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Topic: The Iraq war costs $720 million per day
madisonman's photo
Sat 03/22/08 02:41 PM
http://www.afsc.org/cost/?gclid=CO6jpMrWoZICFQEGxwodtXc6Rg

TheLonelyWalker's photo
Sat 03/22/08 02:43 PM
how many people could eat with that?
how many children could go to school with that?
how many diseases can be eliminated with that?
yet the Powerful wants more power, and the Wealthy wants more wealth.

madisonman's photo
Sat 03/22/08 02:45 PM
720 million a day times five yearsmad Mcain wants a hundred more yearsexplode

Dragoness's photo
Sat 03/22/08 02:55 PM
noway noway noway grumble :angry: explode

TheLonelyWalker's photo
Sat 03/22/08 02:58 PM
mccain equals bush
and both of them equals BS

toastedoranges's photo
Sat 03/22/08 03:14 PM
when i see mccain speak, he appears to have an inner dialog. he seems to battle what he wants and what he thinks is good for his party and the support of the president. i can't respect that at all.

i doubt we'll be there 100 years..

either way, we need to stop blowing our money on some dumb ****. american people are seeing jack and all these deffense companies are getting even more rich

lily38's photo
Sat 03/22/08 05:36 PM
Amen to that. America is so economically destitute that we are going to soon need an "America" to dig US out of the mess....oh, but hey, there IS NO America to aid us....we're it, yet we're not even here. We are stuck somewhere in the middle east.

armydoc4u's photo
Sat 03/22/08 06:26 PM
Sorry to hit and run but, things to do , I just wanted to put my 2 pennies in here.


how many people could eat with that?
how many children could go to school with that?
how many diseases can be eliminated with that?
yet the Powerful wants more power, and the Wealthy wants more wealth.


How many people are eating because of that?
How many kids are going to school because of that?
How many vacines are being giving out bcause of that?
and yet those who say they are for humanity would rather see more innocents sqandered because they themselves feel they are being jipped out of some free government welfare handout.

I know Im going to catch hell for this one too. but, how many strving kids do you know in america....really how many? and if you do know any, why arent you feeding them. Or does the call for charity only come at the cost of someone else, put up or shut up.
How many kids in america do you know who arent going to school? why arent they in school? do we have to drag them out of the home and make them go? isit there parents fault for not making them go? is the fault of the government for them not getting up and going to school. there are laws you know that require them to go to school, or be signed out by the parent for home schooling, special needs what have you. so if they arent going to school someone needs a butt whooping.
How many diseases could be cured? your kidding right? they have been working on cancer for how long, thrown how much money at it, yet still around, aids, same thing. Its almost like someone with a gambling addiction- this is my last dollar im putting it in the machine it will be the one....im going to hit with this one....dope! dammit missed out.
ad with a price tag of 720 mil (which i think is scewed- some of that money counted is money that was going to be spent anyway one soldiers pay whether it was there or here didnt matter) but with price tag 720 (using your numbers mad) sounds like the wealthy are losing more than you or I. I know i dont have that kind of cheddar laying around the house.

we're not destitute, we're not indigent, we're not lying naked on the bathroom floor. We are just fine, take a breath. so what if some people need to stop spending like they are paris hilton or donny trump, guess what your not! No one told you, or twisted your arms and said go spend like mad and max out all your credit cards, and dont save. oh wait a minute, they did say dont save didnt they, the democrats, "we will provide for you, you will have social security to take care of you, go be crazy have fun you nutty kids" and you listened to the lie....who's fault was that again? George take your cards on a spending spree at the mall? did you really need the xbox360 and the PS3? How many of you are on new computers right now? on high speed dls broad band wireless whatever? hopw many new shoes in your closets, how many new jeans shirts purses, cars in the driveway?
People YOU have to take responsibility for yourselves. this is still the best country on the planet, if you see someone in need, why cant you help them, how on earth did our parent grandparent great grandparents on down ever manage to live without the handouts from the government? hmmm...
your grown ups, you should be realist, not day dreamers of could of would of.....
you get on these pittypat party tantrums preaching about how "oh me the poor and the helpless people all this suffering" but yet when people are helping those poor suffering people its like your some jeckyl and hyde..."screw those people i meant me"
which is it?

are you for womens lib? we are busting down the brickwalls that are oppressing women in iraq.
are you for feeding the hungry? we are giving them more than rice lifting at least that part of their socio economic levels, and any social worker can tell you that poor nutrition in poor socio economic families can and does lead to greater health problems, so we're killing two birds with one stone- and saving money in the long run.

Cry me a river bleeding heart liberals, bleeding supposedly for everyone else, but really, in a reality check.... the greedy ones in this country are you. the things you claim to be for you could give two rats less about. but it looks good on paper doesnt it, sounds good, makes you sound and look good...until you have go and tell someone that your utopian orwellian world really was just a dream and now its time to be realist.


peace from a baby killing war mongering, progandist with a rich millionaire daddy agenda that you can stick in your , "oh its a peace pipe" and smoke away.


im out this boitch




doc

toastedoranges's photo
Sat 03/22/08 06:31 PM
*eyeroll smiley*

armydoc4u's photo
Sat 03/22/08 06:44 PM
what are you missing your check? your block o'cheese, or are you the guy that got the wii and the 360 and the ps3, the i-phone, a little thump thump system in your ride.

eye role smiley is right.

we created a welfare handout state, and everyone wants to take a turn in line. you should be so proud of yourselves.

Dragoness's photo
Sat 03/22/08 06:45 PM

Sorry to hit and run but, things to do , I just wanted to put my 2 pennies in here.


how many people could eat with that?
how many children could go to school with that?
how many diseases can be eliminated with that?
yet the Powerful wants more power, and the Wealthy wants more wealth.


How many people are eating because of that?
How many kids are going to school because of that?
How many vacines are being giving out bcause of that?
and yet those who say they are for humanity would rather see more innocents sqandered because they themselves feel they are being jipped out of some free government welfare handout.

I know Im going to catch hell for this one too. but, how many strving kids do you know in america....really how many? and if you do know any, why arent you feeding them. Or does the call for charity only come at the cost of someone else, put up or shut up.
How many kids in america do you know who arent going to school? why arent they in school? do we have to drag them out of the home and make them go? isit there parents fault for not making them go? is the fault of the government for them not getting up and going to school. there are laws you know that require them to go to school, or be signed out by the parent for home schooling, special needs what have you. so if they arent going to school someone needs a butt whooping.
How many diseases could be cured? your kidding right? they have been working on cancer for how long, thrown how much money at it, yet still around, aids, same thing. Its almost like someone with a gambling addiction- this is my last dollar im putting it in the machine it will be the one....im going to hit with this one....dope! dammit missed out.
ad with a price tag of 720 mil (which i think is scewed- some of that money counted is money that was going to be spent anyway one soldiers pay whether it was there or here didnt matter) but with price tag 720 (using your numbers mad) sounds like the wealthy are losing more than you or I. I know i dont have that kind of cheddar laying around the house.

we're not destitute, we're not indigent, we're not lying naked on the bathroom floor. We are just fine, take a breath. so what if some people need to stop spending like they are paris hilton or donny trump, guess what your not! No one told you, or twisted your arms and said go spend like mad and max out all your credit cards, and dont save. oh wait a minute, they did say dont save didnt they, the democrats, "we will provide for you, you will have social security to take care of you, go be crazy have fun you nutty kids" and you listened to the lie....who's fault was that again? George take your cards on a spending spree at the mall? did you really need the xbox360 and the PS3? How many of you are on new computers right now? on high speed dls broad band wireless whatever? hopw many new shoes in your closets, how many new jeans shirts purses, cars in the driveway?
People YOU have to take responsibility for yourselves. this is still the best country on the planet, if you see someone in need, why cant you help them, how on earth did our parent grandparent great grandparents on down ever manage to live without the handouts from the government? hmmm...
your grown ups, you should be realist, not day dreamers of could of would of.....
you get on these pittypat party tantrums preaching about how "oh me the poor and the helpless people all this suffering" but yet when people are helping those poor suffering people its like your some jeckyl and hyde..."screw those people i meant me"
which is it?

are you for womens lib? we are busting down the brickwalls that are oppressing women in iraq.
are you for feeding the hungry? we are giving them more than rice lifting at least that part of their socio economic levels, and any social worker can tell you that poor nutrition in poor socio economic families can and does lead to greater health problems, so we're killing two birds with one stone- and saving money in the long run.

Cry me a river bleeding heart liberals, bleeding supposedly for everyone else, but really, in a reality check.... the greedy ones in this country are you. the things you claim to be for you could give two rats less about. but it looks good on paper doesnt it, sounds good, makes you sound and look good...until you have go and tell someone that your utopian orwellian world really was just a dream and now its time to be realist.


peace from a baby killing war mongering, progandist with a rich millionaire daddy agenda that you can stick in your , "oh its a peace pipe" and smoke away.


im out this boitch




doc


laugh laugh laugh laugh laugh laugh oh manlaugh laugh laugh laugh laugh laugh laugh laugh laugh sick laugh laugh laugh laugh laugh laugh laugh laugh laugh

Okay for one thing not one of these things you listed is exclusive to liberal nor democrat.

Second, I would rather have a government that would be willing to help the downtrodden then a government who will govern my bedroom, violate my civil rights whenever it gets ready, go to war when war is not necessary, etc......

Thirdly, I have worked hard all my life and given to charities when able because I believe the well off should be willing to share the wealth.

Fourth, noone one here believes the baby killer stuff unless you do.

Fifth, the cost of this war that really matters more than all the money in the world is innocent lives, Iraqi, 80,000 or more and our innocent soldiers 4,000 who have died for this illegal, worthless, military action that will not EVER do what we have been publically promised.

toastedoranges's photo
Sat 03/22/08 06:47 PM

what are you missing your check? your block o'cheese, or are you the guy that got the wii and the 360 and the ps3, the i-phone, a little thump thump system in your ride.

eye role smiley is right.

we created a welfare handout state, and everyone wants to take a turn in line. you should be so proud of yourselves.


you assume too much. i'm far more republican than you believe, sir.

armydoc4u's photo
Sat 03/22/08 06:50 PM
its cool...just a little heated if you couldnt tell, if you took offense then lets just play it off as a miss judgement once again for the bush administration laugh

im no sir thogrumble , but thats cool too.laugh

armydoc4u's photo
Sat 03/22/08 06:53 PM


Sorry to hit and run but, things to do , I just wanted to put my 2 pennies in here.


how many people could eat with that?
how many children could go to school with that?
how many diseases can be eliminated with that?
yet the Powerful wants more power, and the Wealthy wants more wealth.


How many people are eating because of that?
How many kids are going to school because of that?
How many vacines are being giving out bcause of that?
and yet those who say they are for humanity would rather see more innocents sqandered because they themselves feel they are being jipped out of some free government welfare handout.

I know Im going to catch hell for this one too. but, how many strving kids do you know in america....really how many? and if you do know any, why arent you feeding them. Or does the call for charity only come at the cost of someone else, put up or shut up.
How many kids in america do you know who arent going to school? why arent they in school? do we have to drag them out of the home and make them go? isit there parents fault for not making them go? is the fault of the government for them not getting up and going to school. there are laws you know that require them to go to school, or be signed out by the parent for home schooling, special needs what have you. so if they arent going to school someone needs a butt whooping.
How many diseases could be cured? your kidding right? they have been working on cancer for how long, thrown how much money at it, yet still around, aids, same thing. Its almost like someone with a gambling addiction- this is my last dollar im putting it in the machine it will be the one....im going to hit with this one....dope! dammit missed out.
ad with a price tag of 720 mil (which i think is scewed- some of that money counted is money that was going to be spent anyway one soldiers pay whether it was there or here didnt matter) but with price tag 720 (using your numbers mad) sounds like the wealthy are losing more than you or I. I know i dont have that kind of cheddar laying around the house.

we're not destitute, we're not indigent, we're not lying naked on the bathroom floor. We are just fine, take a breath. so what if some people need to stop spending like they are paris hilton or donny trump, guess what your not! No one told you, or twisted your arms and said go spend like mad and max out all your credit cards, and dont save. oh wait a minute, they did say dont save didnt they, the democrats, "we will provide for you, you will have social security to take care of you, go be crazy have fun you nutty kids" and you listened to the lie....who's fault was that again? George take your cards on a spending spree at the mall? did you really need the xbox360 and the PS3? How many of you are on new computers right now? on high speed dls broad band wireless whatever? hopw many new shoes in your closets, how many new jeans shirts purses, cars in the driveway?
People YOU have to take responsibility for yourselves. this is still the best country on the planet, if you see someone in need, why cant you help them, how on earth did our parent grandparent great grandparents on down ever manage to live without the handouts from the government? hmmm...
your grown ups, you should be realist, not day dreamers of could of would of.....
you get on these pittypat party tantrums preaching about how "oh me the poor and the helpless people all this suffering" but yet when people are helping those poor suffering people its like your some jeckyl and hyde..."screw those people i meant me"
which is it?

are you for womens lib? we are busting down the brickwalls that are oppressing women in iraq.
are you for feeding the hungry? we are giving them more than rice lifting at least that part of their socio economic levels, and any social worker can tell you that poor nutrition in poor socio economic families can and does lead to greater health problems, so we're killing two birds with one stone- and saving money in the long run.

Cry me a river bleeding heart liberals, bleeding supposedly for everyone else, but really, in a reality check.... the greedy ones in this country are you. the things you claim to be for you could give two rats less about. but it looks good on paper doesnt it, sounds good, makes you sound and look good...until you have go and tell someone that your utopian orwellian world really was just a dream and now its time to be realist.


peace from a baby killing war mongering, progandist with a rich millionaire daddy agenda that you can stick in your , "oh its a peace pipe" and smoke away.


im out this boitch




doc


laugh laugh laugh laugh laugh laugh oh manlaugh laugh laugh laugh laugh laugh laugh laugh laugh sick laugh laugh laugh laugh laugh laugh laugh laugh laugh

Okay for one thing not one of these things you listed is exclusive to liberal nor democrat.

Second, I would rather have a government that would be willing to help the downtrodden then a government who will govern my bedroom, violate my civil rights whenever it gets ready, go to war when war is not necessary, etc......

Thirdly, I have worked hard all my life and given to charities when able because I believe the well off should be willing to share the wealth.

Fourth, noone one here believes the baby killer stuff unless you do.

Fifth, the cost of this war that really matters more than all the money in the world is innocent lives, Iraqi, 80,000 or more and our innocent soldiers 4,000 who have died for this illegal, worthless, military action that will not EVER do what we have been publically promised.


in your humble and very learned opinion im sure.

whatever makes you sleep at night.

toastedoranges's photo
Sat 03/22/08 06:57 PM

its cool...just a little heated if you couldnt tell, if you took offense then lets just play it off as a miss judgement once again for the bush administration laugh

im no sir thogrumble , but thats cool too.laugh


laugh

well, i surely hope you don't expect me to refer to you by rank. i'm civilian and i don't play that.

more on topic... i've said this before. i don't believe in the welfare state and believe in personal responsibility.

I AM NOT A DEM, i just dislike conservatives strongly and don't like pretty much everything this presidency has done.


i do believe that the money could be spent more wisely inside our own borders. while we may not have a country that's bombed to hell, many of our schools are lacking in supplies. our education is still not standardized and it's not remotely on par with many european nations.

we're in debt and our economy is falling to pieces, now is not the time for dropping money like crazy.

iraq is too complicated to just pull out now, but we need a firm exit strategy and a good idea of what we'll do for ourselves if and when iraq falls appart. we've created a dangerous situation for ourselves over there and cannot allow it to come back and bite us in the ass

armydoc4u's photo
Sat 03/22/08 07:06 PM


laugh

well, i surely hope you don't expect me to refer to you by rank. i'm civilian and i don't play that.

more on topic... i've said this before. i don't believe in the welfare state and believe in personal responsibility.

I AM NOT A DEM, i just dislike conservatives strongly and don't like pretty much everything this presidency has done.


i do believe that the money could be spent more wisely inside our own borders. while we may not have a country that's bombed to hell, many of our schools are lacking in supplies. our education is still not standardized and it's not remotely on par with many european nations.

we're in debt and our economy is falling to pieces, now is not the time for dropping money like crazy.

iraq is too complicated to just pull out now, but we need a firm exit strategy and a good idea of what we'll do for ourselves if and when iraq falls appart. we've created a dangerous situation for ourselves over there and cannot allow it to come back and bite us in the ass


its kinda like that airplane movie "surely you cant be serious?" "I am serious and dont call me sherlly"

back on point;

yep your right, if we arent careful on te whole iraq thing then it will be all for not, and bite us squarely on the buttocks, yes sir.

so your just floatin out the in political no mans land then arent you? do you feel like a minority? are you being picked on by friends and family? just kidding.... listen this has been a learning experience for some and a nitemare for others. I for one ....well lets leave that one alone.

good chat thanks for helping get the temp back down, i really got to get off here now.


doc

toastedoranges's photo
Sat 03/22/08 07:10 PM
its kinda like that airplane movie "surely you cant be serious?" "I am serious and dont call me sherlly"

back on point;

yep your right, if we arent careful on te whole iraq thing then it will be all for not, and bite us squarely on the buttocks, yes sir.

so your just floatin out the in political no mans land then arent you? do you feel like a minority? are you being picked on by friends and family? just kidding.... listen this has been a learning experience for some and a nitemare for others. I for one ....well lets leave that one alone.

good chat thanks for helping get the temp back down, i really got to get off here now.


doc


well, i'm glad there's an understanding for now. until we argue next timebigsmile

TheLonelyWalker's photo
Sat 03/22/08 08:20 PM

Sorry to hit and run but, things to do , I just wanted to put my 2 pennies in here.


how many people could eat with that?
how many children could go to school with that?
how many diseases can be eliminated with that?
yet the Powerful wants more power, and the Wealthy wants more wealth.


How many people are eating because of that?
How many kids are going to school because of that?
How many vacines are being giving out bcause of that?
and yet those who say they are for humanity would rather see more innocents sqandered because they themselves feel they are being jipped out of some free government welfare handout.

I know Im going to catch hell for this one too. but, how many strving kids do you know in america....really how many? and if you do know any, why arent you feeding them. Or does the call for charity only come at the cost of someone else, put up or shut up.
How many kids in america do you know who arent going to school? why arent they in school? do we have to drag them out of the home and make them go? isit there parents fault for not making them go? is the fault of the government for them not getting up and going to school. there are laws you know that require them to go to school, or be signed out by the parent for home schooling, special needs what have you. so if they arent going to school someone needs a butt whooping.
How many diseases could be cured? your kidding right? they have been working on cancer for how long, thrown how much money at it, yet still around, aids, same thing. Its almost like someone with a gambling addiction- this is my last dollar im putting it in the machine it will be the one....im going to hit with this one....dope! dammit missed out.
ad with a price tag of 720 mil (which i think is scewed- some of that money counted is money that was going to be spent anyway one soldiers pay whether it was there or here didnt matter) but with price tag 720 (using your numbers mad) sounds like the wealthy are losing more than you or I. I know i dont have that kind of cheddar laying around the house.

we're not destitute, we're not indigent, we're not lying naked on the bathroom floor. We are just fine, take a breath. so what if some people need to stop spending like they are paris hilton or donny trump, guess what your not! No one told you, or twisted your arms and said go spend like mad and max out all your credit cards, and dont save. oh wait a minute, they did say dont save didnt they, the democrats, "we will provide for you, you will have social security to take care of you, go be crazy have fun you nutty kids" and you listened to the lie....who's fault was that again? George take your cards on a spending spree at the mall? did you really need the xbox360 and the PS3? How many of you are on new computers right now? on high speed dls broad band wireless whatever? hopw many new shoes in your closets, how many new jeans shirts purses, cars in the driveway?
People YOU have to take responsibility for yourselves. this is still the best country on the planet, if you see someone in need, why cant you help them, how on earth did our parent grandparent great grandparents on down ever manage to live without the handouts from the government? hmmm...
your grown ups, you should be realist, not day dreamers of could of would of.....
you get on these pittypat party tantrums preaching about how "oh me the poor and the helpless people all this suffering" but yet when people are helping those poor suffering people its like your some jeckyl and hyde..."screw those people i meant me"
which is it?

are you for womens lib? we are busting down the brickwalls that are oppressing women in iraq.
are you for feeding the hungry? we are giving them more than rice lifting at least that part of their socio economic levels, and any social worker can tell you that poor nutrition in poor socio economic families can and does lead to greater health problems, so we're killing two birds with one stone- and saving money in the long run.

Cry me a river bleeding heart liberals, bleeding supposedly for everyone else, but really, in a reality check.... the greedy ones in this country are you. the things you claim to be for you could give two rats less about. but it looks good on paper doesnt it, sounds good, makes you sound and look good...until you have go and tell someone that your utopian orwellian world really was just a dream and now its time to be realist.


peace from a baby killing war mongering, progandist with a rich millionaire daddy agenda that you can stick in your , "oh its a peace pipe" and smoke away.


im out this boitch




doc


u have been very well endoctrinated by your drill sargent, my friend. no sense in debating with you.

Drivinmenutz's photo
Sat 03/22/08 10:17 PM
u have been very well endoctrinated by your drill sargent, my friend. no sense in debating with you.


MMkay....in doc's defense. He has more real (unbiased)information than anyone else here. This is due to his being on the ground as we speak and actually seeing with his own two eyes what is really going on. To call this a "blind" or abrainwashed perspective would be the result of.....well....lets just say, not thinking things through. Abc, CNN, FOX, or any network by that matter can bite me.

TheLonelyWalker's photo
Sat 03/22/08 10:24 PM

u have been very well endoctrinated by your drill sargent, my friend. no sense in debating with you.


MMkay....in doc's defense. He has more real (unbiased)information than anyone else here. This is due to his being on the ground as we speak and actually seeing with his own two eyes what is really going on. To call this a "blind" or abrainwashed perspective would be the result of.....well....lets just say, not thinking things through. Abc, CNN, FOX, or any network by that matter can bite me.

yeah, but
US deaths in Iraq approach 4,000 By ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press Writer
Sat Mar 22, 7:07 PM ET



BAGHDAD - A roadside bomb killed three American soldiers north of Baghdad on Saturday, pushing the U.S. death toll in the five-year conflict to nearly 4,000.



Also Saturday, Iraqi authorities reported that a U.S. airstrike north of the capital killed six members of a U.S.-backed Sunni group — straining relations with America's new allies in the fight against al-Qaida.

Two Iraqi civilians also died in the roadside bombing, which occurred as the Americans were patrolling an area northwest of the capital, the U.S. military said in a statement.

Two of the soldiers were killed in the blast and the third died of wounds, the statement said. The soldiers were assigned to Multinational Division-Baghdad, the statement said, but gave no further details.

The latest deaths brought to 3,996 the number of U.S. service members and Pentagon civilians who have died since the war began on March 20, 2003, according to an Associated Press count. Rocket or mortar fire killed one U.S. soldier and wounded four others Friday south of Baghdad, the military said.

With the war entering its sixth year, President Bush paid tribute Saturday to America's fallen service members, saying in his weekly radio address that they will "live on in the memory of the nation they helped defend."

Speaking for the Democrats, however, Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey called on Bush to "face the reality" in Iraq and "tell us the truth" about the cost of the conflict as America is struggling with a faltering economy and mounting casualty tolls.

U.S. officials have pointed to a number of positive signs, including a 60 percent drop in violence since Bush ordered 30,000 U.S. reinforcements to Iraq early last year. Iraqis have also made some limited progress in power-sharing deals among rival Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish communities.

However, U.S. military commanders have been careful to point out that security gains are fragile and that major violence could erupt abruptly.

Much of the progress has been due to a move by thousands of Sunnis to abandon the insurgency and join pro-U.S. defense groups — known as "awakening councils." Another was a cease-fire called last August by firebrand Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, leader of the feared Mahdi Army militia.

On Saturday, a U.S. attack helicopter fired on two checkpoints manned by U.S.-allied Sunni fighters near Samarra, 60 miles north of Baghdad, killing six and injuring two, Iraqi police said.

The U.S. military said an AH-64 Apache helicopter fired on the positions after five people were "spotted conducting suspicious terrorist activity" in an area notorious for roadside bombs.

"Initial reports suggested the attack may have been a Sons of Iraq checkpoint," the military said, using a term for the armed U.S.-backed groups. "The incident is currently under a joint Iraqi-Coalition Force investigation."

A local official of the U.S.-backed group said the attack occurred about two hours after American soldiers stopped at the two checkpoints to meet the Sunni fighters.

"They asked us general questions like: 'Have you gotten your IDs?' and 'Do you need anything?' and then they left," Sabbar al-Bazi told The Associated Press. "Two hours later, after I had gone home, I heard two explosions, probably caused by two missiles, and machine-gun fire from a helicopter."

Lt. Col. Dhiya Mahmoud Ahmed, an Iraqi military officer in charge of security in the area, said he told the Americans after the attack that he had been aware of the friendly checkpoints for two days.

AP Television News footage of the aftermath showed awakening council members loading bodies into a pickup. Their faces were masked and they wore bright yellow vests — apparently to identify themselves for U.S. forces as members of friendly groups. Bloodstained rocks and bits of flesh could be seen around the checkpoint.

U.S.-funded awakening councils, which first sprung up in Anbar province west of Baghdad and spread to Baghdad and surrounding areas, are composed of ex-Sunni insurgents who turned against al-Qaida in Iraq and joined forces with the Americans.

But the Shiite-dominated leadership in Baghdad has been ambivalent toward the mostly Sunni councils, fearing they could turn against the government as America draws down its forces.

In Baghdad, members of Sunni awakening councils in the west of the capital have complained that they have not been paid for months and have threatened to withdraw their support for the government unless they receive their money within days.

At the same time, tensions have been rising within the majority Shiite community as rival factions maneuver for position ahead of provincial elections expected this fall.

A bomb exploded Saturday on a minibus in a predominantly Shiite area of eastern Baghdad, killing at least one passenger and injuring eight, including a woman, police said.

Late Saturday, bombs exploded at four offices of the Iraqi Red Crescent Society in the Mansour district of Baghdad, causing damage but no casualties. The Red Crescent Society is the Muslim world's equivalent of the Red Cross.

A roadside bomb targeting a police patrol also killed one passer-by and injured seven, including five officers, in the northern city of Kirkuk, police said.

An awakening council member in western Baghdad's Mansour neighborhood was killed and four others were injured in a mortar blast, police and hospital officials said.



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