EQUIPO NIZKOR |
|
27apr04
Wolfowitz underestimates war deaths.
Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz in testimony to Congress Thursday significantly underestimated the number of U.S. deaths in Iraq.
Admitting he did not have the exact figures, Wolfowitz told the House Appropriations subcommittee on foreign operations the number of combat deaths in Iraq is "approximately 500, of which -- I can get the exact numbers -- approximately 350 are combat deaths."
He was 374 combat deaths off: According to Pentagon statistics which are updated daily on its Web site, as of April 29, 726 Americans had died in Iraq, 526 of them killed in action. Of those, 413 have died since May 1, 2003, when President Bush declared an end to major combat operations.
There were 109 killed in action during the war.
Two civilians working for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, Fern Holland and Robert Zangas, are included in the KIA total.
The Pentagon updates the casualty statistics every day at 10 a.m. EST. The number of wounded is updated every Friday.
As of April 23, there were 1,394 troops wounded and returned to duty. Another 2,470 troops have been have been medically evacuated from Iraq and the surrounding region for other reasons, wounded more seriously and were not returned to duty within 72 hours. More than 10,000 troops have been medically evacuated from Iraq and the surrounding region for other reasons.
[Source: UPI, Washington, 27Apr04]
 | This document has been published on 14May04 by the Equipo Nizkor and Derechos Human Rights. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. |