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Counting the Wounded in Iraq

By Jeralyn, Section War In Iraq
Posted on Sun Oct 08, 2006 at 11:51:47 PM EST
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The Washington Post reports the number of wounded troops in Iraq is growing significantly.

More than 20,000 U.S. troops have been wounded in combat in the Iraq war, and about half have returned to duty. While much media reporting has focused on the more than 2,700 killed, military experts say the number of wounded is a more accurate gauge of the fierceness of fighting because advances in armor and medical care today allow many service members to survive who would have perished in past wars. The ratio of wounded to killed among U.S. forces in Iraq is about 8 to 1, compared with 3 to 1 in Vietnam.

It looks like Rumsfeld was wrong again:

In March, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said that Iraqi forces -- not U.S. troops -- would deal with a civil war in Iraq "to the extent one were to occur." Today's operations in Baghdad demonstrate that that goal was not realistic, experts say."

In a sense, the Baghdad security plan is a complete repudiation of the earlier Rumsfeld doctrine where he said the Iraqis would prevent the civil war," said [military analyst Michael]O'Hanlon.

Instead,

The surge in wounded comes as U.S. commanders issue increasingly dire warnings about the threat of civil war in Iraq, all but ruling out cuts in the current contingent of more than 140,000 U.S. troops before the spring of 2007.

< Zakaria on Iraq: Time to Leave | More Dred Scott >

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    • Counting the Wounded in Iraq | 8 comments (8 topical)
    Re: Counting the Wounded in Iraq (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Oct 09, 2006 at 08:21:26 AM EST
    "Beyond the Euphrates began for us the land of mirage and danger, the sands where one helplessly sank, and the roads which ended in nothing. The slightest reversal would have resulted in a jolt to our prestige giving rise to all kinds of catastrophe; the problem was not only to conquer but to conquer again and again, perpetually; our forces would be drained off in the attempt." Emperor Hadrian AD 117-138

    Re: Counting the Wounded in Iraq (none / 0) (#2)
    by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Mon Oct 09, 2006 at 08:21:26 AM EST
    So why start counting the wounded? The number killed dropped, then the WAPO switched to a different index. How convenient.

    Re: Counting the Wounded in Iraq (none / 0) (#3)
    by jazzcattg1 on Mon Oct 09, 2006 at 08:21:26 AM EST
    I am completely amazed that the MSM completely ignores the fact that people are dying/seriously wounded - In their Vietnam era redux-Cheney and Rumsfeld studied carefully what brought down LBJ but this time have a complicit media - very sad.

    Re: Counting the Wounded in Iraq (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Oct 09, 2006 at 08:21:26 AM EST
    the Republicans count on the media being either too lazy or too stupid to do fact checking of anything they say...and now there is very little reporting on the war in Iraq especially the fatalitie the media apparently suffers from mass stockholm syndrome what ever is best for Bushco...that's what we will write

    Re: Counting the Wounded in Iraq (none / 0) (#5)
    by Sailor on Mon Oct 09, 2006 at 08:50:21 AM EST
    So why start counting the wounded?
    Do you beleive this!? this commenter thinks our wounded American soldiers in Iraq don't count!

    Re: Counting the Wounded in Iraq (none / 0) (#6)
    by Mreddieb on Mon Oct 09, 2006 at 11:42:44 AM EST
    I often wonder how many Americans have actually pondered the number of wounded. Just stop and think about 20,000 for just a minute. Over half do not return to duty. I remember after 9/11 the NY Times did a story about each and every victim of that event. I wonder if they should do the same kind of story about all the wounded and dead of this American horror story too?

    Re: Counting the Wounded in Iraq (none / 0) (#7)
    by Al on Mon Oct 09, 2006 at 11:42:44 AM EST
    The number killed dropped (Abdul Abulbul Amir)
    Really? How extraordinary.

    Re: Counting the Wounded in Iraq (none / 0) (#8)
    by Che's Lounge on Mon Oct 09, 2006 at 03:59:52 PM EST
    They're not wounded. Let's consult with Dr. Rumsfeld.

    Counting the Wounded in Iraq | 8 comments (8 topical)