Update: The NY Times says this is the deadliest month in the entire Afghan war.
Twenty seven American soldiers died in Afghanistan in June, just three fewer than died in Iraq. These deaths should be added to the cost of the Iraq War, because the Bush and neocon focus on Saddam Hussein drew us out of Afghanistan and caused this protracted war.
We would likely still be in Afghanistan had we not invaded Iraq, but the Taliban and al Qaeda would be nowhere near as strong or control so much of the country. This strength and control have destabilized things to such an extent that public works, government and recovery programs are unable to succeed. That then filters into a sense of misery for the public, who then turn to the only alternative -- the Taliban and al Qaeda. And thus a vicious circle is born.
These deaths are on the heads of all the idiots who supported the war, and even more on the deaths of the people like John McCain who say that they would have voted for the war even knowing what they know today -- Iraq did not attack us, Iraq did not have WMDs, Iraq had no nuclear program, Iraq did not have contacts with al Qaeda, iraq did not pose a threat to us, that a war would cost trillions, that more than 4,500 Americans would die, that tens of thousands of Americans would become disabled, that hundreds of thousands of Iraqis would die, and that the Afghan and Iraqi Wars would continue for the next six years and more.
from icasualties:
Name | Rank | Age | Srv Branch | Hometown | State |
Radamorales, Jeffrey M. | Sergeant 1st Class | 32 | U.S. Army | Naranjito | Puerto Rico |
Simmons, Shawn E. | Master Sergeant | 39 | U.S. Army | Ashland | Massachusetts |
Treber, James M. | Sergenat | 24 | U.S. Army | Imperial Beach | California |
Heredia, Edgar A. | Staff Sergeant | 28 | U.S. Marine | Houston | Texas |
Hilton, Matthew L. | Sergeant 1st Class | 37 | U.S. Army National Guard | Livonia | Michigan |
McKay, Joseph A. | Sergeant 1st Class | 51 | U.S. Army National Guard | Brooklyn | New York |
Palmateer, Mark C. | Specialist | 38 | U.S. Army National Guard | Poughkeepsie | New York |
Strickland, Christopher D. | Staff Sergeant | 25 | U.S. Marine | Labelle | Florida |
Connolly, Ryan J. | Specialist | 24 | U.S. Army | Vacaville | California |
Walton, James J. | Lieutenant Colonel | 41 | U.S. Army | Rockville | Maryland |
Mangano, Anthony L. | Specialist | 36 | U.S. Army National Guard | Greenlawn | New York |
Ramirez, Nelson D. Rodriguez | Sergeant | 22 | U.S. Army National Guard | Revere | Massachusetts |
Seabrooks, Andrew | Sergeant | 36 | U.S. Army National Guard | Queens | New York |
Mendoza, Matthew E. | Sergeant | 24 | U.S. Marine | San Antonio | Texas |
Burnett, Dustin Kelby | Hospitalman | 19 | U.S. Navy | Fort Mohave | Arizona |
Whitacre, Andrew Francis | Lance Corporal | 21 | U.S. Marine | Bryant | Indiana |
Terhune, Eric Daniel | Captain | 34 | U.S. Marine | Lexington | Kentucky |
Toles III, Ross L. | Petty Officer 1st Class | 37 | U.S. Navy | Davison | Michigan |
Retmier, Marc A. | Hospitalman | 19 | U.S. Navy | Hemet | California |
Pietrek, Dawid | Private 1st Class | 24 | U.S. Marine | Bensenville | Illinois |
Crass, Layton Bradly | Lance Corporal | 22 | U.S. Marine | Richmond | Indiana |
Patton, Michael Robert | Private 1st Class | 19 | U.S. Marine | Fenton | Missouri |
Washington, Michael Toussiant-Hyle | Sergeant | 20 | U.S. Marine | Tacoma | Washington |
McNair Jr. , Andre D. | Private 1st Class | 20 | U.S. Army | Fort Pierce | Florida |
Carter, James | Chief Warrant Officer | 42 | U.S. Army | Not reported yet | Alabama |
Holland, Derek D. | Private 1st Class | 20 | U.S. Army National Guard | Wind Gap | Pennsylvania |
Hagerty, Scott A. | Major | 41 | U.S. Army | Stillwater | Oklahoma |