In the News: Aug-19

Military: U.S. soldier killed in Iraq rocket attack - 19 Aug 2008 at 10:01am - The U.S. military says an American soldier has been killed in a rocket attack on a military base in southern Iraq.

US wholesale inflation at 27-year high - 19 Aug 2008 at 9:20am - WASHINGTON (AFP) - US wholesale prices spiked by their largest margin in 27 years in the year to July as inflationary pressures continue to buffet the world's largest economy, a government survey showed Tuesday.

Costs soar for overhaul of National Guard training - 19 Aug 2008 at 9:16am - Revamping the U.S. Army National Guard training program so soldiers can spend more time at home will cost at least $128 million this year, and officials say they need nearly double that amount next year to properly train and equip their forces.

Iraqis buy billions in U.S. arms - 19 Aug 2008 at 8:02am - Iraq is fast becoming one of the United States' top customers for military sales. Since January 2007, Iraq has spent $3.1 billion on U.S. weapons. That number looks likely to grow exponentially as Iraq uses its vast unspent reserves of petrodollars to develop its army into a force capable of defending its borders against hostile neighbors. In the past two months alone, the Pentagon has alerted Congress of a possible $8.7 billion worth of additional military sales to Iraq, for everything from lightweight attack helicopters to armored ambulances to binoculars.

Thought for the day:
Patriotism is the willingness to kill and be killed for trivial reasons. -Bertrand Russell (1872 - 1970)