Iraq Update: More than 1.6 Million American Troops have been Deployed to Iraq & Afghanistan since September 2001 - Where is the Political Reconciliation?
12/04/2007
In January, the President announced the so-called troop “surge” to give Iraq’s government the “breathing space” to achieve political reconciliation. Eleven months later, Iraqi politicians have failed by every measure to make the necessary political progress.
The American people – especially the brave men and women in uniform and their families – deserve more from the Bush Administration than a 10-year, trillion dollar war in Iraq. Democrats are committed to a New Direction in Iraq that holds the President accountable, provides real support to our men and women in uniform and will bring them home safely, honorably, and soon.
IRAQ - COST TO OUR TROOPS
- U.S. troops deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan since Sept. 2001: More than 1.6 million [DoD, 10/31/07]
- Deployed more than once: Nearly 565,000 [DoD, 10/31/07]
- U.S. troops killed in Iraq since the war began: 3,883 [DoD, 12/4/07]
- U.S. troops wounded in Iraq since the war began: 28,513 [DoD, 12/4/07]
- Days since President Bush announced the surge: 328
- U.S. troops killed in Iraq since January 10th: 867
- Iraqi Parliament Passed National Oil and Gas Law: No
- Iraqi Parliament Passed De-Baathification Law: No
- Iraqi Government Held Provincial Elections: No
Associated Press, “Violence hindering growth of Iraqi Forces,” 12/4/07
“The [new GAO] report also criticized the terminology the Pentagon uses for assessing the progress of Iraqi forces. While the Defense Department has, in multiple reports, stated that a certain number of [Iraqi] units are either “independent” or “fully independent,” it is unclear how the military arrived at the determination, the report said… As a result of DOD’s lack of clarity, Congress and other decision makers may not obtain a clear picture of the progress” of the Iraqi forces toward becoming independent of U.S. forces, the report said…Also, the report suggested that the Iraqi forces cannot be considered independent as long as neither of the ministries in charge of them has developed the abilities to logistically sustain their forces, effectively command and control their forces, and provide intelligence to their forces.”
National Public Radio, Morning Edition, “Iraq Struggles to Cope with Returning Refugees,” 12/4/07
“Uncertainty and possible danger await the refugees and internally displaced Iraqis seeking to return to their homes in Baghdad. Many will find those homes occupied by others. The Iraqi government appears to have no real plan to deal with a problem that one spokesman is calling a potential national crisis.”
New York Times, “Nonstop Theft and Bribery Stagger in Iraq,” 12/2/07
“Corruption and theft are not new to Iraq, and government officials have promised to address the problem. But as Iraqis and American officials assess the effects of this year’s American troop increase, there is a growing sense that, even as security has improved, Iraq has slipped to new depths of lawlessness…One recent independent analysis ranked Iraq the third most corrupt country in the world. Of 180 countries surveyed, only Somalia and Myanmar were worse, according to Transparency International, a Berlin-based group that publishes the index annually.”