(Occasional sobering thoughts.) Amid news that
Australia has quit combat operations in Iraq, and that the Taliban breakout of hundres of prisoners has sparked a new
NATO crackdown in Afghanistan, here's the count of casualties there and in Afghanistan in the 4 weeks since we last reported. According to Iraq Body Count,
between 84,723 and 92,414 Iraqi women, children, and men have died in the conflict since March 2003. That's an increase of between 683 and 711 deaths in the last 4 weeks. According to the U.S. Defense Department,
4,101 American servicemembers have been killed in Iraq. Total coalition fatalities: 4,414 persons. That's 23
servicemember deaths in the last 4 weeks, all but 1 of them Americans. Military
casualties in the conflict in Afghanistan stand at 523 Americans and 326 other coalition servicemembers, an increase of 20 and 16, respectively, the last 4 weeks.
(Occasional sobering thoughts.) Amid news that Australia has quit combat operations in Iraq, and that the Taliban breakout of hundres of prisoners has sparked a new NATO crackdown in Afghanistan, here's the count of casualties there and in Afghanistan in the 4 weeks since we last reported. According to Iraq Body Count, between 84,723 and 92,414 Iraqi women, children, and men have died in the conflict since March 2003. That's an increase of between 683 and 711 deaths in the last 4 weeks. According to the U.S. Defense Department, 4,101 American servicemembers have been killed in Iraq. Total coalition fatalities: 4,414 persons. That's 23 
servicemember deaths in the last 4 weeks, all but 1 of them Americans. Military casualties in the conflict in Afghanistan stand at 523 Americans and 326 other coalition servicemembers, an increase of 20 and 16, respectively, the last 4 weeks.
