Bush Optimistic about Iraq 30,000 Dead
Monday, December 12, 2005
(SNN Philadelphia) In Philadelphia today, President Bush offered optimism to Iraqis telling them that no democracy has formed without "challenges, setbacks and false starts." The President chose Philadelphia for his speech because it is the home of the Liberty Bell and much, much safer than Iraq.
The President chose Philadelphia for his speech because it is the home of the Liberty Bell
The President said that 2005 would be recorded as the turning point in Iraqi history, perhaps suggesting that he does have an exit strategy. "Thanks to the courage of the Iraqi people, the year 2005 will be recorded as a turning point in the history of Iraq, the history of the Middle East and the history of freedom."
In addition, the president said that the upcoming parliamentary elections would be the most popular popular election since the previous popular elections, which were not that popular. However, the president added that the popular elections still would not be that popular.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan later said that the number was not an official estimate
The President then surprised reporters as he answered a question about the number of casualties in Iraq. "I would say 30,000 more or less have died as a result of the initial incursion and the ongoing violence against Iraqis," the president said. "We've lost about 2,140 of our own troops in Iraq."
While this is the first official statement made by the White House about Iraqi casualties, White House spokesman Scott McClellan later said that the number was not an official estimate of the Iraqi deaths, but one Mr. Bush cited from media estimates. This is actually quite interesting in that the president claims he does not read media reports about the war. In addition to this, most media estimates have been much higher. It can only be assumed that this number was completely pulled out of his ass.
