The “official” U.S. war and occupation of Iraq came to a close in the third week of December 2011 with the last American combat troops crossing the border into Kuwait on Dec. 18. Islamic Voice collects data from various websites to assess the havoc wrought by the nearly nine years of occupation.
War for Occupation of Iraq Began in March 2003
Total coalition casualties - 4,802
Men of the US Military Killed in Iraq - 4,485
(98% male. 91% non-officers; 82% active duty, 11% National Guard; 74% Caucasian, 9% African-American, 11% Latino. 19% killed by non-hostile causes. 54% of US casualties were under 25 years old. 72% were from the US Army)
Non-U.S. Troops killed - 316
(179 from the UK)
American servicemen/women wounded in Iraq - 32,000
(22,490 of them from the US Army, followed by 8,622 US Marines. 20% of which are serious brain or spinal injuries. (Total excludes psychological injuries. - 30% of US troops develop serious mental health problems within 3 to 4 months of returning home.)
The war in Iraq cost the US $823.2bn since 2003 - and in 2011 cost $49.3bn, only $4bn less than 2003 when the invasion happened.
But according to Linda Bilmes, a lecturer in Public Policy at Harvard University, and Joseph Stiglitz, a Nobel Laureate Columbia University, the final ocst to American taxpayer will be approximately $4 trillion to $6 trillion, if you add the two trillion dollars already spent to the cost of paying interest on money initially borrowed to pay for the war. Then add the balance to the costs owed to veterans including the long-term care of amputees and others disabled (ref. The Three Trillion Dollar War)
US Military Helicopters Downed in Iraq - 75
(At least 36 by enemy fire)
Iraqis dead in Iraq - 113,728.
Suicide bombings between 2003 and 2010—1003
The Wikileaks data records 109,032 death, 66,081 of them civilians, 23,984 insurgents and 15,196 Iraqi security forces. The worst place for deaths was Baghdad, with 45,497. A UN issued report dated Sept 20, 2006 states that Iraqi civilian casualties have been significantly under-reported. Casualties are reported at 50,000 to over 100,000, but may be much higher. Some informed estimates place Iraqi civilian casualties at over 600,000.
Iraqi Police and Soldiers Killed - 10,125, as on July 31, 2011
Journalists killed – 150 (98 by murder and 52 by acts of war)
Journalists killed by US Forces - 14
Private Contractors in Iraq, Working in Support of US Army Troops - More than 180,000 in August 2007, as per TheNation.com..
Iraqi Civilians Killed, estimated - On October 22, 2010, ABC News reported “a secret U.S. government tally that puts the Iraqi (civilian) death toll over 100,000,” information that was included in more than 400,000 military documents released by Wikileaks.com.
Iraqi Insurgents Killed, Roughly Estimated - 55,000
Non-Iraqi Contractors and Civilian Workers Killed - 572 as of August 30, 2011
Non-Iraqi Kidnapped - 306, including 57 killed, 147 released, 4 escaped, 6 rescued and 89 status unknown.
Quality of Life Indicators for Iraq
Is Iraq any better today, after eight years of American occupation has ended. As per life indicators released, the situation is far worse than what it used to be under despotic rule of Saddam Hussein. Here are a few indices:
Iraqis Displaced Inside Iraq, by Iraq War, as of May 2007 - 2,255,000
Iraqi Refugees in Syria and Jordan - 2.1 million to 2.25 million
Iraqi Unemployment Rate - 27 to 60%, where curfew not in effect
Consumer Price Inflation in 2006 - 50%
Iraqi Children Suffering from Chronic Malnutrition - 28% in June 2007 (Per CNN.com, July 30, 2007)
Percent of professionals who have left Iraq since 2003 - 40%
Iraqi Physicians before 2003 Invasion - 34,000
Iraqi Physicians who have left Iraq since 2005 Invasion - 12,000
Iraqi Physicians murdered since 2003 Invasion - 2,000
Average Daily Hours Iraqi Homes Have Electricity - 1 to 2 hours, as per Ryan Crocker, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq (Per Los Angeles Times, July 27, 2007)
Average Daily Hours Iraqi Homes Have Electricity - 10.9 in May 2007
Average Daily Hours Baghdad Homes Have Electricity - 5.6 in May 2007
Pre-War Daily Hours Baghdad Homes Have Electricity - 16 to 24
Number of Iraqi Homes Connected to Sewer Systems - 37%
Iraqis without access to adequate water supplies - 70% (Per CNN.com, July 30, 2007)
Water Treatment Plants Rehabilitated - 22%
(Source: http://usliberals.about.com, Congress Research Service)
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January 2012 |
