The Deadliest Summer: Iraq and Afghanistan Death Tolls Continue

This week President Obama spoke at the national convention for Disabled Veterans addressing the supposed wind-down of the Iraq war. Disappointingly, he did nothing but breeze past the enduring tragedies and destruction the country’s people and U.S. troops face daily and instead vaguely implied an uncertain future for a war and country in shambles.

"The hard truth is we have not seen the end of American sacrifice in Iraq," he said. "But make no mistake, our commitment in Iraq is changing — from a military effort led by our troops to a civilian effort led by our diplomats.”

Unfortunately, that’s not a hard truth. Obama's phrasing was just a weak way of saying that more U.S. troops will die or return physically and mentally wounded. Don’t use the word sacrifice. It’s an overwrought and empty word when applied to perpetuating war -- it tries to alter reality, create some higher, moral purpose for senseless death and destruction.

How about the word “waste,” instead? The hard truth is we have not seen the end of American waste in Iraq. That sounds more accurate to me. Six U.S. soldiers were killed in Iraq in July, a number that is being heralded in the press as a triumph because only one of the six was killed in combat. The other five were killed by improvised explosive devices (IEDs). I see no triumph here. IEDs have remained the leading cause of death and traumatic brain injury TBI for U.S. troops since the Iraq War began. In 2007, the Washington Post reported that 63 percent of U.S. deaths in Iraq were due to IEDs, a number that has dropped very little over time. So far in 2010, 58 percent of U.S. deaths have been due to IEDs.

The death count shouldn't just be counted in American lives. As the war continues, the death toll among Iraqis rises to horrific heights. According to iCasualties.org, 48,391 Iraqi civilians have been killed since 2005 (there are no clear records before then). Since 2003, a total of 9,587 Iraqi Security Forces have died. Just in July, 535 Iraqis were killed in Iraq, the deadliest month since May 2008. Keep in mind, these are just reported numbers and should be inflated to be more accurate.

For Iraqis who survive, they struggle to live under occupation in a country without a credible government, in a place plagued with violence and fear. Mothers in Fallujah now fear bearing children due to the heightened and real risk of birth defects and infant deaths. Residents in Baghdad live with about five hours of electricity a day, if that.

Meanwhile, American troops are still stationed in Afghanistan. What was once the “good” if not completely ignored war, is now gaining attention the further it sinks into failure. This has been the deadliest summer for Afghanistan to date, with at least 126 U.S. troops killed in June and July. There is no sign of these figures declining any time soon.

America has ravaged Iraq. We’re destroying Afghanistan and our troops lives are rapidly disappearing. I would rather have a president who acknowledged the disasters rather than making platitudes and continuing the wars that President George W. Bush began. Americans must do what they can to end both occupations and create peace.

Madeleine Dubus is a staff writer for Campus Progress and a writing fellow at The New School.