Iraq's July Mid-Point (a single-digit month?)

iCasualties.org ^ | 7/15/2008 | self

[Southack]

A single-digit month.

Looking at the coalition fatalities for the first half of July, 2008 shows something remarkable...something not yet noted by any mainstream news agencies or blogs.

At first glance, the stats show that 6 good Americans gave their lives for our country so far this month in Iraq.

But that number of 6 doesn't tell the tale.

Looking more closely at the numbers, two of our lost soldiers were due to non-hostile work accidents (e.g. one was electrocuted).

But that doesn't mean that we've lost 4 good men to combat this month...you see...two of those lost to combat were killed at the height of the Surge, way back in May of 2007. They are shown in stats for this month because that's when their bodies were recovered.

This means that two of our grave losses were from last year, not this month's combat...and two other losses were due to non-hostile causes.

In other words, for the first half of July, 2008, the U.S. has lost two good men to combat in Iraq.

This is not D-Day 1944. Thousands haven't been lost on a single Normandy beach in minutes.

We've lost two in two weeks to enemy combat.

If the second half of July mimmicks the first, we'll have a single-digit of combat losses in Iraq this month.

[Southack]

Just an update. Today, the 29th of July...is now two weeks without an American giving up his life to hostile combat in Iraq.

0 (zero) hostile combat fatalities for the good guys in two weeks.

[Allegra]

I was going to wait until August 1 to mention this.

I've got a lot of Irish blood...superstition, ya know. ;-)

It is good news, isn't it?

[Southack]

It’s extraordinarily good news. How many hot wars go two weeks with one side (and only one side) not losing a single soldier?!

[Billthedrill]

Fingers crossed.

[Allegra]

I believe the war is in the end phase.

The Iraqis believe it, too. While there were nasty incidents yesterday, those are becoming fewer and farther between.

The government recently established a tourism bureau. They don't expect tourists right away, but they are now able to look to a future where that is a reality.

The Parliament is now addressing the issue of how they're going to remove all those T-walls all over the place.

They can see their peaceful future now.

[Allegra]

FYI-Curfew on Baghdad today due to al Qaeda’s nasty antics yesterday.

[Southack]

You may take it for granted because you can see it firsthand, but it would help me, and perhaps other readers here in the States, if you explained the practical impacts on the curfews in Iraq/Baghdad.

Cars? Businesses? Immigration? Travel? Hours? Enforcement?

[Allegra]

The curfew is on vehicle traffic, meaning most shops and businesses in town were not open today. Curfews also tend to increase the number of checkpoints and the overall level of security.

Looks like it may have worked. It's after 7:00 p.m. and it's been quiet today despite the Shia festival taking place in the Khadamiyah District (north Baghdad.)

[Southack]

Thanks. Is it accurate to say that what you are calling a “curfew” was a daytime ban on civilian vehicle traffic?

[Allegra]

Thanks. Is it accurate to say that what you are calling a “curfew” was a daytime ban on civilian vehicle traffic?

Yes. Except the government hasn't yet determined how long to run this one. It could last as late as Thursday, depending on how the security situation is assessed. Almost 60 innocent people lost their lives to terrorists in Baghdad yesterday.

Back in the wilder days, curfews were commonplace and there was even a standard Friday curfew every week for a while in '06.

Now, they're much more rare, but still necessary on occasion.

[andy58-in-nh]

I believe George Bush made a terrific mistake when he set out on his "Mission Accomplished" trip. He made it impossible for anyone to ever again claim without public ridicule that the war has been won - even when it has been.

Republicans should be able to take the Democrats apart for their united opposition to the Surge - but they cannot muster the will to do so because they would have to admit that the war is almost, well...(won)."Ssssh, don't say it too loudly or the Democrats will unleash their Media Ridicule Machine." And they will.

Never mind that sectarian violence will continue sporadically in Iraq as it does in countless other parts of the globe. Every single act of violence will be held up by the Left to "prove" that the US has not yet won the war, or that it is still losing, as is the "Progressives"' fondest hope.

[Southack]

So this is an Iraqi-government “curfew?” And the Iraqi government will determine when to lift it?

[Allegra]

Yep.

Kind of like their "Homeland Security." ;-)

[Southack]

That’s very good to hear.

I’m also pleased to see reports of the Iraqi Army doing well in its new anti-terror offensive in a couple of different regions of Iraq.

They are “Standing Up” and things are looking good!

[Southack]

31-Jul-2008	1	| US: 1 | UK: 0 | Other: 0
	US	NAME NOT RELEASED YET	Ninawa Province	Non-hostile
30-Jul-2008	1	| US: 1 | UK: 0 | Other: 0
	US	Sergeant James A. McHale	National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, - Baghdad	Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack
17-Jul-2008	1	| US: 1 | UK: 0 | Other: 0
	US	Technical Sergeant Jackie L. Larsen	Balad (Balad Air Base) - Salah ad Din	Non-hostile
15-Jul-2008	2	| US: 2 | UK: 0 | Other: 0
	US	Staff Sergeant David W. Textor	Mosul - Ninawa	Hostile - hostile fire
	US	Staff Sergeant Jeremy D. Vrooman	Knan (died in Baghdad) - Diyala	Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack
14-Jul-2008	2	| US: 2 | UK: 0 | Other: 0
	US	Aviation Boatswain Mate 3rd Class Daniel R. Verbeke	Paoli, Pennsylvania - NA	Non-hostile - accident (on flight deck)
	US	Staff Sergeant Danny Dupre	Ramadi - Anbar	Hostile - hostile fire - small arms fire
13-Jul-2008	1	| US: 1 | UK: 0 | Other: 0
	US	Lance Corporal Jeffery S. Stevenson	Falluja - Anbar	Non-hostile
10-Jul-2008	0	| US: 0 | UK: 0 | Other: 0
09-Jul-2008	3	| US: 3 | UK: 0 | Other: 0
	US	Sergeant Alex R. Jimenez	Jurf al-Sakhar - Baghdad	Hostile - hostile fire - body found
	US	Private Byron J. Fouty	Jurf al-Sakhar - Baghdad	Hostile - hostile fire - body found
	US	Sergeant 1st Class Steven J. Chevalier	Samarra (died in Balad) - Salah Ad Din	Hostile - hostile fire - grenade
08-Jul-2008	1	| US: 1 | UK: 0 | Other: 0
	US	Specialist William L. McMillan III	Baghdad (west of)	Hostile - hostile fire - IED attack
05-Jul-2008	1	| US: 1 | UK: 0 | Other: 0
	US	Sergeant 1st Class Anthony Lynn Woodham	Tallil (Camp Adder) - Dhi Qar	Non-hostile - electrocution
02-Jul-2008	0	| US: 0 | UK: 0 | Other: 0

[Southack]

What post #35 above shows is that 13 good Americans gave their lives for us in Iraq in July, 2008.

Or more detailed...that we lost 6 good men to hostile combat in July. Two were killed in May of 2007 at the start of the Surge, but their bodies were only recovered this month, and another 5 were killed in work accidents (e.g. vehicle wrecks).

6 to hostile combat.

We mourn all of our lost ones, and each death is tragic, but on the scope of a *war*, losing 6 men during an entire month of fighting pretty well shows that the war is over.

We won.

And yes, it was a “single digit month” as predicted.

[wardaddy]

average aged 28.

seems to defy the way the media promotes the conventional wisdom

i remember here in Nashville when the casualties were being called with the Fifth Special Forces guys out of Fort Campbell in Afghanistan.....most were mid 30s....some even late 40s.

[Alia]

I concur with what you’ve written in post. Iraq has been moving towards solidifying a civil society with all such rudiments and constructs in place. Now, back to Afghanistan - where it began.

[alwaysconservative]

Thanks so much for this analysis (and for the ping)! You always have such clear insight; it is much appreciated.

[MinorityRepublican]

A good analogy would be how many American police officers died to "hostile action" in major American cities such as Detroit, Chicago, Washington D.C., Cleveland and etc. in the month of July?

Like you said, the war is pretty much over and all we have to do is to mop up Al-Qaeda remnants. Afterwards, all we have to do is to keep an eye on Iran similiar to what we are currently doing in South Korea.