4,000 or 250,000 Casualties from the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars?

Our 4,077 U.S. military deaths in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are the worst possible consequence of military service.  Yet what about our 250,000 wounded, injured, and ill combat survivors and their families who suffer for a lifetime?

A reporter recently called VCS and asked politely about our plans for the “next tragic milestone of 4,000 Iraq War casualties, expected in the next few months.”

My response surprised her.  “VA is already treating 250,000 casualties - our wounded, injured, and ill veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.”

“Excuse me!?” she responded, very excited.  “I meant killed – 4,000 killed in Iraq.  Will your anti-war group increase calls to end the war?”

In a friendly voice, I continued, “VCS is not an anti-war group.  We are a non-partisan non-profit, and we focus on national security, civil liberties, and veterans’ benefits.  VCS provides advocacy for our 250,000 walking wounded, injured, and ill veterans, and we want to restore our lost freedoms at home.”

“No, no, no,” she interrupted, nicely.  “What will you do when the 4,000th death in Iraq happens?”

I replied, “VCS questioned the Iraq War before it began, yet we were ignored.  Americans should be outraged at the Administration’s failure to provide prompt medical care and benefits to our 250,000 casualties from the two wars.  Veterans are committing suicide because VA lacks the doctors to provide care for more than 95,000 of our veterans already diagnosed by VA doctors with mental health conditions.  Veterans are homeless because VA takes months and even years to provide disability payments.”

The reporter pressed on.  “Isn’t 4,000 killed a major milestone?”

“Yes, every death is a tragic loss.  For each death, there are more than 61 veteran patients from the two wars.  However, President George W. Bush has not mustered the courage to attend a single veteran’s funeral. 

“VCS believes the major news remains Bush’s cascading and catastrophic failures due to his incompetence and rigid ideology.  Here are the salient facts: the President lied to start his Iraq War, he rejected advice from our generals, he failed to send enough troops to secure Iraq’s military bases, he disbanded the Iraqi military, then he failed to provide water, food, electricity, jobs, and security, thus enraging the civilian population.

“The president ordered the use of torture, thus endangering our troops.  He also failed to supply our troops with the best equipment, and he rejected advice from seasoned diplomats to end the killing.

“At home, he undermines our freedom by ignoring our Constitution, he foments fear, he manipulates elections, he spies on innocent American citizens, and the quagmire in Iraq means the National Guard remains unable to assist after disasters, resulting in the catastrophe in Louisiana and Mississippi after hurricane Katrina.

“President Bush lost his war, and he betrayed our veterans when they came home because VA didn’t have enough doctors.  Bush plunged Iraq into bloody civil war and anarchy, with two million refugees, two million internally displaced persons, and 600,000 killed.

"Bush’s lies, his incompetence, his lost war, and his wonton destruction of America and Iraq are the big news items.  And Bush’s failure to plan a withdrawal of troops may cause an even larger debacle similar to what the Germans faced in Stalingrad in the winter of 1942 - 1943, when the Soviet Union slaughtered Hitler's surrounded troops.”

“Ok,” she said, “I guess you don’t have any plans for the 4,000th U.S. death in Iraq?”

“That’s right,” I said.

“Thanks, we’ll check some other groups,” and she nicely ended our conversation.

Due to myopic press calls like this each week, VCS released our two Fact Sheets on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Please e-mail our VCS link to your family, friends, reporters, and legislators so more people know the full set of facts -  not the incomplete and manipulated information the government and press want you to know.  Please print our Fact Sheets and bring them to campus, to church, and to civic groups.

In my opinion, as long as people think there are only 4,000 casualties, then the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will have No End in Sight - the deaths will increase, and the population of 250,000 wounded, injured, and ill veteran survivors will escalate - 61 living veteran casualties for each military casualty.

And for the Iraqis?  Refuse to let the press and governement Redact the facts about the carnage in Iraq.  What about the civilians killed, the refugees, the internally displaced?  What about the Iraqi veterans who get nothing?  The failed invasion caused their current misery, and they need relief, too.

Make a difference today - share the truth about the wars.