The CotoBuzz Journal, Community Journalism

August 2008 ISSUE

We do not make jokes, we simply watch the LA Times, the Orange County Register and CID/HOA board of directors and report the facts!

Shush! - Do not tell anyone! - It's the Context Stupid

August 1, 2008

U.S. toll in Iraq hits 4000 as four soldiers killed, reads a Mar 24, 2008 Reuters report originating in Bagdhad - " Four US soldiers were blown up in Baghdad, pushing the US military death toll in Iraq to 4000". CNN picks up the story with a similar headline: Blast kills 4, raising U.S. toll in Iraq to 4000 - CNN.com "Four US soldiers died in a roadside bombing in Iraq on Sunday, military officials reported, bringing the American toll in the 5-year-old war ", and so does the LA times with "US toll in Iraq reaches 4,000"

From the coverage received, and as tragic as the loss of any member of the US Armed Forces is, obviously a 4,000 death toll is a major dubious milestone - see below for a comparison of Military losses from 1980 through 2007 from different perspectives.

Yesterday, Associated Press Writer Kim Gamel reported that Toll in Iraq hits all-time low, and reports that "The change is especially evident at the central morgue in Baghdad .....the height of the bloodshed, the facility was overwhelmed with the delivery of dozens of bodies on a daily basis. Relatives were afraid to collect the bodies because militiamen controlled the area". Garmel goes on to describe how precarious the security situation in Iraq remains.

Apparently, the fact that the death toll in Iraq has decreased significantly is not newsworthy.

Below is a summary of Military losses, 1980 through 2007 as circulated in email, the compare to CRS Report for Congress RL32492 - is this a case of figures do not lie, but liars figure?

1980 ......... 2,392 (Carter Year)

1981 ......... 2,380 (Reagan Year)

1984 ......... 1,999 (Reagan Year)

1988 ......... 1,819 (Reagan Year)

1989 ......... 1,636 (George H W Year)

1990 ......... 1,508 (George H W Year)

1991 ......... 1,787 (George H W Year)

1992 ......... 1,293 (George H W Year)

1993 ......... 1,213 (Clinton Year)

1994 ......... 1,075 (Clinton Year)

1995 .......... 2,465 (Clinton Year)

1996 .......... 2,318 (Clinton Year)

1997 .......... 817 (Clinton Year)

1998 .......... 2,252 (Clinton Year)

1999 ......... 1,984 (Clinton Year)

2000 ......... 1,983 (Clinton Year)

2001 .......... 890(George W Year)

2002 ......... 1,007 (George W Year)

2003 ......... 1,410 (George W Year)

2004 ......... 1,887 (George W Year)

2005 .......... 919 (George W Year)

2006 .......... 920 (George W Year)

2007........ ... 899 (George W Year)

Clinton years (1993-2000): 14,000 deaths

George W. years (2001-2006): 7,932 deaths
Jimmy Carter, (1980- Nobel Peace Prize winner): 2,392 US military fatalities

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