INFRASTRUCTURE & SOCIETAL COLLAPSE: Reign Of Terror In Iraq - 2013 Is The Deadliest Year Since 2008; Over 7,000 Killed As The Country Spirals Into Carnage Unrest!

<div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: yellow;">November 08, 2013 - IRAQ </span></b>- With over 7,000 civilian casualties so far, 2013 has already become the deadliest year in Iraq since 2008. In its new project, a timeline of the violence, RT brings the sad record into the spotlight.<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-64dB8mw4BnY/UnzjKKnHdkI/AAAAAAABNd4/kpiHpVlCmhU/s1600/iraqviolence01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-64dB8mw4BnY/UnzjKKnHdkI/AAAAAAABNd4/kpiHpVlCmhU/s1600/iraqviolence01.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Iraqi civilians check the site of an explosion in Baghdad on August 28, 2013. (AFP Photo / Ali Al-Saadi)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />Following the withdrawal of US troops in December 2011, instead of engaging in post-war and occupation recovery, Iraq has been with each day plunging deeper into inter-ethnic violence, prompted by ever-growing tensions mostly between the country’s majority Shiite community and the Sunni minority. <br /><br />2013 saw the situation aggravate to its worst, with almost daily deaths of civilians becoming the harsh reality the country is facing today. <br /><br />“<i>You, I and anyone who walks in the streets, at any moment may face a car bomb, motorcycle bomb, or explosive belt. At any moment anyone may be killed</i>,” a Baghdad resident sums it up speaking to RT’s Egor Piskunov. <br /><br />“<i>It’s 10 or 11 years now that they’re talking about a new security plan, but nothing changes and the situation is only getting worse</i>,” another Iraqi adds. <br /><br /><br /><span style="color: lime;"><b>WATCH:</b></span>  Reign of Terror - Iraq spirals into carnage unrest, civilians bear brunt. <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="321" src="https://www.youtube.com/v/Syj5ttdWADY?showinfo=0&version=3" width="570"></iframe></div><br /><br /><br />So often are all kinds of attacks in Iraq that not all of them eventually make it into the headlines, in a situation when a peaceful day in Baghdad would be more likely perceived as news. <br /><br />One notable example this year was on April 15, when the entire world was glued to the screens watching the overwhelming coverage of the Boston Marathon Bombings in which three people died and an estimated 264 injured. That same day Iraq was rocked by a series of bombings which killed 55 and left 300 people injured.  <br /><br />The much deadlier <a href="http://rt.com/news/iraq-election-attack-killed-876/" target="_blank">‘black Monday’</a> in Iraq went virtually unnoticed by global news outlets compared to the Boston events. <br /><br />“<i>Because it is just accepted as normal for Iraq. That’s what Iraqis do. Endure this new form of freedom</i>,” Hamit Dardagan, co-founder of Iraq Body Count, explained the paradox in an interview to RT’s Laura Smith. <br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mw6zTUPWtmI/UnzjTU1zwGI/AAAAAAABNeA/r1J9LHwsnrY/s1600/iraqviolence02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Mw6zTUPWtmI/UnzjTU1zwGI/AAAAAAABNeA/r1J9LHwsnrY/s1600/iraqviolence02.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An Iraqi boy cries at the scene of a car bomb attack after it exploded as worshippers left a Sunni mosque<br />after prayers marking the start of the Eid al-Adha Muslim holiday in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk on <br />October 15, 2013. (AFP Photo / Marwan Ibrahim)</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Iraq Body Count, founded by volunteers from the UK and the US in 2003, keeps a record of civilian casualties doing the job government officials are reluctant to fulfill, saying is too difficult. The group’s online database of civilian deaths is considered one of the most reliable. <br /><br />“<i>The information we get is mostly from the sort of small news wire type reports and Iraqi media reports that don’t really make the news an ordinary news consumer would see</i>,” Dardagan tells RT. “<i>In other words it takes a research effort to pull together these small reports that come from different parts of the country and that list what you would think of small events of someone being assassinated or blown up in their car</i>.” <br /><br />Violence escalated in Iraq this year following a deadly security <a href="http://rt.com/news/iraq-sunni-rally-killed-251/" target="_blank">crackdown</a> on a Sunni protest camp in April.  In September - the deadliest on record so far this year - 1,220 people have died, and the trend continues. <br /><br />In the latest outbreak of violence, a series of attacks killed at least 30 people across the country on Thursday, according to officials. <br /><br />The deadliest resulted from two suicide bombers who rammed their explosive-packed cars into a military base in the town of Tarmiyah, killing at least 19 soldiers and wounding 41, authorities said. <br /><br />Another bomb killed four people and wounded six when pilgrims en route to Karbala stopped at a food tent. <br /><br />Prior to that a suicide bomber attacked an army post in the town of Ana, killing three soldiers and wounding six, while another explosion killed two persons in a town just south of Baghdad. <br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v_cGiBDQwG8/UnzjaQKB_5I/AAAAAAABNeI/X47XUvxyl6Y/s1600/iraqviolence03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v_cGiBDQwG8/UnzjaQKB_5I/AAAAAAABNeI/X47XUvxyl6Y/s1600/iraqviolence03.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Iraqis gather around burnt vehicles at the site of a car bombing at a market in Baghdad's impoverished<br />district of Sadr City on May 16, 2013 as at least eight people were killed in blasts across the country. <br />(AFP Photo / Ahmad Al-Rubaye)</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Two more people were killed in the city of Mosul, where police said eight more were wounded. <br /><br />The American author of ‘Blood on Our Hands: The American Invasion and Destruction of Iraq’, Nicolas J.S. Davies, believes the US-led operation had simply devastated the nation. <br /><br />“<i>The invasion was not just some kind of mistake. The invasion and occupation were a serious crime</i>,” Davies told RT. “<i>That was a crime of aggression under the UN charter. Iraq is still suffering from the destruction of its regime, its government and its society by the United States. The US employed classic divide and rule strategy pitting people of different sects against each other, inciting violence that is completely unprecedented in that country and now has instilled a sectarian based government. And this is just a reign of terror. And in that sense some of the worst aspects of the US occupation are still continuing today</i>.” <br /><br /><br /><span style="color: lime;"><b>WATCH:</b></span>  RT's "Iraq 2013 - A Year of Carnage". <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="321" src="https://www.youtube.com/v/FhmucHnqv28?showinfo=0&version=3" width="570"></iframe></div><br /><br />Go to <a href="http://iraq2013.rt.com/" target="_blank">‘Iraq 2013: A year of carnage’</a> for the full timeline.  <br /><br />Violence between Shia and Sunni is resulting in a humanitarian crisis. The United Nations estimates that the conflict led to 1.1 million of Iraqis becoming internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the country, which has witnessed more than 115,000 deaths in 10 years. <br /><br />The Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri Maliki, spoke late October of how drastic the situation in the country has become. <br /><br />“<i>It has become clear… Iraq has become subjected to a war of genocide by terrorists, targeting all spheres of life</i>,” Maliki said. <br />  <br />Last week, he met with President Obama. The two leaders agreed Iraq was in urgent need of help. But besides general statements nothing definite came out – such as how to save people's lives on the ground. - <a href="http://rt.com/news/iraq-2013-year-carnage-405/"><span style="color: orange;"><b>RT</b></span></a>.<br /><br /><br /><br /></div>

Al Qaeda Baghdad Blast Car Bomb Crash Explosions Fire Funeral Bombing Green Zone Infrastructure Collapse Iraq Islam Mosul Sectarian Violence Shiite Societal Collapse Sunni Syria Violence INFRASTRUCTURE & SOCIETAL COLLAPSE: Reign Of Terror In Iraq - 2013 Is The Deadliest Year Since 2008; Over 7,000 Killed As The Country Spirals Into Carnage Unrest!

November 08, 2013 - IRAQ - With over 7,000 civilian casualties so far, 2013 has already become the deadliest year in Iraq since 2008. In it...

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Gold Star mom Debbie Lee remembers Navy son on the anniversary of his death in Iraq

I had the privilege of meeting Debbie Lee a few years ago. She was personable, friendly, and outgoing. I met her, however, knowing the weight she carried, and I thanked her for her sacrifice. Today is the anniversary of her son's death in 2006 in Iraq, and here is her remembrance.<br /><blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Today is August 2nd. This day will never be the same for me. For most people it's just another sunny summer day filled with normal routines, but for me it will always be "that day." Aug 2nd, 2006 is a day that forever changed my life.<br /> <br /> It was another sunny day in Arizona 7 years ago, but across the world in Ramadi, Iraq it was a different story. I couldn't even tell you what I did that day but that evening I was at my small group and we were celebrating my birthday which had been the week before.<br /> <br /> Within 30 minutes life would change from cake, ice cream and receiving a gift of a Willow Tree Angel named "Courage" to using that courage to survive the most devastating moments of my life.<br /> <br /> I arrived home to find my son Kristofer waiting on the sidewalk to inform me the Navy was there. I glanced at the two Navy Officers in their dress whites on my porch and fell into Kristofer's arms and cried "Noooooooooooo!" I knew why they were there.<br /> <br /> We entered the house and they tried to prepare me for what they were about to tell me. They had been in my home for about 30 minutes while Kris tried to find me.<br /> <br /> "We can tell by being in your home you are a woman of faith and you are going to need to rely on your faith for what we are about to tell you. Your son Marc Alan Lee has been killed in Action." I couldn't breathe; I felt a pain in the core of my being that no parent should ever have to feel. I began to cry my river.<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><img align="right" alt="" hspace="5" src="http://images.alpha.mailsquadron.com/clients/MAF2554/maf/11112011_marc.jpg" style="border-style: none;" vspace="5" /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">It's hard to believe it has been 7 years since that young man sacrificed his life defending his teammates, and our freedoms.<br /> <br /> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">I still can't comprehend how you can fight in an intense fire fight for two hours, in extreme temperatures of 120 degrees, carrying 150-180 lbs. and still have the mental focus and strength to make the decision to do the right thing and risk your life for others.  Courage like Marc displayed doesn't just happen. It is engrained in you by your creator, it is the choice to follow the Biblical morals and values taught to you, it is the opportunity to practice in other difficult circumstances that life brings you or your BUD's instructors produce.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> Marc displayed physical and moral courage often witnessed on the battlefield, but courage need not be displayed only in the battlefields of combat as we fight and defend America and the freedoms we have been blessed with</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">.<br /> <br /> Our American History is rich in examples of patriots who displayed courage in numerous circumstances, willing to give everything if need be for what they believed in, to provide liberty and a better life to those they left behind.<br />  </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br /> There is a huge hole that is left from his absence. I will never share the dinner table with him, or feel his arms hug me in the way only a Mother and Son can hug, or see his smirky grin, beautiful brown eyes, dark curly locks, or experience his playful antics or hear his encouraging words. I won't get that dance at his wedding, or hold his children and watch them grow, or have him hold me or care for me when I get old.<br /> </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Yet, there are so many blessings in the midst of this deep loss. Marc's sacrifice and his last letter home have inspired millions of people around the world. That young man is perhaps more alive in his spirit, that is still here, than he was in life.<br /> <br /> I had no choice in the news the was delivered to me on Aug 2nd, but I did have a choice how I responded. God made it very clear to me that night as I read Psalms 27 that He was right there with me, He was my rock and my strength. "I would have lost hope if I had not believed I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. What on the Lord, be of good courage and he will strengthen your heart; wait I say on the Lord." Psalms 27:15 & 16<br />  <br /> I had seen God do amazing things in my life and I had confidence in Him that He would carry me through and be my strength. I chose to proceed through the grieving process and encourage and help others with the hope God gives me daily.<br /><br /> </span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="http://images.alpha.mailsquadron.com/clients/MAF2554/maf/thumb_hhh_iraq_xmas_40.jpg" style="border-style: none;" /><span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> <b><br />Accepting Marc's last challenge in his glory letter, and <br />by God's strength I have dedicated my life to supporting <br />and honoring our troops and the families they left behind. </b></span></div><br />Marc's name means Mighty Warrior and today I remember him and as I do every day honor his courage and sacrifice. He left behind his weapon, his armor and his boots and laid down his baton which I picked up and carry on. <b>To everyone who served and sacrificed for my freedoms and yours, I say "THANK YOU."</b><br /><br />Marc's final gift to me was his teammates and I am blessed to have so many "adopted boys" and share their families and their love. God multiplied my family exponentially and I am a blessed woman.<br /><br />So as you enjoy your sunny Aug 2nd and live your normal life and watch your children and grandchildren play today give them an extra hug, count your blessings, and remember our fallen warriors who sacrificed all of their tomorrows and hope for a future so you could enjoy today.<br /><br />Remembering my son, my hero, my mighty warrior!<br /><br /><img alt="" src="http://images.alpha.mailsquadron.com/clients/MAF2554/maf/20130802_debbie.jpg" style="border-style: none;" /><br />Debbie Lee<br />Gold Star Mother of Marc Alan Lee<br />Spokesperson and Military Liason<br /><a href="http://www.moveamericaforward.org/">Move America Forward</a></blockquote>

Debbie Lee Gold Star moms Iraq Marc Alan Lee Move America Forward Operation Iraqi Freedom support our troops U.S. Navy Gold Star mom Debbie Lee remembers Navy son on the anniversary of his death in Iraq

I had the privilege of meeting Debbie Lee a few years ago. She was personable, friendly, and outgoing. I met her, however, knowing the weigh...

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