Military Consequences of the War and Occupation of Iraq
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2005
Accident Brings US Toll in Iraq to 2,001 (October 26, 2005)
The US death toll in Iraq has surpassed the 2,000 mark. While some Iraqis sympathized, many complained that the number of Iraqi civilian deaths – numbering at least 30,000, though estimates vary – has been ignored. Despite the milestone, and the war's growing unpopularity in the US, President George W. Bush has shown no intention of withdrawing troops. (Associated Press)
Radioactive Wounds of War (August 25, 2005)
Some US soldiers returning from Iraq have tested positive for contamination from Depleted Uranium (DU). In 2003, the Pentagon prevented the United Nations from testing Iraq for DU levels. In addition, the US government shirks its responsibility to test soldiers for DU contamination. While the Pentagon claims that DU poses no health threat, experts agree that it is toxic and can lead to cancer in those who have been exposed to it. (In These Times)
2004
US in U-Turn Over Gulf War Syndrome (November, 3, 2004)
The UK, US, Australia and Canada have denied that troops in the Gulf War had been exposed to the nerve gas sarin due to "insufficient evidence" until recently, when medical researchers definitively linked the chemical agents to a specific disease suffered by 30% of Gulf War veterans. It is very likely that the disease also affected many civilians. (New Scientist)
GI Seeks Conscientious Objector Status (March 16, 2004)
Staff Sergeant Camilo Mejia, on leave after serving in Iraq for five months, refused to report to his unit upon the call for redeployment to Iraq. Mejia stated he is prepared to suffer the consequences of his actions, including a possible prison sentence, then to fight in a war "driven by oil." (Associated Press)
US Soldier On Frontline in Battle for Refugee Status (February 21, 2004)
Private Jeremy Hinzman, who recently returned from serving in Afghanistan, is the first soldier abandoning the US army and claiming refugee status in Canada. With increasing numbers of US soldiers refusing deployment in Iraq and with the White House committing to a long-term presence in the region, is this the first sign of things to come? (Guardian)
The Permanent Scars of Iraq (February 15, 2004)
This New York Timesarticle sheds light on the human cost of the Iraq war. As the number of US casualties in Iraq climbs, is the Pentagon doing enough to help soldiers cope? How many lives will the Bush administration sacrifice?
Washington Conceals US Casualties in Iraq (February 4, 2004)
This article contends that the US government is deliberately covering up the number of US casualties in Iraq from the public. Washington has evacuated between 11,000 and 22,000 soldiers, marines and sailors from Iraq since the start of the war. (World Socialist WS )
Suicides of US Troops Rising in Iraq (January 14, 2004)
Suicide accounts for 14 percent of "non-hostile" deaths in Iraq, with investigations into more deaths still ongoing. Is the US doing enough to combat this problem? (Reuters)
2003
The Wages of War: Iraqi Combatant and Noncombatant Fatalities in the 2003 Conflict (October 28, 2003)
A study from Project on Defense Alternatives analyzes US combat data, battlefield press reports and Iraqi hospital surveys to conclude a toll of 11,000-15,000 Iraqi casualties. The study finds that civilian casualties comprise 30% of the total. Click herefor the full report.
The Unreported Cost of War (August 4, 2003)
The US media have minimized military casualties in their reports, documenting less than half of the extraordinarily high number of the actual accidents, suicides and other non-combat deaths in the ranks. (Guardian)
Gulf War Syndrome Soldiers Threaten Legal Action (May 27, 2003)
After suffering symptoms similar to the "Gulf War syndrome," four soldiers involved in the second Gulf war have threatened to sue the Ministry of Defense of the UK. (Guardian)
Pentagon Challenged Over Cluster Bomb Deaths (May 9, 2003)
The Pentagon's claim that only one civilian died from a cluster bomb is challenged by Iraq Body Count, an organization that monitors civilian deaths in Iraq. They state that the Pentagon does not make any reference to ground-launched or artillery cluster bombs. (Iraq War)
TV Not Concerned by Cluster Bombs, DU (May 6, 2003)
"That's just the way life is in Iraq" (May 6, 2003) The US media have been quick to declare the war against Iraq a success. But they do not provide reports on the consequences from cluster bombs or the dangers of depleted uranium. (Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting)
Aftermath: Cleaning Up the Mess (April 29, 2003)
The cost of the war probably does not include the clean up of widespread use of cluster weapons and Depleted Uranium (DU) in Iraq. Children are in particular danger because some canisters look like emergency food packs. (Foreign Policy in Focus)
Fighting is Over But the Deaths Go On (April 28, 2003)
Several people have been killed by unexploded ordnance and landmines in northern Iraq that have been left by the Iraqi army and US warplanes. (Guardian)
Lack of Data Slowing Cluster Bomb Cleanup (April 27, 2003)
Cluster bombs are claiming victims almost every day throughout Iraq, causing civilian mine-clearers to request the map coordinates of cluster bombing targets. (Los Angeles Times)
North Korea 'Ready for War' (April 11, 2003)
The result of the US war on Iraq gives other countries the will to take pre-emptive measures to defend their territories. The situation has incited North Korea and Russia to think about military means to defend their national interests. (BBC)
Irregular Weapons Used Against Iraq (April 7, 2003)
This document presents the devastating weapons used by US and UK forces in Iraq. For example, the cluster bomb with its devastating functions is very similar to landmines. (ZNet)
US Forces Use of Depleted Uranium Weapons is "Illegal" (March 30, 2003)
US and UK forces are using depleted uranium shells in the war against Iraq, and deliberately floating a United Nations resolution which classifies the munitions as illegal weapons. (Sunday Herald, Scotland)
'Silver Bullets' That Kill, and Kill Again (March 26, 2003)
US tanks are going to use depleted uranium that enables them to penetrate the armor of Iraqi tanks. But the so called silver bullet, previously used in the last Gulf War, has a catastrophic impact on the environment and the health of those in the area. (Asia Times)
Americans as Sitting Ducks (March 20-26, 2003)
Diaa Rashwan, an expert on Islamist movements, argues that one of the effects of the imminent US military occupation of Iraq is the "logical and almost expected" entrance of Al-Qaeda militants into the Iraq crisis. The occupation of Iraq could thus become as bloody as the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s. (Al-Ahram Weekly)
US Poised to Launch 'Rolling Attack' (March 19, 2003)
US and British troops moved into an offensive position and are getting ready for President George W. Bush's order to launch a massive assault on Iraq. (Independent)
US Prepares to Use Toxic Gases in Iraq (March 3, 2003)
The US might use riot control agents CS gas and pepper spray in a war on Iraq. This action could undermine the credibility of the Chemical Weapons Convention and legitimize chemical warfare as a tool of war. (Independent)
Pentagon Contradicts General on Iraq Occupation Force's Size (Ferbuary 28, 2003)
As the ongoing debate over the cost of war continues, General Eric K. Shinseki estimates that several hundred thousand troops will be needed in a postwar Iraq. This figure was "wildly off the mark" according to the Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz. (New York Times)
Don't Be Fooled by Claims that Invasion Will Bring Democracy (February 27, 2003)
The poor records of US intervention in Afghanistan, Somalia, Haiti and Kosovo and its historic support for the most undemocratic regimes in the world, show that it is naive to believe that US-led action would lead to an improvement for the people of Iraq. (Dailystar)
War Planners Begin to Speak of War's Risks (Ferbuary 18, 2003)
The US' open discussion on what could go wrong and the aftermath to a war with Iraq are further evidence of US determination for military action. Main concerns are securing oil fields to pay for the war, or as Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld states, important "revenue" for the Iraqi people. (New York Times)
British Commanders Told to Prepare for Iraq Occupation (Ferbuary 4, 2003)
Senior officials in the British army are getting prepared for a war on Iraq and its aftermath that might result in an occupation lasting up to three years. (Middle East Online)
The Nuclear Option in Iraq (January 26, 2003)
Military analyst William M. Arkin argues that US plans for the possible use of nuclear weapons against Iraq represent a significant lowering of the nuclear threshold by lumping nuclear weapons in with other military options. (Los Angeles Times)
2002
Why Any War with Iraq Will Be Over in a Flash (December 24, 2002)
The London Timesarticle indicates that, in addition to gaining control of the region's oil reserves, Washington plans to attack Iraq to demonstrate to the world the new weaponry they will face if they oppose the US.
