So what's really going on in Iraq

Imagine my surprise when I stumbled across an article from Patrick Buchanan titled "Is it an unwinnable 'Republican war'?"

In his article, Mr. Buchanan points out the confusing conflict of opinion concerning our progress there:

• Vice President Cheney dismisses the insurgency as in its "last throes."
• CIA Director Porter Goss says, "They're not quite in their last throes, but ... they're very close to it."
• Sen. Joe Biden says Goss should talk to "his intelligence people on the ground. They didn't suggest at all that it was near its last throes. Matter of fact, it's getting worse, not better."
• John McCain says we face "a long hard slog ... It's going to be at least a couple of more years."
  
• Sen. Chuck Hagel, a McCain backer in 2000, says: "Things aren't getting better. They're getting worse ... The reality is that we're losing in Iraq."

Even the administration and its spin doctors on GOP-TV (FOX) can't agree on their story. Through it all, our president remains irresponsibly ignorant. When you make decisions based upon your gut, or upon faith, you risk the facts of the situation not matching up. That's what we have here.

Don't take my word for it. Check out the charts below that show US military deaths and injuries by month since we started the war. Does it look like things are getting better yet? You can keep track of the numbers at the Iraq Coalition Casualty Count web site.


US Soldier Deaths in Iraq


US Soldier Injuries in Iraq