The real picture in Iraq

US Iraq military casualties rise to 61,989

Submitted by davidswanson
on Wed, 2007-11-21 00:10. Media

By Michael Munk

US military occupation forces in Iraq suffered at least 60 combat casulties in the six days ending Nov. 20, as total casualties reached at least 61,989*.The total includes 31,690 killed or wounded by what the Pentagon classifies as "hostile" causes and 30,299 (as of Oct. 1) dead and injured from "non-hostile" causes.**
US media divert attention from the actual cost in American life and limb by routinely reporting only the total killed (3,875 as of Nov.20) and rarely mentioning the 28,530 wounded in combat. To further minimize public perception of the cost, they cover for the Pentagon by ignoring the 30,299 (as of Oct. 1)*** military victims of accidents and illness that caused death or were serious enough to require medical evacuation, although the 3,875 reported deaths include 715 (up three since Nov.14)who died from those same causes, including 130 suicides.
*This total includes 526 (up two since Nov. 10) Iraq combat casualties with homes of record in Oregon as of Nov.17. Another 57 Oregonians are combat casualties in the Afgan occupation. These figures include deaths but not injuries from "non-hostile" causes.Reported monthly by the Pentagon at http://siadapp.dmdc.osd.mil/personnel/CASUALTY/STATE_OEF_OIF.pdf
** The number of wounded is updated weekly (usually Tuesdays) by the Pentagon at http://www.defenselink.mil/news/casualty.pdf. The dead are from Iraq Coalition Casualties http://www.icasualties.org/oif/
*** The number of injured is updated monthly by the Pentagon athttp://siadapp.dmdc.osd.mil/personnel/CASUALTY/gwot_reason.pdf
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