A Look at U.S. Military Deaths in Iraq

[cornermouse]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050319/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_us_deaths&cid=540&ncid=1480

As of Saturday, March 19, 2005, at least 1,519 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq (news - web sites) war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. At least 1,158 died as a result of hostile action, according to the Defense Department. The figures include four military civilians.

he AP count is six higher than the Defense Department's tally, last updated at 10 a.m. EST Friday.

I'll let this speak for itself.

By the way, you might want to consider boosting its rating. Someone else tried to bury it with a 1 rating.

[rodeodance]

1. Its current average rating is 3.29 with 7 vote(s)

[cornermouse]

2. Good. I think people need to see it.

[clem_c_rock]

3. As w/ Vietnam, I believe these figures are quite a bit higher

Than they're willing to admit

[cornermouse]

5. I do too.

[paprog]

4. While we shouldn't be there.

Most of them died because Bullshitter didn't provide the proper armor before rushing into this farce of a war with the Iraqi people.

[cornermouse]

6. Lack of armor was a very sore point with me.

I would lean towards calling that criminal neglect.

[newyawker99]

7. Hi paprog!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

8. There's something I don't understand about these figures

It looks like 1,158 out of the total of 1,519 have died as a result of "hostile action". But for quite a few months, the total has seemed to increase only when actual combat deaths occur. It seems that somewhere along the line, the non-combat deaths were no longer being added to the count. Is that what's happened? I would assume that the total death figure, including deaths from accidents, sickness, suicides, or unexplained causes would be quite a bit higher than 300+. I read somewhere that in Vietnam, the non-combat deaths were almost as high as the 58,000+ who died in combat. Was there a decision made along the way to stop adding non-combat deaths to the total? I've also heard that hospital deaths, whether the result of combat or not, are not even being tallied.

[Wilms]

9. kick n/t

[bigtree]

10. *