Bury Me Broken

Six Marines Killed in Iraq

From the Washington Post:

Six U.S. Marines died in two separate bombing incidents in Iraq, the military announced Friday.

The six Marines killed by bombs in western Iraq had been taking part in stepped-up anti-insurgent operations ahead of Iraq's Oct. 15 national vote on a new constitution.

The most violent months in Iraq coincide with the efforts of bringing about the democratic process. In April and May of 2004 when the discussion was Iraqi elections culminating with the Coalition Provisional Authority establishing the Independent electoral Commission of Iraq (IECI), 215 U.S. soldiers were killed by stepped up violence. When voter and candidate registraton began for electing the transitional government in November of 2004, 137 U.S. soldiers were killed, the deadliest month ever in Iraq. With the elections held at the first of the year, 107 U.S. soldiers were killed in January, 2005. In August of this year, with the date of the draft of the Iraqi constitution looming, 87 U.S. soldiers were killed.

So my question is, how many more steps is there in this democratic process. Without regard to the legitimacy of the steps, the legitimacy of the constitution itself, the changing of the rules or whether the three major ethnicities are represented, the burning question is how many steps to this process because every time a new step is introduced and subsequently implemented, more Americans die.

• October 15, 2005 - Date by which a national vote is to be held regarding the ratification of the proposed constitution.
• December 15, 2005 - Date that elections for a permanent government take place if the constitution is ratified. If the constitution is not ratified, this is the date by which elections for a new national assembly are to be held.

What next? In the unfortunate case that the constitution is not ratified, what next? The national assembly begins anew on a constitution?

We were told again this week by General George Casey that the average insurgency lasts nine years. He also told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the number of Iraqi batallions were down from three to one batallion in terms of those in top level shape able to command and secure without U.S. troop support.

So it seems to me the question is how many more democratic steps do the Iraqi have before there are no more significant events that are being used to step up violence and kill Americans?

posted by niteskolar @ 11:12 AM