Last Week: 26 US War Casualties

US media divert attention from the actual cost in American life and limb by reporting regularly only the total killed, but rarely mentioning those wounded in action

Salem-News.com

(PORTLAND, OR) - US military occupation forces in Afghanistan under Commander-in-Chief Obama suffered 26 casualties in the week ending March 6, as the official casualty total for the Iraq and AfPak wars* rose to 112, 605.

The total includes 79,576 casualties since the US invaded Iraq in March, 2003 (Operations "Iraqi Freedom" and "New Dawn"), and 33,029 since the US invaded Afghanistan in November, 2001 (Operation "Enduring Freedom")

AFGHANISTAN THEATER: US forces suffered 26 casualties in the week ending Mar 6 as the total rose to 33,029. The total includes 16,935 dead and wounded from "hostile" causes and 16,094 dead or medically evacuated (as of Feb 6) from "non-hostile" causes.

IRAQ THEATER: The Pentagon shifted one death from its "hostile" to "non hostile" accounts in the week ending Mar 6 as the total remained at 79,576. That includes 35,749 dead and wounded from what the Pentagon classifies as "hostile" causes and 43,827 dead or medically evacuated (as of Feb 6) from "non-hostile" causes.

US media divert attention from the actual cost in American life and limb by reporting regularly only the total killed (6,386 - 4,488 in Iraq,1,898 in Afghanistan) but rarely mentioning those wounded in action (47,638--32,223 in Iraq, 15,438 in Afghanistan). They ignore the 58,558 (42,865 in Iraq,15,693 in AfPak (as of Feb. 6) military casualties injured and ill seriously enough to be medivaced out of theater, even though the 6,386 total dead include 1,363 (962 in Iraq, 401in Afghanistan) who died from those same "non hostile" causes, including 309 suicides (as of Feb 6) and at least 18 in Iraq from faulty KBR electrical work.

*LIBYA :Operation "Odessy Dawn" launched in March, officially ended Oct 31, 2011 with no reported US casualties.

WIA are usually updated on Tuesday at www.defenselink.mil/news/casualty.pdf

Non combat casualties are usually reported monthly at http://siadapp.dmdc.osd.mil/personnel/CASUALTY/castop.htm

Portland Tribune photo by L.E. Baskow

Order from Powell's

Michael Munk tries to glean important but overlooked items from the world media on the issues of the day and posts them on an irregular schedule. Although items can overlap, he also maintains separate lists for activists in Portland, Oregon and the Northwest, and special lists for: Labor, Latin America, Israel, Torture Taxis, Korea, and the Czech Republic. Sign up here to try the general list or ask to be added to one or more of the special lists.

Michael is a highly praised writer from an important generation whose book, the Portland Red Guide, has received high praise.

"City Commissioner Nick Fish gave me a copy. Sat down on my sofa and couldn't put it down until I finished. Fascinating!"
-- Tom Potter, Mayor of Portland 2005-2009

"Whoop! Whoop! I'm impressed by how many names from Portland's past have not made it into our official histories and public memorials. Some were good friends of mine. Local history is too often overlooked. Good work, Mike."
-- Bud Clark, Saloon keeper, Goose Hollow Inn, and Mayor of Portland, 1985–1992

Visit the new photo gallery on Michael's website: www.michaelmunk.com