I see by the images assigned by the "package-the-mean-world-media" that Pakistan has gone insane. It looks like for the mean time any way they have knocked Turkey-invading-Iraq off the top of the pending-messes-list. But, although a friend of mine has offered to show me around Islamabad, Pakistan, I must defer to my small expertise of Turkey and Northern Iraq. I have had to choose my cultural and media study battles carefully.
After Turkey's Prime Minister's meeting with our President Bush, Turkey promises a secret plan in dealing with the Kurdish rebels in Iraq. Sounds like Nixon's secret plan in 1968 to get us out of 'Nam, but I digress.
This week's Wisconsin soldier to remember is Ryan J. Cantafio, 22, a Marine reservist from Beaver Dam was killed on November 25, 2004 in an explosion in Iraq. Private First Class Cantofio was with Company G, 2nd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve. He died in during enemy action in Anbar province, Iraq. Ryan was the 30th Wisconsinite killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003. Ryan was the second former Beaver Dam High School student killed in Iraq. Private First Class Cantofio had been in the Marine Reserve for four years and shipped out to Iraq in September, 2004 placing him in the country only two months at the time of his death. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel mentioned Ryan was married and he and his wife had their home in Beaver Dam.
3,857 Americans have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
451 Americans have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
28,327 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
1,708 U.S. troops have been wounded in action in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
81 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
6 Wisconsin soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
123 journalists (several nationalities) have been killed in Iraq since Spring, 2003.
9 journalists (various nationalities) have been killed in Afghanistan since October, 2001.
Soldier of the week, military casualty, and journalist casualty information sources: Committee to Protect Journalists; cnn.com; and, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
