3,987 dead and no one knows

[witchcurlgirl]

A new poll from the Pew Research Center finds a staggering drop in the public awareness about fatalities in Iraq:

Public awareness of the number of American military fatalities in Iraq has declined sharply since last August. Today, just 28% of adults are able to say that approximately 4,000 Americans have died in the Iraq war. As of March 10, the Department of Defense had confirmed the deaths of 3,974 U.S. military personnel in Iraq. In August 2007, 54% correctly identified the fatality level at that time (about 3,500 deaths). In previous polls going back to the spring of 2004, about half of respondents could correctly estimate the number of U.S. fatalities around the time of the survey.


(Note: the number of U.S. deaths confirmed by the Department of Defense is 3,974. Thirteen U.S. deaths are pending confirmation, for a total of 3,987).

By contrast, 84% of Americans knew that Oprah Winfrey was supporting Sen. Barack Obama for President.

The study also finds that over the same period of time, the media coverage dropped to only 3% of news.

The drop in awareness comes as press attention to the war has waned. According to the News Content Index conducted by the Project for Excellence in Journalism, the percentage of news stories devoted to the war has sharply declined since last year, dropping from an average of 15% of the newshole in July to just 3% in February.

Iraq American Death Count: Public Largely Unaware - Politics on The Huffington Post

[Grimmlok]

yeah, except those official numbers are most likely fixed.. only gunshots count, not bombs.. or only bombs count, not accidents involving bombs.. suicide attacks don't count, only shots to the had...blah blah number twisting.

It's probably closer to 10 thou

[Mariesoleil]

^^ totally agree. I think the number is much higher too.

[msdebagain]

i always had a special place in my heart for war victims (my grampa was killed in WW1) but when my cousin was killed in jan 07, it really makes you look at war from a different point of view.
i understand the reason behind war, but, it just pains me to see the number of fatalities for a war that no one is prepared for. fuck GW

[SSDiva]

I had at one time 7 family members in Iraq, now I just have 2(they are not only brothers they're twins and their mom's only kids). We are blessed that they've come back healthy physically, but some not quite ok mentally. I as a daughter of a military father, and with family that are heavily involved in the military..every Iraq fatality hurts. It saddens me.. I just want them all home!! I believe the number's are higher and that it is sad that we can't believe them.

[celeb_2006]

I have friends over there now, and I knew two guys that were killed over there three years ago.

Dubya, Rumsfeld, and their cronies have the blood of innocent Iraqi's and coalition/U.S. troops on their hands, not only for invading in the first place, but for screwing up the post war transition. They put so little thought into it that they set up the conditions for the debacle that has ocurred to this day.

Funny how some seemed to pat themselves on the back for the "surge" last year when in fact a general's name was drug through the mud for suggesting that upwards of 200,000 soldiers would be needed in post war iraq estimates. And last year's too little too late reaching out to former baathists. Both excellently chronicled in the documentary 'No End in Sight."



But besides this five years is a LONG time for anyone to pay attention to especially in this internet day and age of short attention spans. The war in iraq is on the backburner. In some ways it doesn't even seem like a 'traditional war' like iwo jima that would cause shocking casualties in a matter of days, more like a police action where there are casualties here, casualties there, and people are apathetic except for those who are serving and their loved ones.