According to the Iraq Coalition Casualties site, 65 U.S. troops died in the first 12 days of the Iraq war in March 2003. Between Monday and Saturday last week, six days, 59 63 64 U.S. troops were killed, about two-thirds of them in the Falluja fighting (and let’s not forget the 1,200 Iraqis the U.S. says it terminated during the last week and whatever civilian casualties were inflicted). So, in Month 20 of the Great Regime Change, we’re experiencing the most intense and deadly combat to date. Now, of course, things are bound to get better.
(Update: The Iraq casualties web site updated the number of killed earlier today, so that’s why I’ve changed it above).
Have any mainstream media framed it that way, Dan? I’ve been a little scattered, not keeping us as well as I ought to, but the general idea I get from the headlines (a lot of them on radio) is that we’re on the march, baby, takin’ care of bidness. Shit.
No, I haven’t seen it framed quite this way. What with the Peterson verdict and all, you can’t expect the media and the media audience to take all this in.