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1.6 Per Day
by James Glaser November 21, 2007 In Washington they are saying things are going so much better in Iraq now, but I don't buy that. The daily average death rate for American troops since the war started in March of 2003 is 2.45. This month it is down to 1.6 Americans killed each day. Washington is feeling good because the death rate of American troops has been down for about six or seven weeks now, but some of that is luck. Between November 1 and November 14, according to the Department of Defense, 258 Americans were wounded, so attacks are still up. Don't think for a minute that Washington can't control the reported number of troops killed, and for political reasons they might just have done that. The Pentagon can tell those in charge of our war in Iraq to cut back on operations, and with less going on, fewer troops are put in danger. That translates into fewer Soldiers and Marines killed in combat, thus making George Bush's troop surge look like it is working. I don't know if they really did that or not, and to me it doesn't matter, because I think the average of 1.6 Americans being killed every day in a war we never needed in the first place is more than horrible. Somehow Washington and especially George Bush and his administration think 1.6 a day sounds pretty good. That is the difference between those who are pro-war and those who are anti-war. The following list from Coalition Casualty Count gives you the number of Americans killed and wounded in Iraq by the State from which they enlisted. The total number of Americans killed and wounded now stands at 32,285. On top of that number add the tens of thousands of veterans who will now suffer the effects of combat for the rest of their lives caused by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and remember, this war isn't even close to being over.  |
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