U.S. soldier shot and killed in northern Iraq

[maddezmom]

BAGHDAD, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Gunmen shot and killed a U.S. soldier in Mosul on Thursday as he was conducting patrols in the restless northern Iraqi city.

The U.S. military said the soldier, part of Task Force Olympia which is responsible for security in northern Iraq, died after being evacuated to a military hospital. No further details were provided.

Mosul has been tense since insurgents launched an offensive against U.S. and Iraqi security forces in the city in mid- November, overrunning police stations and attacking a convoy of vehicles.



http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/GEO255050.htm

[faithfull]

1. We are numb to this.

Does it still mean anything when people are killed in Iraq? I almost passed this over. But its criminal EVERY time. Every death is a life lost. Someone loved that man.

:donut:

[callous taoboy]

2. Here here. n/t

[raggedcompany]

4. yeah, and someone loved the 40 men he killed

don't see any news articles about THEM.

Don't get hot, I understand your point. I'm just kinda tired of the hand wringing over each dead American (or the hand wringing over the lack of hand wringing) while even progressives ignore the thousands and thousands of non volunteer, non combatant Iraqi deaths.

Sad this guy is dead, but even if no one ever talks about him again, he's already gotten more attention and worry than any 1000 dead iraqi civilians got.

[daleo]

5. I don't see a reference to him killing 40 men

Is there another story about him somewhere else that indicates this number, or are you applying some "kill ratio" factor. I agree with your point that (most) everyone killed in this conflict deserves sympathy, innocent Iraqis most of all. I just wonder where your number came from.

[raggedcompany]

6. the number is symbolic only and hyperbolic at that (I hope)

I just pulled it out of my ass to flavor my point that for every much-mourned American death in this disaster there are many, many more Iraqi deaths which go unnoticed, most of them of innocent civilians.

[daleo]

7. OK, just wondering

The point is valid, whatever the actual number.

[tx_dem41]

3. My thoughts and prayers to his family. n/t