How Many Soldiers Killed In Iraq?

apparently, there is some discrepancy about how the Pentagon is accounting for those killed in action. If they don't die *in* Iraq, but rather en route to a Germany or in a hospital, they are not part of the official list that we see in the newspapers. Thus, I've seen quite a few blogs suggesting that the number could be at the very least twice as much as the *official* list that the media has accepted (currently it's at 1713).

here's one blog's post on this:http://www.tbrnews.org/Archives/a1622.htm

Has anyone seen any reports on this? Any media looking into the *actual* number of US military killed in Iraq?

[tristano's ghost]

Originally Posted by achilles

apparently, there is some discrepancy about how the Pentagon is accounting for those killed in action. If they don't die *in* Iraq, but rather en route to a Germany or in a hospital, they are not part of the official list that we see in the newspapers. Thus, I've seen quite a few blogs suggesting that the number could be at the very least twice as much as the *official* list that the media has accepted (currently it's at 1713).

here's one blog's post on this:http://www.tbrnews.org/Archives/a1622.htm

Has anyone seen any reports on this? Any media looking into the *actual* number of US military killed in Iraq?

Hard to say. The source that I use--Global Security Org.--has the same 1700 plus figure. The discrepancy you mention (that those who die en route to Germany or in Germany itself are not counted as Iraq combat deaths) has been in circulation for the past couple of months, but I haven't been able to find any actual tallies... it's undoubtedly higher than what the DOD is reporting. Not to mention the thousands and thousands who are surviving with horrific wounds, loss of limbs/vision, brain damage, psychological trauma... And the govt. is consistently upgrading the health status of veterans in order to pay out less benefits. No wonder no one wants to enlist or sign on for another tour. Oh well, maybe Jonah Goldberg from the NRO and some of the other 101st Fightin' Keyboarders will suddenly find their manhood and volunteer for the Baghdad Front... oops, forgot, Jonah says he can't go because he has a wife and kid to support. Too bad all those reservists can't use that excuse, huh?

[curmudgeonpatrol]

Is their life insurance policy tax-free if they die in Iraq and not en route to Germany?

[Monte Smith]

Soldiers who die at Walter Reed or in Germany are tallied among the Iraq war dead. This should be obvious to all but shitheels.

Originally Posted by Monte Smith

Soldiers who die at Walter Reed or in Germany are tallied among the Iraq war dead. This should be obvious to all but shitheels.

oh, fuckball, when will you finally enlist and really fight in this great just war? your patriotic wit is just not enough.

i did not assert that this is the case, i asked about reports. this administration has lied, misled, distorted facts about this war to such
an extent that anything and everything is possible.

[crawjo]

Originally Posted by achilles

i did not assert that this is the case, i asked about reports. this administration has lied, misled, distorted facts about this war to such
an extent that anything and everything is possible.

But one would think that, if the dead from hospitals in Germany were not being counted, the media woud catch on pretty quick. Every one of these dead soldiers results in some story in a hometown paper...it's not like the deaths themselves are being covered up. If the Pentagon was trying to fudge the math (which would be an amazingly stupid thing to do), I think the media would figure out the numbers were short pretty quickly.

Originally Posted by crawjo

But one would think that, if the dead from hospitals in Germany were not being counted, the media woud catch on pretty quick. Every one of these dead soldiers results in some story in a hometown paper...it's not like the deaths themselves are being covered up. If the Pentagon was trying to fudge the math (which would be an amazingly stupid thing to do), I think the media would figure out the numbers were short pretty quickly.

you know, a few years ago I would have felt confident in these sentiments. but what the Bushies have accomplished with such appalling success is to undermine both the public trust in government and the media.

The Pentagon has in fact fudged the math on a large number of issues (which has always been their M.O., see Viet Nam). So I find myself actually susceptible to believing just about anything these days, which makes me feel more sad than silly.

[crawjo]

But the Pentagon hiding war dead numbers? That seems to be a huge risk to take...if you are found out then you will have a long list of families with dead soldiers going to the media and saying how outraged they were that their dead son/daughter "didn't count." Far better to just report the numbers and continue to spin that freedom is on the march.

I could imagine a scenario where they didn't 'hide' the numbers so much as they came up with an alternative way of accounting for them. Again, I'm not asserting this is the case, but only saying that nothing is beyond the pale of decency to this administration, and nothing seems too 'risky.'

surely you've read a lot on how the Pentagon has managed information, not only in this war, but in previous wars and military actions of the past 40 years.

[lynn]

I recently hear a figure of over 12,000 seriously wounded in Iraq. If my figures are correct, this would be greater than the active forces in the Coalition of the Willing. Last I heard, the UK only had about 7,000 on the ground and they are Bush's biggest partners.