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Kelsye waxes political

I know, I know, politics are upsetting and confusing. But, I've been reading the news and getting all angst-y and I just have to share. I found a particularly interesting article on Democracy Now comparing the vairous costs of the Iraq War with what that money could have done for our country. Very intersting stuff. I've decided to copy the ones that interested me most into my blog. You can see the entire report online here.


From the study "PAYING THE PRICE: The Mounting Costs of the Iraq War" by Phyllis Bennis of the Institute for Policy Studies.

Total number of coalition military deaths between the start of war and June 16, 2004: 952 (853 U.S.)

Of those 952, the number killed after President George W. Bush declared "an end to combat operations" on May 1, 2003: 693

Number of U.S. troops wounded since the war began: 5,134

Number of U.S. troops wounded since President George W. Bush declared "an end to combat operations" on May 1, 2003: 4,593

Number of civilian contractors, missionaries, and civilian workers killed: 50-90

Number of international media workers killed in Iraq: 30 (21 since the "end of combat operations")

Iraqi civilians killed: 9,436 to 11,317

Iraqi civilians injured: 40,000 (est.)

Iraqi soldiers and insurgents killed prior to "end of combat operations" May 1, 2003: 4,895 to 6,370

The bill so far: $126.1 billion

Additional amount to cover operations through 2004: $25 billion

What $151 billion could have paid for in the U.S.:
-Housing vouchers: 23 million
-Health care for uninsured Americans: 27 mil.
-Salaries for elementary school teachers: 3 mil.
-New fire engines: 678,200
-Head Start slots: 20 million

Estimated long-term cost of war to every U.S. household: $3,415

Amount contractor Halliburton is alleged to have charged for meals never served to troops and for cost overruns on fuel deliveries: $221 million

Kickbacks received by Halliburton employees from subcontractors: $6 million

Percentage of Americans who now feel that "the situation in Iraq was not worth going to war over.": 54

Percentage of Iraqis who said they would feel safer if U.S. and other foreign troops left the country immediately: 55

Percentage of U.S. soldiers in Iraq reporting low morale: 52

Percentage of soldiers who said they would not re- enlist: 50

Percentage of wounded unable to return to duty: 64

Percentage of U.S. police departments missing officers due to Iraq deployments: 44

Effect on al Qaeda of the Iraq war, according to International Institute for Strategic Studies: "Accelerated recruitment"

Estimated number of al Qaeda terrorists as of May 2004: 18,000 with 1,000 active in Iraq

Percentage of Iraqis expressing "no confidence" in U.S. civilian authorities or coalition forces: 80

Yep. Scary stuff indeed.

posted by Scribbler @ Friday, June 25, 2004