And Bush deserved the shoe. I hope they free the reporter and give him a medal.

On June 29 2005, the Veterans Administration (an official U.S. body) admitted to the U.S. Congress that while there were over 103,000 U.S. military casualties from Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the official figures at the time were showing 13,000 casualties.

A senior Pentagon official confirmed on the condition of anonymity that the actual death toll of U.S. service personnel as of 1st May 2006 in Iraq was in excess of 12,000. The real number of casualties – i.e. those unable to return to active service - is in excess of 150,000. He also confirmed that all reports from the U.S. military in Iraq confirmed that Iraqi resistance to the occupation growing better organized and more deadly by the day.

1. Soldiers killed or injured in any other way other than a direct bullet or bomb not counted.
2. Soldier shot and/or wounded but died on a flight to a U.S. military hospital not counted.
3. Anyone who dies in hospital or a U.S. military base not counted.
4. Severe mental illnesses those who are medically diagnosed as depressed and/or suicidal not counted.
5. Long term physical or mental problems resulting from brain damage not counted.
6. 15,000 or more US casualties not battle casualties are not counted.
7. Soldiers not American citizens are not counted.

Also over 40,000 American soldiers have deserted.

The US army is reported to be 40 per cent short of its recruitment target. Despite a joining bonus of $ 90,000 paid over three years, of which $ 20,000 is in cash and $ 70,000 in benefits, along with a cancelling of the loans many a young American must take to afford to go to college.

There are reports also that people almost 40 years old are now eligible to join the military, and that the physical and intellectual standards for recruits have been lowered. Almost 30 per cent of new recruits leave within six months.

Unknown News