December 26, 2006

  • Iraq Deaths

    The Associate Press is releasing information about U.S. Military deaths in Iraq.  The number of deaths reached 2,974.  That number is higher than the deaths on the attack on September 11, 2001.  2,973 died on 9/11.

    That number is being widely reported today in the news.  Here is the link:  Link

    Is it significant that more military troops have died in Iraq than deaths on 9/11?              

                                   

Comments (91)

  • Yeah… but how many have died compared to the world wars?

  • That’s what I would like to know…

  • No deaths are deaths. It’s horrible that Americans died for hate and Iraqis died for a lie. It’s been true since the first Iraqi we killed.

  • And since 9/11, but not the Iraqi part.

  • No not at all

    “It’s horrible that Americans died for hate and Iraqis died for a lie”

    You hear this stuff all the time, it to bad those that say it couldn’t explain then defend the statement if their lives depended on it.

  • It’s more significant that the latter is not our fuck-up.

  • 2,074 is not more than 2,973. It is not really that significant. If Iraq is just about avenging 9/11, it is significant. If Iraq is about something bigger- democracy, human rights, freedom of religion, protection against future attacks, sending a statement to Islam… then the number of lives is less significant when compared to the cause. Regardless, it is a tragic thing when soldiers are killed.

  • Iraq was about WMD remember people!  it has nothing to do with 9/11

    wait…i meant lack there of of WMD.  freaken BUSH!

  • it is, but i think 911 was more signifigant

  • 2074 u.s. military death is due to BUSH!  remember when BUSH said Mission Complete?  What a Moron!

  • I think its just a statistic to justify the war. I wonder why the government hasn’t told us how many people we’ve killed? I’m sure we’ve killed more people than we’ve lost.

  • Yeah.  Especially since 911 wasn’t Iraq/Sadaam Hussein’s doing!

  • LightningRichy

    You do tell us, look it up.

  • yeah
    people are important.

    they are the most best

  • [*Psstt*... edit the number for the US deaths in Iraq... typo. =/]

    But uhh–not really… especially if so far it’s only been 1 more person.

    I mean, if you really think about how many people have died in other regions for different causes [ie: the different regions in Africa]… it’s really no big deal.
    But maybe I’m just saying that because none of my family or friends have died in Iraq.

  • Well according to BBC (british news), 25,000 civilians have been killed since the start of the war in ’03
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4692589.stm

  • no, 9/11 and iraq are apples and oranges.

  • and civilians dressed as insurgents or insurgents dressed as civilians? that number is so arbitrary. there is no definitive proof who’s a civilian and who’s not.

  • Thats true hoo8myrice, but i wouldn’t go too far as to call children and the elderly “insurgents”

  • And that’s just our people. How about all the Iraqi’s who have died in what has become a civil war. The number also leaves out the soldiers who have been maimed for life or have suffered psychological damage.

  • They’re two different things so it’s hard to compare them, but yeah that’s big. We all go crazy about the number of deaths on 9/11 but we don’t even think about the number of lives being lost because of this damn war.

  • Absolutely not. It isn’t amazing that, in taking on the feat of bringing a free and liberated style of government to a hostile region, a number of soldiers die summing up to greater than the deaths found in one single, if monumentous, attack.

    This is an EXTREMELY hard task. Yes, I know how easy it is to sit back and be spoon-fed opinions by The Daily Show (which I watch and enjoy, yet find disgustingly biased, especially during interviews with level-headed, thought-provoking political figures who happen to be conservative or republican). We all want to call it a failure while we can still blame it on a particular administration. It is not a failure. It isn’t a clear-cut, grand-slam, home-run win, but there is order, even, dare I say in the face of the leftist crusade of scapegoating, DEMOCRACY.

    I am a moderate. As such, I always end up having to balance whichever isde htis nation has tilted towards in disgust.

  • Of course. The loss of one person is too many and to state other is to minimize their sacrifice for us.

  • yes it is
    because whats supposed to protect Americans isn’t working!!

    i don’t think we should risk the lifes of thoes brave people that are out there serving to protect us when really its not needed!

  • NO

  • i dont know if its that significant, but its important

  • No.  There is no comparison whatsoever.  It is the goulish media that loves to report deaths in war since those in the media are pacifists and to them there is no cause worth fighting and dying for.    

    I am not a military expert by any means or fashion; however, lets take the Battle of the Bulge, that was in WWII for those who never heard of it, how many American lives were lost?  This battle began on December 16, 1944 and ended on January 28, 1945. The Allies had 18,000 killed and 57,000 wounded or captured!   That is not counting the German deaths which was a couple of hundred thousand.  Can you imagine the hysteria the media would go through over a battle like this today? 

    Okay how about D-Day invasion WWII, June 6, 1941?  10,000+ American deaths in one day.  One invasion. 

    It is time to put things in perspective I do believe. 

  • Yes. Why can’t we just leave live in peace and harmony?

  • no, what’s significant is that at least 51,814 Iraqi civilians have died.

  • Considering Rome lost like 100,000 men in one battle against Hannibal and still won teh war, I think America can bounce back from this one. Really for this kind of war our deaths are surprisingly low. I dont think its significant.
    Let me share a story, one a muslim friend of mine called me on september eleventh at 9 eleven in the evemning… 9/11 9/11. The point is, the cowincidence is just that the numbers are the same. Nothing more. Sorry for the butchering of english.

  • I fail to see the big deal. There were more murders in Los Angeles this last year than that. What I hate is that we are losing that fuckin’ war and wasting time. We need to get old school United States on their ass!

  • and um…. U.S.A! U.S.A! ? or not.

  • Oh my dear…

    I got halfway through the first page of comments before I threw up my virtual hands in defeat of a poignant or even vile and offensive comment.

    What IS Iraq about? What was it about when we invaded as opposed to partiotic puff speak in our media today? What is the value of an American civilan death against an American solier’s death?

    What is the value of a non-combatant Iraqi CITIZEN’S death versus an American soldiers death?

    What is the toll the White House refuses to even acknowlege? Gee wiz, a 20 year veteran of a major municipalitie’s police force in the midwest quoted SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND Iraqi deaths since our ivasion, then quipped about the Bush administration saying nah, it’s only ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND dead people IN A COUNRTY WE INVADED.

    Could you consider that maybe John Q. Iraqi might be saying “take your shitass freedom AND SHOVE IT” right about now?

    Is anyone capable of an empathy that goes beyond the USA citizen mindset of Jesus Wal-Mart and car loans?

    So much for being unbiased in my comment, but the saddest truth is a truth told to me last night by someone in a situation much like my own.

    “Most people really aren’t worth knowing. Don’t feel bad, go and do what you want to do yourself, the people who are not blind will become apparent”

    Have fun all you patriots. Peace is within, and soon even Theo’s comments won’t byg me as much as I journey on and out of strip mall hell…

  • Um no, they’re two completely unrelated numbers.

    -Jared

  • Yes, it shows the consequences of this insagacious war.

  • The death of one person is a tragedy. The death of a million is a statistic. Compare this to Stalingrad, the bloodiest battle in World History. Or how about the Battle of Gettysburg? You cannot compare civilian deaths to soldiers death. These soldiers are willing to die (Otherwise they shouldn’t be in the army and are a disgrace to soldiers everywhere). Civilians are not

  • So we have killed just as many as we’ve lost… Not even counting civilians, et cetera.

  • I’m sorry, benjimon. I know what you mean

  • well yeah…..it’s a war..

    -Jacob

  • Obviously. I’m not even going to start, because we’ll be here all night otherwise…

  • what is important is we shouldn’t be over there in the first place. But you knew I’d say that didn’t you?

  • No, because the point isn’t revenge. The point is destroying our enemies. IIRC more Americans died after Pearl Harbor than at it, no? But it was worth it. We defeated an evil country and annihilated a destructive worldview. It was worth it.

  • yes it is even though 9/11 will always be more significant than Iraq

  • Yeah, just a bit. Also considering how many people die in car crashes… And you get the picture.

  • I think it is. If they’re still saying Iraq is a “war on terrorism” how can they defend that? Sending your own countrymen out to be killed is somehow better than having someone else come kill them? I do NOT support the war, if you were wondering.

    Just a side note: anyone who says this war is even remotely about freedom of religion is stupid. The fire of this war is fueled by religious intolerance. What they really mean is “Freedom to be Christian.”

  • Interesting how they only calculated the number of military troops that have died, when the number of civilians would boost that number so much higher. I guess it’s saddening to me that all we, as Americans, tend to be concerned about is how many other Americans die.
    Anyhow, as for it’s significance, I don’t understand what would be so significant about that fact. I guess what they’re driving at is how many people have been killed by the awful terrorists (not that I’m underminding them, what they’ve done HAS been absolutely horrific)? I mean, of course, it’s terrible that anyone has died because of this situation. I guess I just feel more sympathy towards the innocent people that died in the 9/11 attacks than the people that willingly chose to go fight in Iraq, even though they may have had good intentions and believed in what they were doing.

  • Every life is important and each soldier lost is terrible, but the reality of a free country is that it must be defended with blood or it will be no longer free. I know that the basis for this war can be debated, but we can fight over there or we can fight here and those who think otherwise have forgotten Europe in WWII. Appeasement serves one cause and that is the cause of the enemy. This war does not solve the problem, but strong resolve and a willingness to see it through are the only way to stop the spread of totalitarian despotism. No we cannot fix every country in the world, but to walk away now would be cowardice of the lowest ilk.

  • “Just a side note: anyone who says this war is even remotely about freedom of religion is stupid. The fire of this war is fueled by religious intolerance. What they really mean is “Freedom to be Christian.”"

    Interesting thought, I’ve never heard anyone refer to it as a war for freedom of religion, though. I’ve always thought it was more about the government, and how, since America’s government is perfect, we need to make every other country’s the same.
    And a side note of my own: the bit about our government being perfect is perfectly laughable to me. I find it sad to think that there are people out there that really do believe it is.

  • No. Hard to compare.

  • No, of course not. More military died always die in a war than do in the initial cause for the declaration of war. And while we’re at it, let’s not get hung up on 2,900 military deaths, after all, we had 50,000 causalities in Viet Nam, 400,000 thousand US casualities in WWII, almost 700,000 is the Civil War. Etc, etc. I feel for the soldiers themselves and for their families, but in reality 2,900 is a drop in the bucket in terms of what war usually brings.

    And what of the Iraqi civilians? what is the count? 60,000? 100,000? most of which are victums not of US action, but of Muslim vs. Muslim terror. Even so, the number of civilian losses does not begin to approach the civilian losses in the other wars mentioned.

  • By the way I move personal effects a couple or three or four times a week to the processing center and I see new names every single time. I understand that each man that is lost is a father or a husband or a son and that he can never be replaced. Though I never saw hostile action (thank God) I did serve my time as did my father and as will my son if he is needed and willing. I understand the potential for danger accepted by signing the enlistment papers and am very grateful for the thousands of men who have done so. I cannot imagine the emotion I will experience if the day comes when I must send my son off to war, but if we are ideologically for a war we must also be willing to fight it and fighting it involves our families. And, heaven forbid, if we choose not to fight the necessary wars then the tyranny that will inevitably follow will most likely not be borne by us but by our children and theirs.

  • Oh. dear.

    Would that neither of those had happened.

  • Dan; its fucking war. people die.

  • Actually those number are wrong… it’s 2980   http://www.icasualties.org/oif/  

    However, 9-11 is NOT the reason why we are in Iraq… 9-11 is the reason why we are in AFGHANISTAN: http://www.icasualties.org/oef/

    Funny how so many people cannot remember this…

  • There is so much more to Iraq than the attack of 9/11.  The ordinary U.S. citizen doesn’t even have a clue.  I wish people would look at the Big Picture.

  • I guess to elaborate more upon the question, I would have to say that the number is most definitely insignificant. I mean, 9/11 was just one day, one battle, one horrific, tragic day. The military statistics in Iraq are over a period of years. One day compared to years is no comparison at all. If the statistics in Iraq were for one day, then it would mean something. Buuuuttttt… it’s not so there’s no comparison.

    Besides, I hate to say it, but I have little sympathy for those in the military who get killed. I have more sympathy for those poor innocent Iraqi bystanders that are killed everyday. People in the military know what they are getting into when they join. They know that there’s a chance they will die and I don’t have much sympathy who basically signed their life away. That’s part of the reason I don’t tolerate people slamming Bush just because he “won’t pull the troops out” and blame him for everything. Learn a little bit about military and government before you start opening your mouth.

    Back on the original topic. Honestly, I can’t think of when the “war” actually started, but we really haven’t been there for THAT long compared to some wars. But that’s beside the point. We’re doing what we can to help a country. Don’t you people take pride in the fact that we’re sacrificing our people to help another country get its feet on the ground and headed in the right path?

  • especially since the war was about oil.

  • Is not every death significant?

  • That’s one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard.

  • not really. One should expect more deaths in a war than in a terrorist attack.

  • How many Iraqi’s have died I wonder?

    Probally five times that number.

  • Thats horrible.  Ugh, make it end.

  • It just illustrates yet again the stupidity of the media.

  • ….It also illustrates the increasing ignorance and brainwashed western world (just read the comments). US citizens are almost as brain washed as Europeans. Blood will run neck deep in the streets until we finally get it. but, that will be too late.

  • Who gives a shit? Those people would have died eventually anyways. This way, they’re dying for their country, or some sort of bullshit like that.

  • I wish people took the time to understand issues and didn’t just listen to headline news. The Iraqi situation is very complicated and it is critical that we finish the job of liberating the people of Iraq. We have found chemicals and other items that the Iraqis were planning on using. Yes, we had known of the existence of this stuff during the Clinton administration, but they had never been destroyed, as was required by many UN resolutions. After many violations of UN resolutions, President Bush did the right thing and sent in forces to free the Iraqi people and the region of a tyrant (remember his attacks on Iran and Kuwait and his threats to other Arab countries). I truly believe that history will show the greatness of President George W. Bush. But as long as people are only listening to headlines and not researching, which history will do, they will not know the true greatness of this man. I am so thankful that we have a president who is not driven by popular opinion, but is driven by a will and desire to see freedom and justice prevail. I do not want to see a single person die, but more people die violent deaths in Houston, TX, in a year than have died in Iraq during our mission to free them from Islamofascism.

  • “Besides, I hate to say it, but I have little sympathy for those in the military who get killed. I have more sympathy for those poor innocent Iraqi bystanders that are killed everyday.”

    Posted 12/26/2006 9:15 PM by sugary_tears

    Service-members don’t look for sympathy, they don’t even ask for support. But every American should be thankful for their service and support them. They aren’t cowards, they put their life on the line for everyone – even the ungrateful assholes in this country. And just to be clear… we did NOT sign out life away, this IS our life. Some make it a career some see it as just a job for awhile – but either way when you are in the military, this is OUR LIFE. And just like any other lifestyle we all have our complaints, our frustrations,etc… why? Because we are HUMAN. We can bitch about the deployments, we can bitch about how unfair it is that we’ve been through more deployments then maybe the person next to us, we can bitch about our pay, etc.. just like any other person with a job/career. In that sense, we are no different from a civilian. There are ups and downs to everything in life, so saying that you  have no sympathy is like saying to those fireman and police officers who lost their life during 9-11 that you have no sympathy for them when they were just doing their job. So instead of you opening your mouth saying others need to learn more about the military, I think you should do the same.

  • No, that’s just a sensationalist twist.

  • It’s horrible that more people will killed in the war than in the crash that was the cause of the war. Quite depressing.

                                                                      -KrIsTiN-

  • if evil men were not now and then slain, it would not be a good world for weaponless dreamers -Rudyard Kipling

  • i don’t see how that could be significant. they died yes, and that is sad. they can not be replaced. i see war as a necessary evil. it’s terrible but it keeps us alive. without war, most of us if not all of us would not be here right now. if we do not fight to survive or get help (having someone fight for us when we are unable to fight) then we will be crushed and nothing will be left.  

  •  > Only in that all the lives sacrificed to a concept that would rather hate and kill, than love and comfort doesn’t seem to make a great deal of sense, somehow…. Maybe its just the time of day/night…..

    Peace and quiet…………………..*

  • More then 100 times of our troops have been killed during WWII in less time then 49 month in Iraq

  • No.

    This war is nowhere near as bad as any world war we’ve fought, or even Vietnam. I mean, of COURSE it isn’t as bad as Vietnam.
    But that doesn’t make it right.

  • PEOPLE CANNOT CONTROL THEMSELVES.

    None of these deaths should have happened in the first place. Humanity sucks.

  • Iraq wasn’t about revenge…so that’s stupid to compare those two. And considering how many troups have been sent over there, the percentage that have died is VERY SMALL. Not to discount the deaths of those who have died…I’m just saying that people need to realize that there is a lot more to it. We’ve actually done very well.

    And about the number of Iraqi civilians that have died…did you know that it’s the insurgents/religious factions killing almost all of them? Our soldiers only shoot when necessary. Terrorists force civilians into situations that get them shot by threatening to murder them and their families if they do not strap bombs to themselves and run up to soldiers/convoys/bases. TERRORISTS forced children into the roads in an attempt to get convoys to stop so that they might be ambushed. If our soldiers had stopped for those kids…the terrorists would have seen that this was affective and then would have kept doing it. More children would have died if the soldiers had stopped for them (because the kids get caught in the crossfire no matter if the soldiers stop or not). Iraqi civilians know to stay out of the way, and what happens when they don’t. Those who die, die because of the terrorists.

  • We have to understand that Sunnis and Shi’ites and Kurds have not gotten along in Iraq, ever. They are killing each other and we are trying to prevent them from killing each other. I would find it funny, if it weren’t so serious, that so many people in the USA think we are killing innocent civilians. Our soldiers are not killing innocent civilians. If a person is harboring a known terrorist, they are not innocent.

  • Is it significant that it took over 5 years for us to reach the death total that was reached within minutes on 9/11?

  • It doesn’t matter either way: people have died for a war that shouldn’t have happened.

  • What is significant is that the killing of our troops in Iraq is not yet over. By the time we pull out, it could be much higher. As to comparing the 9/11 deaths with those in the Iraq war, I can’t see the parallel there.

    L,r

  • I think its significant in that we have been there quite a while and JUST NOW reached the number of people that died in one incident.

    Eva.

  • Death is always signifigant. Especially mass deaths like those you mentioned. Do I think that’s ironic? Not really. No.

    I am in favor of the War on Terror. Because we have to do something. We were off trying peace while sadaam hid/destroyed his weapons. As far as the War in Iraq, it’s really hard to say how I feel. I know that we are making progress and that troops are dying. But I don’t know how much progress vs. death there is.

  • Every night on the news, they play, in silence, the names, ages, pictures, and ranks of the recently dead. I wonder, if they put those all together, how long would it be?

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