US Iraq casualties jump to 67,203

By Michael Munk

US military occupation forces in Iraq suffered at least 102 combat casualties in the week ending July 15, as the official casualty total reached at least 67,203. That total jumped by 1,314 because the number of non combat- injured and sick casualties became available for the first time since March 1. It includes 33,766 dead and wounded by what the Pentagon classifies as "hostile" causes and more than 33,437 dead and medically evacuated (as of May 31) because of "non-hostile" causes.*

The actual total is over 87,000 because the Pentagon chooses not to count as "Iraq casualties" the approximately 20,000 casualties discovered only after they returned from Iraq -mainly brain trauma from explosions.**

US media divert attention from the actual cost in American life and limb by routinely reporting only the total killed (4,121 as of July 15) and rarely mentioning the 30, 409 wounded in combat. To further minimize public perception of the cost, they cover for the Pentagon by ignoring the 32,673 (as of May 31)*** military victims of accidents and illness serious enough to require medical air evacuation, although the 4,121 reported deaths include 764 (no change) who died from those same causes, including at least 13 from faulty electrical work by KBR and 145 suicides as of March 1.

* The number of wounded is updated weekly (usually Tuesdays) by the Pentagon at http://www.defenselink.mil/news/casualty.pdf

** see USA Today, Nov. 23, 2007

*** the number of "non combat" injured was reported by the AP

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