July 6, 2011

US military occupation forces in Iraq and Afganistan and attacking forces in Libya under Commander-in-Chief Obama suffered 172 combat casualties in the 8 days ending July 6, as the official casualty total jumped (monthly “non-combat” evacuations announced) to 106, 714.

The total includes 78,687 casualties since the US invaded Iraq in March, 2003 (Operations “Iraqi Freedom” and “New Dawn”), and 28,027 since the US invaded Afganistan in November, 2001 (Operation “Eduring Freedom”).and none reported since it attacked Libya (Operation “Odessy Dawn”) in March, 2011.

IRAQ THEATER: US forces suffered 19 combat casualties in the 8 days ending July 6, as the total jumpede to 78,687. That includes 35,666 dead and wounded from what the Pentagon classifies as “hostile” causes and 43,021 dead and medically evacuated (as of July 5) from “non-hostile” causes.

AFGANISTAN THEATER: US forces suffered 153 combat casualties in the 8 days ending July 6 as the official total jumped to 28, 027. The total includes 13,740 dead and wounded from “hostile” causes and 14,287 dead and medically evacuated (as of July 5) from “non-hostile” causes.

LIBYA THEATER:Two air force officers in a downed F-15E were rescued with minor injuries which were not listed as casualties, but several Libyans were wounded by US fire in their rescue. Reports indicate US aircraft no longer fly combat missions over Libya, but focus on refeuling, survaillance and offshore missile launches.

US media divert attention from the actual cost in American life and limb by only reporting regularily the total killed (6,114 – 4,472 in Iraq, 1,642 in Afghanistan) but rarely mentioning those wounded in action (44,596–32,146 in Iraq, 12,450 in Afghanistan). They ignore the 55,974 ( 42,039 in Iraq, 13,935 in AfPak as of July 5) military casualties injured and ill seriously enough to be medivaced out of theater, even though the 6,114 total dead include 1,304 (952 in Iraq, 352 in Afghanistan) who died from those same “non hostile” causes, including 289 suicides (as of July 5) and at least 18 from faulty KBR electrical work.

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

The above report is published by Michael Munk via his email list.