Keep facts about Iraq in mind

Let’s keep some facts in mind:

• The number of attacks on US troops has “fallen” to 200 per week.

• The Iraq War is currently costing the American taxpayers $12 billion a month, not counting such things as long-term care for our wounded.

• 4,125 US military have been killed.

• Over 29,000 US military have been wounded (not counting the PTSD victims, who are committing suicide at alarming rates).

• The total cost of the war is expected to top $3 trillion, after initial Bush administration estimates were under $80 billion.

The Iraqi people and their government want us to leave, in about the same timetable as Barack Obama suggests. We will be leaving behind some 58 “permanent” bases we’ve built over the last five years.

So yes, the surge has reduced the number of US forces killed and wounded, but we’re still left with the question “Was it worth it?” Are we safer now? I don’t think so. We’re just poorer, and grieve our losses.

The administration’s claim that the surge has worked reminds me of this analogy: an executive of a company steals all the money in the checking and savings accounts, draws all the cash out of the lines of credit and goes to Las Vegas to play craps. He has terrible luck and loses big time but now is losing less per month than at first – and is claiming victory.

Jon Monday