Phillip Coorey
Bush unfazed by death toll
Tue Nov 4 11:48:10 2003
204.94.205.45


Bush unfazed by death toll
Phillip Coorey
05nov03

UNBOWED by the continuing carnage in Iraq, US President George W. Bush described the mission there as vital and vowed "America will not run".

"The enemy in Iraq believes America will run. That's why they're willing to kill innocent civilians, relief workers, coalition troops," he said.
"This collection of killers is trying to shake the will of America. We will not be intimidated."

Mr Bush's comments came during two speeches in Alabama yesterday, one of which was a campaign fundraiser in which he made a cool $2.6 million for his re-election.

They were his first public comments since a US Chinook transport helicopter was shot down by a missile near Fallujah on Sunday, killing 16 soldiers and wounding 20 in the greatest American loss of life in a single incident since the invasion of Iraq on March 20.


Mr Bush did not specifically mention the incident, dubbed by the American media as "Chinook Down", but kept his comments generic.

"We mourn every loss, we honour every name, we grieve with every family, and we will always be grateful that liberty has found such brave defenders," he said.

One of those killed, Sergeant Ernest Bucklew, 33, was headed home to attend his mother's funeral in Pennsylvania.

Sgt Bucklew, married with two sons, was based at Fort Carson, Colorado. Four of the dead soldiers and nine of the wounded were from there.

Private Karina Lau, 20, was going to surprise her family in California by returning for two weeks for her 21st birthday.

She was one of two women soldiers confirmed dead in the attack.

Of the 20 wounded soldiers, 16 were flown yesterday to the US medical base in Landstuhl, Germany yesterday where 11 were in intensive care.

While media were allowed to photograph the wounded, the US military is sticking to a policy forbidding TV crews and photographers from filming soldiers' coffins.

US officials say the policy was created out of respect for relatives.

As America mourned yesterday, the US Congress approved Mr Bush's request for $125.89 billion to stabilise and rebuild both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Senators passed the biggest emergency spending Bill in history by a voice vote, ending weeks of bitter debate and a near-rebellion among some of Mr Bush's fellow Republicans who felt Iraq should repay some aid with oil revenue.


http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,7770009%255E663,00.html