US deaths in Iraq pass 3000, 22,000 seriously wounded

[Zkribbler]

[Kuciwalker]

Re: US deaths in Iraq pass 3000, 22,000 seriously wounded

MOBIUS, how'd you hack horsie's account?

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
When you think about it, joining the military is actually one of the safest things you can do.

Maybe if you're an idiot you would draw that conclusion.

Virtually all of the US military deaths in Iraq are from Army and MC

The total active duty strength of these two forces is ~650 000

There have been 3000 deaths in Iraq, a couple of hundred in Afghanistan and some undetermined number outside these two theaters (training accidents, etc) in the last 3.5 years

Call it 1000 deaths per annum

That adds up to ~155 deaths per 100 000 per annum, making the USMC+US Army the most dangerous profession in the United States (though not by a huge margin)

http://money.cnn.com/2003/10/13/pf/dangerousjobs/

[KrazyHorse]

Though I would hazard a guess that certain illicit professions (drug dealer and prostitute spring to mind) bear a much greater risk.

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten

There is only one way to win a guerilla war... and that's to win the hearts and minds of the people.

You can also start killing the population that supports the guerillas and not stop until the resistance does. Now, we don't have the stones to do that, but the Shiites sure do...

That's the basics of it in a nut shell. Either be willing to do what ever it takes or don't go around invading countries. Since western countries won't commit mass genocide to put down popular rebellions we should just accept that we're unwilling to do what it takes to win these types of wars and thus avoid them.

[Dinner]

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6707238

[Dis]

Originally posted by KrazyHorse


Maybe if you're an idiot you would draw that conclusion.

Virtually all of the US military deaths in Iraq are from Army and MC

The total active duty strength of these two forces is ~650 000

There have been 3000 deaths in Iraq, a couple of hundred in Afghanistan and some undetermined number outside these two theaters (training accidents, etc) in the last 3.5 years

Call it 1000 deaths per annum

That adds up to ~155 deaths per 100 000 per annum, making the USMC+US Army the most dangerous profession in the United States (though not by a huge margin)

http://money.cnn.com/2003/10/13/pf/dangerousjobs/

us smart guys joined the navy. . Never had to worry about car accidents on board an aircraft carrier. Probably the safest place on earth.

[Dis]

Originally posted by Oerdin


That's the basics of it in a nut shell. Either be willing to do what ever it takes or don't go around invading countries. Since western countries won't commit mass genocide to put down popular rebellions we should just accept that we're unwilling to do what it takes to win these types of wars and thus avoid them.

for once I'm in total agreement with Oerdin.

[GhengisFarbâ„¢]

Originally posted by Zkribbler
Last I heard, 80% of Iraqis want us to withdraw.

I can believe that. The thing is a lot of Iraqis have sided at this point when one of the strongarm leaders like Sadr or the others (I'm only speaking from my experiences in Bagdad as I don't ever leave Bagdad). And most of those leaders and their militias are wanting to kill off/weaken the others and gain control of Iraq for themselves.

But, supposed 74% of Iraqis trust American troops MORE than any others and far more than do their own troops. They would much rather have US forces search their homes and property than Iraqi Police or military members. I think this comes from the politically correctness of our trying to win their hearts and minds and the Iraqi forces don't really give a flip.

My opinion of the situation has changed a lot since I got here. I really think we screwed up by not bombing the heck out of this place intitially. We were so obsessed we being politically correct and setting this great example of civilized combat that we didn't do enough damage intially.

We basically did a surgical strike and took out Saddam and his military. But we left a lot of the locals in charge and let nationals run their own country. I think if we had put expatriots that had been been in "exile" from Iraq in the West in charge and let them run it we might have had more success. Mind you that's just my opinion.

Right now it just seems as all we're doing is putting off the inevitable which would be an all out civil war amongst the 20 or so political/militia groups here for control of the country. Sadly, I don't think more troops here will help that, it would just allow us to keep a better lid on the situation for the time being.

[Alexander's Horse]

Oerdin's point about the greater ruthlessness of the enemy is valid.

It is a common point with Vietnam except even less casualties are acceptable to the occupying force now.

A non-US led force is a possible answer imo. But who would go there now?

[TheStinger]

Somalia

[germanos]

The US casualties only make up a fraction of the total death toll.

New high in Iraqi civilian deaths

[Chemical Ollie]

Originally posted by Oerdin


That's the basics of it in a nut shell. Either be willing to do what ever it takes or don't go around invading countries. Since western countries won't commit mass genocide to put down popular rebellions we should just accept that we're unwilling to do what it takes to win these types of wars and thus avoid them.

More people should had been saying this in 2003

[MOBIUS]

I actually thought about posting a betting thread on whether we would reach the 3000 mark before the year was out - but I thought that would be bad taste...

[Harovan]

Originally posted by Oerdin
That's the basics of it in a nut shell. Either be willing to do what ever it takes or don't go around invading countries. Since western countries won't commit mass genocide to put down popular rebellions we should just accept that we're unwilling to do what it takes to win these types of wars and thus avoid them.

Sad but true. And yet sadder is, that is exactly what Saddam did and what he got the receipt for a few days ago. So basically, you either act like the dictator himself, thus losing the moral right to judge him, or you stay out and don't invade such countries. O tempora, o mores.