The U.S. fatalities in war now exceed those from Sept. 11. Any thoughts?

Question

I found this on the MSN homepage. This is a sad day in America when the death toll of this war has reached this amount.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14959937/

The story below:

WASHINGTON - Now the death toll is 9/11 times two.

U.S. military deaths from Iraq and Afghanistan now surpass those of the most devastating terrorist attack in America’s history, the trigger for what came next.

The latest milestone for a country at war came Friday without commemoration. It came without the precision of knowing who was the 2,974th to die in conflict. The terrorist attacks killed 2,973 victims in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.

An Associated Press count of the U.S. death toll in Iraq rose to 2,696. Combined with 278 U.S. deaths in and around Afghanistan, the 9/11 toll was reached, then topped, the same day. The Pentagon reported Friday the latest death from Iraq, an as-yet unidentified soldier killed a day earlier after his vehicle was hit by a roadside bombing in eastern Baghdad...

Answer 1

Bush claims that they are in Iraq to prevent another attack, but by doing so he created more enemies, so theres a bigger chance of an attack now, than before.

Also, there are thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians being killed. I say, we need to put an end to it.

Answer 2

This issue being discussed is an excellent example of the sheer idiocy of the Bush haters. The fact is that on a per month basis the casualty rate for these wars is the second lowest of any war lasting more than a year in US History. Only the Revolutionary war from 1775-1783 has a lower per month casualty rate, and the Pentagon freely admits that that data is based on incomplete records. For all we know the war in Iraq may have the lowest casualty rate in history. The fact that the Bush haters are making such a big deal about this issue shows how utterly irrational they are, and why they deserve neither credibility, nor anyone's vote this November.

Answer 3

Good point! It really is sad. The numbers would certainly have been alot lower had the US confined its struggle with Al Quada, and trying to get Osama Bin Laden.

The US is a great country for many reasons. A great leader is needed to admit mistakes have happened and end this struggle now. Pull the troops, cut the Iraqis a check and let the Iraqis squabble over the leftovers. Next time, don't let the Saudis off the hook like the days after 9-11

North America would be much more secure if we insisted the airlines only sold tickets to people with valid passports and visas. They are the ones ultimately screwing things up.

Brock
Vancouver, Canada.

Answer 4

And yet the losses that we've experienced are lower than any other war we've participated in.

You have no concept of what the war is about (not oil, because we aren't getting it). It is far better that we fight those who want to destroy us over there, than allow them to bring it here like they did on 9/11.

You also have no concept of what a just war is, nor what are acceptable losses in a war. Of course, I am not at all trying to diminish how bad it is to lose one soldier in battle, but every one of our troops is a volunteer. Anyone who is not career grade by now, enlisted after the war began.

Whining about every death, or whatever milestone you want to promote, only works to destroy the morale of the troops, and the resolve of the nation.

I have linked a study from LSU about the percentages of combat deaths for all of the wars our nation has fought up to the Gulf War. You will see that percentage-wise, we are doing very well. The current percentage of combat deaths versus military size is 0.002%.

Answer 5

Well! I guess we showed them!

Too bad the "them" we've showed wasn't behind the tragedy that occurred on 9/11. Bin Laden is still AWOL, probably sitting in a cave somewhere snickering.

Um, as for the U.S. troops that have done their level best to do what they were told to do, which was to fight a trumped-up war, and who are coming back dead or injured or with PTSD ... I don't suppose they'll accept "oops" by way of apology?

Let's hope this group gets treated better than the Vietnam vets did.

Answer 6

When I saw that, I started to wonder if this was the terrorists plan all along.

Maybe they figured the U.S. would go on the warpath, taking out everyone who we think was involved; and in any war there are casualties. They terrorist attack on out country now has cost 6,000 U.S. lives, double what they killed on 9/11.

I hate to say it, but maybe the terrorists were a little smarter than we give them credit for. They've also scared us into banning toothpaste and water on flights. While it's not immediately apparent, it's starting to look as if those terrorists have already won.

Answer 7

Not to mention the ' Shock and Awe' bombings, ment to bring Iraq to it's knees, so that they could throw flowers at our troops and thank them for "Freedom". Forgotten are the thousands of infants and children maimed, crushed , blown to bits .

How can they treat our military as heros whens ones family members are placed in prison to be tortured by American personnel or taken to other countries to be tortured, without explanation or charges?
Yes, America's youngsters are dying while our President and his Cabinet play footsie with very high stakes involved. Our Kids are paying for Bush's sneaking, conniving and illegal operations.

Operations carried out for oil, greed and power. He and his ilk will leave the seats of power and their riches will will increase long after our children lie beneath the markers that proudly state , 'they served their country' and someone saluted them ; then gave their loved ones a flag as a token of appreciation.

Answer 8

History has always proven these death toll numbers to be wrong and I hear a different number from every source I read. I think you need to be grateful that these numbers are so low considering how long we've been in war and how many we've lost in the other wars we've been in. It's war and in war you loose people. Better to be fought over there than here!

Answer 9

We lost an awful lot more soldiers at Normandy than we did at Pearl Harbor too, as terrible as both were. So what? Like Yogi Berra said, "It ain't over 'til it's over".

This war isn't about "getting even" for 9/11. It's about striking out continuing terrorism in the middle east and the continuing threat of terrorism in America.

BTW, I still see claims that we're in this thing for the oil. Just who do you think is getting that oil? FRANCE, that's who.

Answer 10

If you don't want to be killed in combat don't join the military. Duh. No one has been drafted here, all of the soldiers over seas today are there of their own free will. So how about less whining and more supporting. I bet all of you who care so much haven't even sent one care package to a soldier in need. Lets support these brave souls not use their deaths as a political move.

Answer 11

Comparing to other wars fought, we are doing pretty good.......You cannot have war without fatalities. But here is something to think of. We cannot even compare the 2974 deaths in this war to the murders and deaths here in the us last year. .