The Deadliest Year and Counting
849 American soldiers have been killed in Iraq this year, the deadliest for U.S. troops so far. While it's true that the last couple of months have seen lower casualties than has been typical this year, those numbers cannot satisfactorily be explained by a more stable Iraq or some newfound love for Americans, and it would be grotesque to call the deaths of only 38 troops in October "good news."849 American soldiers have been killed in Iraq this year, the deadliest for U.S. troops so far. While it’s true that the last couple of months have seen lower casualties than has been typical this year, those numbers cannot satisfactorily be explained by a more stable Iraq or some newfound love for Americans, and it would be grotesque to call the deaths of only 38 troops in October “good news.”
Wait, before you go…Los Angeles Times:
This year has become the deadliest for American troops in the Iraq war since the 2003 invasion, with the U.S. military’s announcement Tuesday of the deaths of five soldiers and a sailor in roadside bombings.
The attacks brought the total number of U.S. troops killed this year to at least 854, eclipsing the previous high of 849 set in 2004, according to data compiled by icasualties.org, an independent website that tracks Iraq war casualties. With more than seven weeks left to go in the year, the toll was on pace to far outstrip any previous year.
At least 3,857 American troops have died since the conflict began in March 2003, according to the website.
If you're reading this, you probably already know that non-profit, independent journalism is under threat worldwide. Independent news sites are overshadowed by larger heavily funded mainstream media that inundate us with hype and noise that barely scratch the surface. We believe that our readers deserve to know the full story. Truthdig writers bravely dig beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that tells you what’s really happening and who’s rolling up their sleeves to do something about it.
Like you, we believe a well-informed public that doesn’t have blind faith in the status quo can help change the world. Your contribution of as little as $5 monthly or $35 annually will make you a groundbreaking member and lays the foundation of our work.
Support Truthdig
Though the dark futility and carnage of our current wars are rarely publicly acknowledged, we should at least be able to confront the suicidal idiocy of World War I.
Officials expect the number of people killed and injured in Saturday's 7.9 magnitude earthquake to rise well above 2,500 and 5,000 respectively.
An annual U.N. report states that last year, more than 2,300 Palestinians were killed and more than 17,000 injured at the hands of Israel.
Gen. John Allen, commander, U.S. Forces Afghanistan, spoke Wednesday at the Pentagon, four stars on each shoulder, his chest bedecked with medals.
Editors at The Guardian's Data Blog have assembled an interactive report that maps the number of U.S. military members killed and wounded in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn. (more)
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.