Why Don't They Anounce the Enemy Killed?

[Utah]

Just curious. Why don't they ever say how many of the enemy were killed by US soldiers? Given the number of attacks on the U.S. I am sure it has to be a s$#%load.

[Ray Zee]

they do in wars when we kill many thousands and lose a few. here we get to kill the few that attack and lose the same amount. our news is basically censored on the war or whatever it is now--occupation.

[andyfox]

The announcements aren't worth much anyway. Remember in Vietnam they used to announce things like 346 enemy were killed and 8 weapons were recovered. Hard to imagine how 346 enemy soldiers got along with 8 weapons. Of course most of the "soldiers" were civilians.

[John Cole]

Note in Shakespeare's Henry V that Henry plays fast and loose with the numbers at Agincourt. Certainly inflated body counts are not a recent development.

[Wake up CALL]

[ QUOTE ]
Just curious. Why don't they ever say how many of the enemy were killed by US soldiers? Given the number of attacks on the U.S. I am sure it has to be a s$#%load.

[/ QUOTE ]

Because people like Chris Alger and nicky use those numbers to add to an ongoing "innocent civillian" count. No reason to report the number of enemies killed when the information will be used as propaganda against a righteous war.

[John Cole]

Wake Up,

After that explanation, you must change your signature. "Righteous" war? I'm going to report you for failure to use the word "dude" in the same sentence as "righteous." I think it may be a crime. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

(Really, I'm joking, and it's been a long day, and I had to attend a sexual harassment seminar this morning, and had to get up far too early this morning to do so.)

[andyfox]

You're right, why should a democratially elected government report accurate information to its citizenry when some of those citizens with opinions its leaders don't like might use that information to possibly talk negatively about a righteous war? After all, those in disagreement with the government's policy must be spouting propaganda. The government has the monopoly on the correct news, that's why it's war is righteous.

[ACPlayer]

Is it really important how many snots are removed from the world?

Besides, they are all Islamic and we know that that is a corrupt religion, these people are all corrupted with those teachings. However, the government really should report the number of Christian civilians killed.

Also, that whole region is completely uncultured. The people are not civilized so it is not like we are killing real people.

Besides, they rut like pigs, there will soon be a few more. This way there are fewer recruits available for the Al Qaida.

[Cyrus]

Wake Up CALL nailed it, although his wording was just a little tiny bit biased. [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

Most of those "enemies" killed are actually just "collateral damage". So, American announcements of "hostile casualties" would result in the following :

1. They would put the lie to the Commander-in-Chief's proclamation back in May (how times flies!) that the hostilities are over.

2. They would undermine the PR spin that the United States is winning "the hearts and minds" of the "Iraqi people" through acknowledging that a significant number of Iraqis are still resisting -- and getting killed.

3. They would undermine the effort itself of winning "hearts and minds" by further infuriating the natives. Better let only those folks nearby know about the latest massacre -- is the (erroneous) official logic.

[Chris Alger]

The answer is pretty obvious. Making the figures public admits one of the human costs of a war that they'd prefer to simply describe as one of the "most humane military campaigns in history" (Bush). They would prefer people to not realize that anyone died at all, much less have to admit a higher body count than bin Laden. That's why Bush hasn't attended a single funeral of any serviceman that died there, and why the U.S. has prohibited media access to the staging point for brining the bodies back home. No pictures of aluminum caskets lined up will be tolerated by this White House.

Also, it's evidence against them at the war crimes tribunal.