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100 UK deaths in Iraq

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RobB
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PostPosted: 15:41 - 01 Feb 2006    Post subject: 100 UK deaths in Iraq Reply with quote

100 members of the UK armed forces have been killed in Iraq since the start of the war.


The figures below are from this mornings Metro, which put that in context for me a little. I am aware that the Metro may not be the most reliable source of information in the world, but I assume these figures are roughly correct.

- 309 private contractors have been killed.
- 150 Aid workers.
- 2,445 members of coalition forces.
- 16,420 US troops have been wounded in combat.
- The highest number of US troops killed in ONE MONTH is 137.
- An estimated 100,000 Iraqi troops and civilians have lost their lives.

- On top of that, economically the war has so far cost the UK £5.6bn, and America £140bn. The estimated total cost for the war is £1,100bn


I mean no offence to anyone currently serving, or with family that are, but 100 UK deaths seems insignificant to me compared to the above numbers. Karma
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Visitor Q
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PostPosted: 15:45 - 01 Feb 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thats what, 20 minutes of the somme... if that?
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Suzuki
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PostPosted: 15:47 - 01 Feb 2006    Post subject: Re: 100 UK deaths in Iraq Reply with quote

RobB wrote:
I mean no offence to anyone currently serving, or with family that are, but 100 UK deaths seems insignificant to me compared to the above numbers. Karma


It's only insignificant if you think that the war was a worthwhile thing to do.

If you don't agree with the US occupation of Iraq, and don't think the UK forces should be there at all, then just 1 death is significant.

All depends on your point of view.
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Suzuki
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PostPosted: 15:52 - 01 Feb 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote

bonny_ricardo wrote:
Thats what, 20 minutes of the somme... if that?


Depends which battle at Somme you're talking about.

If you're referring to the battle during WW1, then from July 1916 to the end of November 1916, over 23000 officers and nearly 475000 enlisted men lost their lives. Shocking.

Wikipedia wrote:
The battle is best remembered for its first day, 1 July 1916, on which the British suffered 57,470 casualties of which 19,240 were killed or died of wounds. It remains the bloodiest day in the history of the British Army.

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Visitor Q
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PostPosted: 15:55 - 01 Feb 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote

Suzuki wrote:
bonny_ricardo wrote:
Thats what, 20 minutes of the somme... if that?


Depends which battle at Somme you're talking about.

If you're referring to the battle during WW1, then from July 1916 to the end of November 1916, over 23000 officers and nearly 475000 enlisted men lost their lives. Shocking.


Precisely why i say about 100 deaths in 20 mins...?

I recall something like 100'000 killed in one day when there was a big push.

Not to mention yppes etc
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WR450_geezer
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PostPosted: 16:04 - 01 Feb 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote

Personally I think its alot considering we havent got as many soldiers out there as america etc.

WR
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veeeffarr
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PostPosted: 16:06 - 01 Feb 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote

bonny_ricardo wrote:
Precisely why i say about 100 deaths in 20 mins...?

I recall something like 100'000 killed in one day when there was a big push.

Not to mention yppes etc


If you know anything about Ypres my great grandfather was Sir John Denton French Smile
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McGee
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PostPosted: 16:09 - 01 Feb 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thats war accept it.
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Black Knight
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PostPosted: 16:15 - 01 Feb 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote

TBH I feel its part of the job. If you want to be a soilder boy and run around shooting people than you've got to accept the risk as well whether you agree with the war or not.

Ex servicemen (and women) giving that old line about how they fought so I could lead the life I lead and be free etc is a load of bollocks. You did it because it was a good job for you and paid your wages. Don't bore me with your shite. The only exeption I currently find to this is those who are conscripted into it.

100 Soildiers killed. Whoopee do. I wonder how many innocent people have been killed by armed forces, US, UK or otherwise.
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PostPosted: 16:15 - 01 Feb 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote

Toby R wrote:


If you know anything about Ypres my great grandfather was Sir John Denton French Smile


No great amounts no.

Im sure ive been to the site though.
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veeeffarr
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PostPosted: 16:17 - 01 Feb 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote

bonny_ricardo wrote:
Toby R wrote:


If you know anything about Ypres my great grandfather was Sir John Denton French Smile


No great amounts no.

Im sure ive been to the site though.


Linky

That's who he is.
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Visitor Q
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PostPosted: 16:22 - 01 Feb 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote

Toby R wrote:


Linky

That's who he is.


Neutral

So he was a raving tit then?
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veeeffarr
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PostPosted: 16:23 - 01 Feb 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote

Probably Razz

Although the article is a bit biased.


Last edited by veeeffarr on 16:24 - 01 Feb 2006; edited 1 time in total
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craigie b
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PostPosted: 16:23 - 01 Feb 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote

Black Knight wrote:

Ex servicemen (and women) giving that old line about how they fought so I could lead the life I lead and be free etc is a load of bollocks. You did it because it was a good job for you and paid your wages. Don't bore me with your shite. The only exeption I currently find to this is those who are conscripted into it.


That load of old bollocks you talk about is the very reason your writing in english and not german Rolling Eyes

In modern times then I agree to a certain degree as there has been no significant war that has threatened our very existance on this island, but I think its wrong to insinuate that ex servicemen haven't in any way helped protect our freedoms.
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craigie b
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PostPosted: 16:28 - 01 Feb 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote

I also think the military should not take the blame for the deaths of innocents (unless they violate orders) because ultimately it is our democratically elected politicians who authorise the militaries use. Because the politicians can't do their job the military ends up dealing with the politicians mess, which in turn leads to a body count.

So bearing that in mind, I think 100 soldiers dead is a sad stat as it is 100 of our fellow people who have died doing the duty of our elected governments Shocked
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Black Knight
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PostPosted: 16:37 - 01 Feb 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote

craigie b wrote:


That load of old bollocks you talk about is the very reason your writing in english and not german Rolling Eyes


Regardless of what language Im writing in, I don't feel the need to give personal thanks to any member of the armed forces. My point is (unless conscripted) its a job that they have voluntarily signed up for - They did it for themselves. I doubt they were thinking as they took the oath 'I'll be saving Rick's little black ass from Saddam Hussain'.

What about the pissed up 19yr old squaddie down the kebab stand shouting abuse at all as sundry beacuse he 'supposedly' gave us our 'free' way of life. Right is he? I think not.
In Fact he's probably a bloody payroll clerk or something. Rolling Eyes

Yeah its sad that 100 have died, but i didn't know them and I doubt my life would be very different whether they lived or died anyway.
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headlamp
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PostPosted: 16:42 - 01 Feb 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote

The reason why these 100 deaths are hard to swallow is that the reason they are there in the first place was because we were told that Saddam Hussein had 'weapons of mass destruction' that could be launched in 45 minutes and reach Cyprus, as well as being passed to AL Quaeda to use in the West! It was patently a lie (remember the death of Dr Kelly?) and we, the UK public, the Armed forces and the rest of the world were duped into believing the was was right & just.

IMHO none of these deaths are justified (indeed anyone who has died in this conflict) and all it has done is encourage other extremist regimes to pursue their own programmes of weapons of mass destruction, radicalise a large proportion of Muslims and make us all worse off.
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Dom
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PostPosted: 16:44 - 01 Feb 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote

McGee wrote:
Thats war accept it.


You sure you're not American? I suppose any questioning of purpose would just come under dissent and not 'supporting the troops'?
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Visitor Q
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PostPosted: 16:47 - 01 Feb 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote

According to bremner, bird and fortunes 'you are here' there are serious conspiracies floating about.

Apparently most of the intelligence for the chemical weapons etc was from a deranged drunk iraqi looking for a green card.
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From September 2014 to January/February 2015 I will not be using any English, nor reading any. As such, I won't be on here. PM at will, but I won't be checking/posting unless in emergencies. Certainly not for the first couple of months. Please berate me savagely if I break that rule...
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Visitor Q
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PostPosted: 16:48 - 01 Feb 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote

According to bremner, bird and fortunes 'you are here' there are serious conspiracies floating about.

Apparently most of the intelligence for the chemical weapons etc was from a deranged drunk iraqi looking for a green card.
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From September 2014 to January/February 2015 I will not be using any English, nor reading any. As such, I won't be on here. PM at will, but I won't be checking/posting unless in emergencies. Certainly not for the first couple of months. Please berate me savagely if I break that rule...
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RobB
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PostPosted: 16:48 - 01 Feb 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote

100 UK deaths just seems like nothing compared to the estimated 100,000 Iraqi people who've lost their lives. There have also been 3 times as many private workers killed. This is regardless of personal position on the war.

It saddens me that this country (maybe every country) is self centred enough to have vigils and outrage for 100 of "our" deaths. Should there have been a front page story for every 100 Iraqi deaths? We'd have no other news.

I'd agree with Black Knight that these days, it's seen as just another job. I'm not sure it was the same back in the late 1930's though. If nothing else, you'd essentially have been branded a coward by society for not volunteering, let alone refusing conscription.
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craigie b
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PostPosted: 16:59 - 01 Feb 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Regardless of what language Im writing in, I don't feel the need to give personal thanks to any member of the armed forces.


Well thats your choice. Many of the men killed in WW2 did not get drafted, they went of their own free will. I think we do owe our freedom to that people and as such I have no problem giving thanks for it.

Quote:
What about the pissed up 19yr old squaddie down the kebab stand shouting abuse at all as sundry beacuse he 'supposedly' gave us our 'free' way of life. Right is he? I think not.



Come on now, thats generalising. I don't think anyone would pay respect to an a*sehole.
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Mister James
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PostPosted: 17:34 - 01 Feb 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote

RobB wrote:
100 UK deaths just seems like nothing compared to the estimated 100,000 Iraqi people who've lost their lives. There have also been 3 times as many private workers killed. This is regardless of personal position on the war.

It saddens me that this country (maybe every country) is self centred enough to have vigils and outrage for 100 of "our" deaths. Should there have been a front page story for every 100 Iraqi deaths? We'd have no other news.


Of course we are going to care more about 100 of our own than faceless victims of yet another middle eastern mess. To pretend we (or anyone else) would do otherwise is foolish in the extreme.

The actual figures for Iraqi casulties are estimated at anything between 10,000 to 100,000. Most of the estimates lack credibility and are politically motivated, and while tragic as the losses are, most of them are actually due to attacks on Iraqis by other Iraqis or muslims, not American actions.

If British troops know what they are getting into, private contractors do even more. They are on huge salaries, even the non-paramilitary personnel, and they all specifically chose to go to Iraq, unlike soldiers.
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RobB
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PostPosted: 17:55 - 01 Feb 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wherever I read the figures, the estimate is always given with a caveat.

Right wing version, people are making the figures out to be bigger than they are in order to make out the war is bad.

Left wing version, the figures are probably much lower than actual deaths, due to the Americans covering it all up.

As for the Muslims/Iraqi's doing it to themselves, you could comfortably argue that there would be a lot less suicide bombings without the military presence from their enemy.

I have little or no sympathy for the private contractors who've been killed, but it's still a higher figure than our troops. The contractors are no doubt getting a ridiculous wage, and have accepted this as a fair balance to the risk involved. Their families will probably also be compensated further than those of fallen soldiers.

I'd say that I was being hopeful in the extreme, rather than foolish, to hope 100,000 deaths anywhere might raise some sympathy.
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Mister James
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PostPosted: 18:55 - 01 Feb 2006    Post subject: Reply with quote

RobB wrote:
Wherever I read the figures, the estimate is always given with a caveat.

Right wing version, people are making the figures out to be bigger than they are in order to make out the war is bad.

Left wing version, the figures are probably much lower than actual deaths, due to the Americans covering it all up.


Actually, the americans aren't covering up anything - in fact they are taking flak because they aren't taking count. Quite sensibly, they have pointed out that there are is insufficient state functionality to accurately keep track of deaths/missing persons/displaced people in such a confused warzone.

The only people using the casualty count as a political device are anti-bush/anti-war types.

Quote:

As for the Muslims/Iraqi's doing it to themselves, you could comfortably argue that there would be a lot less suicide bombings without the military presence from their enemy.


You certainly could. It would be a fallacious argument as to appropiating blame though, in the same way that we cannot blame attractive women for being raped, or that owning an Ipod does not make you a fair target for a mugging.

Muslims are killing muslims - and if you withdrew coallition forces it would only get worse, much of the fighting is between ethnic groups kept seperate by Saddams crushing reign - ie Sunni vs.Shiite. Most of our dead soldiers in recent months have been killed by Iranian sponsored cells, working to further Iran's interests and ambitions regarding it's old enemy.

Quote:

I have little or no sympathy for the private contractors who've been killed, but it's still a higher figure than our troops. The contractors are no doubt getting a ridiculous wage, and have accepted this as a fair balance to the risk involved. Their families will probably also be compensated further than those of fallen soldiers.


Higher than ours, for sure, although lower than the US forces' 2200.

There are about 20,000 private security contractors alone in Iraq, compared with a post-invasion British deployment level of less than 9,000 troops in the Gulf region. I guess if you dial in all of the construction contractors etc, the proportions of deaths per 1000 start making more sense.

Quote:

I'd say that I was being hopeful in the extreme, rather than foolish, to hope 100,000 deaths anywhere might raise some sympathy.


More sympathy than for 100 British citizens fighting for a country that isn't their own, to serve our national interest and assist the Iraqi people? That's the foolish bit.
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