$500,000 windfalls for next of kin can cause confusion, discord
New York Times Mar 22, 08 8:23 AM CDT
(Newser)
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The military pays $500,000 to the next of kin of every soldier killed in Iraq or Afghanistan, but the sudden injection of cash during a time of grief often throws survivors off balance. Young military spouses can struggle with money management and long-lost friends and relatives sometimes appear asking for handouts. Some military kin have quickly ended up destitute.
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Mr. Webb goes
to Washington
and plays nice
Washington Post Mar 21, 08 4:35 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Virginia Sen. James Webb hasn’t played the part of hot-tempered agitator many expected in his freshman term, the Washington Post reports. Making friends and taking legislative strides, Webb “has vaulted to a position of influence,” said one colleague. But "the job of getting out and speaking with constituents and hearing their concerns seems to be something he hasn't warmed up to," one analyst says.
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As US deaths approach 4,000, here's a look behind the statistics
USA Today Mar 21, 08 2:01 PM CDT
(Newser)
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As US troop losses in Iraq near 4,000, USA Today profiles the dead: 98% were male, and the most common age among those killed was 21—but one in six was younger. The bloodiest day was Jan. 26, 2005, when a helicopter crash killed 31 and six died in combat; the bloodiest month was November 2004, which saw 137 deaths.
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Mass. group provides 'great ending to bad beginning'
Christian Science Monitor Mar 20, 08 3:53 PM CDT
(Newser)
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A nonprofit group is putting up customized homes for badly injured vets returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, the Christian Science Monitor reports. Massachusetts-based Homes for Our Troops is building in 20 states, fueled by donated supplies, land, and labor. “When a vet is in need, people come out of everywhere to help,” the contractor-turned-founder says.
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Iraq vet takes war at home to the studio
with hawkish hit
Military Times Mar 20, 08 12:39 PM CDT
(Newser)
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A Marine back from Iraq and Afghanistan has fired a musical rebuke at the Dixie Chicks for their anti-war hit, "Not Ready to Make Nice." Cpl. David Thibodeaux's "Not Ready to End the Fight" is hitting America's country dials—including some that shunned the Nashville trio's 2006 Grammy winner.
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Ratings hit their lowest yet on war's 5th anniversary
CNN Mar 20, 08 6:41 AM CDT
(Newser)
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More than two-thirds of Americans now think George W. Bush is doing a poor job, according to a new poll that pegged his approval rate at 31%—a new low. The director of the CNN poll noted that the hefty 40-point drop in Bush's approval ratings since the start of the Iraq war mirrors the plunge in Lyndon Johnson's popularity as the war in Vietnam dragged on.
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Demonstrations staged across the US on war's anniversary
Reuters Mar 19, 08 11:40 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Police arrested more than 160 protesters today at demonstrations across the US to mark the fifth anniversary of the launch of the Iraq war, Reuters reports. More than 100 were arrested in San Francisco alone, where demonstrators staged a "die-in" and disrupted busy Market Street. About 30 were arrested in Washington, where activists tried to shut down the IRS building to highlight the war's cost.
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He says cartoons of Muhammad part of crusade against Islam
Associated Press Mar 19, 08 8:56 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Osama bin Laden threatened Europe today with "severe" retaliation over the publication of cartoons of the prophet Muhammad, the AP reports. The audio recording of bin Laden surfaced on the fifth anniversary of the Iraq war, though he made no mention of it, and a day before the Muslim world celebrates Muhammad's birthday. One expert said the voice appeared to be bin Laden's, but he noted that it had no reference points to show when it was recorded.
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He notes McCain's gaffe confusing Sunni and Shiite groups
Reuters Mar 19, 08 6:17 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Barack Obama laid into both presidential rivals on the Iraq war today, chiding John McCain for misspeaking about terror groups there and criticizing Hillary Clinton for voting to authorize the conflict. "We heard Sen. McCain confuse Sunni and Shi'ite, Iran and al-Qaeda," Obama said, pouncing on McCain for errantly accusing Iran of training Sunni Al-Qaeda in Iraq. Iran is known to train Shi'ite extremists.
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71% see negative impact; 61% want quick withdrawal from next president
CNN Mar 19, 08 1:31 PM CDT
(Newser)
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The Iraq war and the current economic crisis aren’t unrelated issues in the minds of most Americans, a CNN poll finds. 71% said the war, which began five years ago today, helped cause the economic storm. Just 32% support the mission, with 61% saying the new president should withdraw most troops “within a few months of taking office.”
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Civilian death toll unknown after 5 years of bloodshed
Guardian (UK) Mar 19, 08 10:49 AM CDT
(Newser)
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"We don't do body counts," an American general notoriously said not long after the US-led invasion of Iraq. Five years later, there is no credible count of civilian deaths in the Iraq war, the Guardian reports in a look at the wildly different estimates that have been promoted—ranging from under 100,000 to well over a million—and how they're put together.
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