Meanwhile, In Iraq . . .

From July 20, 2008 through today, during the "post surge" period (U.S. troop strength at 150,000), there were 135 U.S casualties and 3 U.K. casualties in Iraq, a total of 138 "coalition" deaths in a 252 day period (.55 average per day).

During the month of January, 2009, there were 16 U.S. casualties.

During the month of February, 2009, there were 17 U.S. casualties and 1 U.K. casualty.

During the month of March, 2009, there were 7 U.S. casualties (a welcome and significant decline to "only" one U.S. casualty in Iraq every 4 days).

Total coalition casualties in Iraq since March, 2003 are 4261 U.S., 179 U.K. and 139 "other", an average of over 2 per day.

Additionally, U.S. wounded exceed 110,000 (the numbers are unclear and vary greatly by source).

http://icasualties.org/Iraq/index.aspx

For some reason, this is no longer considered news- or noteworthy in America.

A residual force of 50,000 American troops will remain in Iraq for the remainder of Obama's first term of office. A significant percentage of the troop reduction from Iraq will be redeployed to Afghanistan.

In the words of Navy Lieutenant, now U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee chair, Senator John Kerry, testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 1971, "How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?"

http://www.warcomeshome.org/content/sena tor-john-kerry:-how-do-you-ask-man-be-la st-man-die-vietnam

Well?