What they fail to mention is they estimate about 30,000 of the deaths were from Coalition troops - the rest are from Iraqi internal fighting - they're killing their own population in religious power struggles.
When we began discussing the invasion when it was eminent, I commented this had the potential to be another Viet Nam, and was promptly pooh-poohed. The Soviets had this same damned problem in the Middle East, which we failed to consider. Anyone with the least bit ot tactical / strategic experience saw a long occupation from the beginning - it was not politic to mention it, though. The figment of a quick decisive victory in the minds of the American people was convenient.
There's no such thing as a polite war. The objective is either to destroy the enemy, or their will to fight. We're hesitant to do the former, because the casualty rate among non-participants would be even higher (it's impossible to tell the enemy from the non-combatants when the enemy refuses to cooperate and wear uniforms) and we're incapable of the latter when fighting an enemy who thinks they'll get to heaven by killing and dying.
And, of course, now we can't just pull out, because the enemy would see it as a victory, and encourage more aggression on their part.
This is going to continue for a long time, people.
[This message has been edited by Jerry Glenn Hartwig (edited October 19, 2006).]
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