US Iraq Casualties Jump to 71,090

US Iraq Casualties Jump to 71,090
Compiled by Michael Munk | www.MichaelMunk.com

US military occupation forces in Iraq under CIC Obama suffered six combat casualties in the week ending Feb 3, as the official total jumped sharply to at least 71,090 with monthly "non hostile" casualties posted.

The total includes 34,416 dead and wounded from what the Pentagon classifies as "hostile" causes and more than 36,674 dead and medically evacuated (as of Jan 31, 2009) from "non-hostile" causes.*

The actual total is over 100,000 because the Pentagon chooses not to count as "Iraq casualties" the more than 30,000 veterans whose injuries-mainly brain trauma from explosions (Traumatic Brain Injury - TBI) diagnosed only after they had left Iraq.**

US media divert attention from the actual cost in American life and limb by occasionally reporting only the total killed (4,239 as of Feb 3) but rarely mentioning the 31,010 wounded in combat. To further minimize public perception of the cost, they cover for the Pentagon by ignoring the 35,841 (as of Jan 31, 2009)*** military victims of accidents and illness serious enough to require medical air evacuation, although the 4,239 reported deaths include 833 (up five last week) who died from those same causes, including at least 18 from faulty electrical work by KBR and about 170 suicides estimated through 2008.****

Key:

* The number of wounded is updated weekly (usually Tuesdays) by the Pentagon.

** New York Times, Jan 26, 2009

*** the number of "non combat" injured was reported by the Pentagon.

**** NYTimes, Jan 30, 2009