Gorilla’s Guides

Four years ago:

Q Mr. President, a posse of small nations — like the Ukraine and Poland — are materializing to help keep the peace in Iraq. But with the attacks on U.S. forces and the casualty rates rising, what is the administration doing to get larger powers, like France and Germany and Russia, to join the American occupation there?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, first of all, we’ll put together a force structure who meets the threats on the ground. And we’ve got a lot of forces there, ourselves. And as I said yesterday, anybody who wants to harm American troops will be found and brought to justice. There are some who feel like that if they attack us that we may decide to leave prematurely. They don’t understand what they’re talking about, if that’s the case.

Let me finish. There are some who feel like — that the conditions are such that they can attack us there. My answer is, bring them on. We’ve got the force necessary to deal with the security situation. Of course we want other countries to help us — Great Britain is there, Poland is there, Ukraine is there, you mentioned. Anybody who wants to help, we’ll welcome the help. But we’ve got plenty tough force there right now to make sure the situation is secure.

Source: Office of the Press Secretary, The White House, July 2, 2003,  President Bush Names Randall Tobias to be Global AIDS Coordinator

Today:

One Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldier was killed when a combat patrol was targeted with small arms fire in a southern section of the Iraqi capital July 1.

Multi-National Force – Iraq – Small arms fire targets MND-B patrol

A Multi-National Division-Baghdad Soldier was killed in a small arms fire attack that followed an improvised explosive device strike targeting a joint combat patrol in a western section of the Iraqi capital July 1. Two Iraqi National Police officers were also wounded in the attack.

Multi-National Force – Iraq – MND-B patrol struck by improvised explosive device, small arms fire  

Two Soldiers and one Marine assigned to Multi National Force-West were killed July 1 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar Province.

Multi-National Force – Iraq – MNF-W forces attacked

War, disease, and poverty stalk the land of the two rivers. The attacks on the hated American occupier grow ever larger, ever more sophisticated, ever deadlier, and ever more numerous. In the four years since the Commander In Chief of the U.S. forces vauntingly delclared “bring ‘em on,” America has become far more vulnerable. Where she is not hated she is despised, where she is not despised she is a laughing stock

“Bring ‘em on” he said, and they did.

markfromireland