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Developments Overseas
Intense demoralization of American soldiers in Iraq

 Basahin ang artikulong ito sa Pilipino

Demoralization among American soldiers in Iraq is worsening in the face of the ongoing and organized resistance of the Iraqi people.

The biggest factor in the demoralization of the majority of American soldiers is their skepticism over what their government claims to be the basis for the invasion and occupation of Iraq. They realize that they are mere cannon fodder in a senseless, directionless and seemingly endless war.

As of December 3, up to 443 American soldiers have been killed as a result of guerrilla attacks. Likewise, up to 1,209 soldiers have been wounded since September. Over 20% of the wounded sustained serious head wounds while many more have been crippled. The number of casualties has more than doubled in the past four months compared with the first four months since the war was declared to be "over"�signaling a better organized and higher level of resistance by Iraqi patriotic forces. American forces face up to 30 attacks by Iraqi guerrillas on a daily basis.

It is not surprising that the 130,000 American soldiers regard their extended deployment in Iraq as hell. In addition to the growing perils, they suffer from shortages and face hardships.

They are easy targets of guerrillas who constantly monitor their movements, especially since they lack protective equipment. Due to a shortage of bulletproof vests for soldiers who go on patrol, soldiers' families have resorted to buying such vests on their own and sending them to Iraq. The troops' water rations are also in short supply and their food rations frequently affected.

Since May 1, up to 17 soldiers have been confirmed to have committed suicide. There are many more cases of probable suicides now being investigated. Over 500 soldiers have already been sent home to the US as a result of war trauma and intense psychological problems. This is a small number compared to the reported 8,093 patients now being treated in a military hospital in Germany, most of them American soldiers deployed in Iraq who have been brought here because of depression and other psychological illnesses.

The biggest factor in the demoralization of the majority of American soldiers is their skepticism over what their government claims to be the basis for the invasion and occupation of Iraq.
There are also reports that some soldiers did not intentionally commit suicide. According to the US Army's own investigation, some of the fatal injuries were self-inflicted by soldiers desperately looking for a way out of Iraq. This was after the US imposed the "stop-loss order" extending the tour of duty of all American soldiers in Iraq, including those scheduled to return to the US and those slated for retirement.

Aside from those who have committed suicide, more and more soldiers have been filing leaves and refusing to report back to their posts afterwards. As of December, up to 1,700 American soldiers have refused to return to Iraq after having been granted temporary leave to go to the US and are now in hiding.

 


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07 January 2004
English Edition

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Wanton opportunism and decadence
Editorial:
Intensify the anti-imperialist, antifeudal and antifascist struggle
Editorial:
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From Southern Tagalog
ST continues to advance in the face of intense attacks by the regime
Correspondence Reports:
Statement of the CPP-Northeastern Luzon on the Party's 35th anniversary
Mass movement surges forward
Developments Overseas
US crisis continues to worsen
Developments Overseas
Intense demoralization of American soldiers in Iraq
News
Ang Bayan is the official news organ of the Communist Party of the Philippines issued by the CPP Central Committee. It provides news about the work of the Party as well as its analysis of and standpoint on current issues.

AB comes out fortnightly. It is published originally in Pilipino and translated into Bisaya, Ilokano, Waray, Hiligaynon and English.

Acrobat PDF files of AB are available online for downloading and offline reading printing. If you wish to receive copies of AB via email, click here.

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