraqi children under the age of 5 have received the first 2 series of polio vaccinations?

Did you know that 4.3 million Iraqi children were enrolled in primary school by mid October?

Did you know that there are 1,192,000 cell phone subscribers in Iraq and phone use has gone up 158%?

Did you know that Iraq has an independent media that consists of 75 radio stations, 180 newspapers and 10 television stations?

Did you know that 47 countries have reestablished their embassies in Iraq?

Did you know that the Iraqi government currently employs 1.2 million Iraqi people?

Did you know that 3100 schools have been renovated, 364 schools are under rehabilitation, 263 schools are now under construction and 38 new schools have been built in Iraq?

Did you know that Iraq's higher educational structure consists of 20 Universities, 46 Institutes or colleges and 4 research centers, all currently operating?

Did you know that the Baghdad Stock Exchange opened in June of 2004?

Did you know that 2 candidates in the Iraqi presidential election had a televised debate recently?

OF COURSE YOU DIDN'T KNOW . . AND I DIDN'T KNOW!.... WHY DIDN'T WE KNOW?
OUR MEDIA WOULDN'T TELL US!

[jack]

The excuse that torques my bolts is the, "There are shortages in every war", BS. In past wars there were shortages because our industrial base wasn't able to make enough of whatever was in short supply. Not so with this war.

With this war our troops do without because the equipment has never been ordered. The shame just keeps getting deeper for those who support war without inconveience, war without sacrifice, war without cost.

[jack]

That great bugaboo of the right, FDR, would go on the radio, tell people to get out their National Geographic maps, and then explain what was going on during WWII. He would talk about where our troops were, what was going well and what wasn't. He repeatedly told tthe American people, and the world, what our war aims and plans for after the war were.

Didn't seem to hurt the war effort to do it that way.

I wonder if the American people would be more supportive of this war if the same type of openess was practised by this President. My bet is we will never know because this President will never do it.

[CRD]

"I thank our reporters for bringing us the truth from war zones. The government won’t tell us."

Case in point: not only will Bush not discuss a timetable for troop withdrawal -- but three years into occupation, we apparently still have no reliable way of measuring how anything is going over there.

[jack]

About the only thing you can do is come election day, vote against all encumbents. All of them. Every time. Get rid of the professional politicians bring back the public servants.