The Iraq War
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U.S. Death Toll Reaches 3000
Jan. 3, 2007


    On January 3rd, 2007, a report was released that said that the death toll of U.S. troops in the Iraq war had reached 3000 since the invasion in March of 2003. The Pentagon confirmed the death of 22 year-old Dustin R. Donica of Texas (pictured) on December 28, 2006 to be the 3000th U.S. death in Iraq. This coincided with the end of the deadliest month for U.S. soldiers in Iraq since the invasion. 
            While the news of this milestone affected many as it also represented countless devastated families, to many it was simply a tragic number. Lieutenant Colonel Mark Ballesteros said, “Every loss is regretted and there is no special significance to the overall number of casualties." BBC’s Jonathan Beale, in Washington, also said that “this grim milestone comes at a critical time for Mr. Bush as he prepares to unveil a new strategy in Iraq, which may include increasing the number of soldiers on the ground.” To many, this death toll represented the continuing failure of American and Iraqi soldiers to suppress violence in Iraq. However, the 3,000 killed represented only a fraction of American losses in earlier wars. The country lost 58,000 in Vietnam and 405,000 in the Second World War. At the time, Britain reported 126 deaths so far in Iraq. President Bush had this to say on the matter, “The most painful aspect of the presidency is the fact that I know my decisions have caused young men and women to lose their lives. In the new year, we will remain on the offensive against the enemies of freedom, advance the security of our country, and work toward a free and unified Iraq."