Iraq War Dead
Cheney's prediction of casualties with a military occupation of Iraq
In a 1994 interview, Dick Cheney predicted American casualties if Saddam Hussein was removed from power, followed by military occupation.
During the Gulf War, Dick Cheney was U.S. Secretary of Defense. His forecast in 1994 of American casualties - with the ouster of Saddam Hussein and a military occupation of Iraq - was proven to be accurate. As each month of the War in Iraq progresses, statistics support his ex officio wisdom.
1994 C-SPAN Interview
In a April 15, 1994 interview on C-SPAN, Dick Cheney detailed why a "U.S. occupation of Iraq" would be very difficult - terming the Arab nation a "quagmire", with respect to continued war in Iraq, followed by military occupation. Add to that the aspirations of Syria, Iran and factious northern Iraq. The same "Arab forces" that were willing to fight in Kuwait were unwilling to fight in Iraq. 13 years ago, he questioned what could replace the government of Iraq, once Saddam Hussein was dethroned. Because the country was a "very volatile part of the world". Years of news out of Iraq indicates that this fact is more evident today. In the interview, Cheney also questioned "how many additional dead Americans is Saddam worth" - regarding the 146 U.S. casualties during the Persian Gulf War.
American Military Fatalities
Since the beginning of the Iraq war, in March 2003, "hostile action" has inflicted more than 3,700 American military fatalities. In 2007, the stricken U.S. military has endured over 90 casualties per month through August, according to iCasualties.org. The death toll peaked in May 2007 with 126 military personnel killed during that month, including 84 casualties caused by improvised explosive devices.
Iraqi Fatalities
But no matter how many American soldiers are killed, the Iraqi civilian death toll is always much higher. Occasional reports of innocent women and children killed fail to reflect the impression that actual reliable statistics would leave behind. The average daily count of Iraqis killed by sectarian and military-related attacks has nearly doubled as compared to last year. The tally for this month includes the August 14, 2007 truck bomb attack that resulted in over 500 fatalities - the most devastating attack on civilians since the Iraq war began.
In August, there were also 300 Iraqi Security Force personnel fatalities counted, compared to 104 U.S. fatalities. The increase in Iraqi fatalities is an aftereffect of the 30,000 U.S. troops added in February, with the goal of regaining control of the Baghdad sector. Followed by subsequent military campaigns.
As Cheney's prediction of American casualties applies to the current U.S. military occupation, we should expect military fatalities to continue. Such a running death toll is compounded by tens of thousands of Iraqi civilian deaths in the "quagmire".
