US Iraq casualties rise to 54,630

[babylonsister]

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/22020

US Iraq casualties rise to 54,630
Submitted by davidswanson on Tue, 2007-05-01 20:56. Media

By Michael Munk

US military occupation forces in Iraq suffered at least 197 combat casulties in the week ending May Day, as total casualties reached at least 54,630.The total includes 27,822 killed or wounded by what the Pentagon classifies as "hostile" causes and 26,808 (as of five weeks ago, March 24) more casualties from "non-hostile" causes such as accidents, suicides and illness serious enough to require medical evacuation.

US media divert attention from the actual cost in American life and limb by routinely reporting only the total killed (3,352) as of May Day and rarely mentioning the 25,090 wounded in combat. To further minimize public perception of the cost, they cover for the Pentagon by ignoring the 26,188 military victims who suffered "non-hostile" injuries and illness ( only through March 24), although the 3,352 reported deaths include 620 (up one from last week) who died from those same causes. *

Although not defined as "casualties" since they have been discharged from active duty, as of the end of 2006 more than 180,000 U.S. military veterans of Iraq and Afganistan had filed disability claims.

Another group of unreported casualties are the more than 8,531 dead (770) and injured (7,761) "contractors" of American companies through the end of 2006. Since 156 (as of April 3) of the dead are reported as Americans, we can assume the rest are foreign nationals--including everyone from food service workers to military mercenaries.

* The Pentagon has shut down its "non combat" casualty website and announced a new site to be available after May 6 at http:/ / siadapp.dmdc.osd.mil