Operation Milestone Millstone

intentionally hiding the number of dead American contractors in Iraq.

2006-10-16T11:06:00.000+10:00

As I mentioned recently, I used to track the number of dead american contractors in Iraq - but I haven't had much luck this past year finding the numbers.

Now we get this from Reuters:

Oct 10 (Reuters) - The war in Iraq has killed at least 647 civilian contractors to date, according to official figures that provide a stark reminder of the huge role of civilians in supporting the U.S. military.

The contractor death toll is tracked by the U.S. Department of Labor on the basis of claims under an insurance policy, the Defense Base Act, that all U.S. government contractors and subcontractors working outside the United States must take out for their civilian employees.

In response to questions from Reuters, a Labor Department spokesman said there had been 647 claims for death benefits between March 1, 2003, and Sept. 30, 2006. The Defense Base Act covers both Americans and foreigners, and there is no breakdown of the nationalities of those killed.

That's odd, because in July 2005, Bloomberg said:

Based on death and injury claims filed with the U.S. Labor Department, 217 non-U.S. contractors and 113 U.S. contractors have been killed since the March 2003 invasion

How to reconcile the two?

Either:
a) the Labor Department spokesman for the current Reuters report is lying.
b) the Labor Department has changed it's reporting requirements in the middle of a war.

Either way, I can only conclude that they are intentionally hiding the number of dead American contractors in Iraq.

3000+

2006-10-07T11:26:00.000+10:00

I had 'hoped' to resurrect this blog as we crossed the (total) 3000 number, but I couldn't find the employee mortality numbers anywhere, and the reporting of the dead contractors seemed to disappear.

Last week, Eli from Left I on the News wrote:

If you read the newspapers or listen to the broadcast media in the United States, you'll think that the number of deaths in Iraq on "our side" (very strong quotes on that one) is 2710, and you'll think that it's approaching, but won't surpass for a few months, the "3,000" killed on Sept. 11, 2001.
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In March, 2005, when the media was reporting the 1500th American death, I noted that the actual total was more than 2,000. When the supposed death toll hit 2,000, I notedthat 428 contractors had to be added to that total. That number 428 comes from the Department of Labor, and as far as I can tell it isn't an openly public number (i.e., I can't find it on a website), but seems to be obtainable by reporters. I think it includes only American contractors, making it far short of the real total, but I can't be sure of that.

And now a report on ABC News (not online) says that number is up to 643 (with the attribution again to the Dept. of Labor). 643 members of... privatized occupations. Bringing the real number of coalition fatalities to 3353, well-above the number killed on 9/11.

In other words, the actual American deaths in Iraq is much higher than your silly corpmedia actually tells you - according to Eli's numbers, 24% higher.

For the record, from memory, those Dept. of Labor numbers actually record employee deaths of American companies in Iraq, which includes non-American employees (not that I particularly care about the nationality of dead people.) Also from memory, the only reason the Dept. of Labor actually records these deaths is for insurance purposes.

For more on war-profiteering, Robert Greenwald's Iraq For Sale opens on Sunday

milestone reached. 2000 dead.

2005-09-06T13:46:00.000+10:00

it gives me no pleasure to announce that we are officially at 2000 dead americans in iraq.

dead americans so far = 1887 soldiers + 113 contractors = 2000

it also gives me no pleasure to announce that no-one noticed.

please spread the word - lets hang the president and the rest of the Mission Accomplices with their own evil deeds.

Bush fiddles, while hearts burn at home

2005-09-05T14:43:00.000+10:00

update - we just hit the 2000 milestone - details here

(greetings Raw Storians - spread the word)

The specific purpose of this blog is to generate media/blog awareness on the upcoming milestone of 2000 dead Americans (not just soldiers) in Iraq.

Its difficult to know how many people have died in Bush's Iraq war - people of many nationalities, most of them innocent, most of them uncounted - but they are not the purpose of this blog.

Virtually all of the bodycount in the american media is focussed on dead American soldiers - I can understand (if not excuse) the focus on American deaths, but I dont quite understand why the dead american contractors are excluded. I'm sure the deaths of contractors are equally real to their families - and the president and his Mission Accomplices are certainly equally to blame for all of these deaths.

Contractor deaths tend not to attract much media attention, but due to Department of Labor reporting requirements, we recently learnt that "113 U.S. contractors have been killed since the March 2003 invasion". For one reason or other, that report was ignored by the media.

Given that the media likes big shiny round numbers, the purpose of this blog is to draw attention, in advance, to the fact that within the next month or so, Americans will soon be crossing the milestone of 2000 dead Americans - comprised of both dead soldiers, and dead contractors.

For whatever reason, we can expect a big media brouhaha when the dead-soldier count hits 2000, which is all fine and good, but that doesnt preclude some attention being brought to this milestone as well.

As of August 10, more than 1950 americans have been killed in Iraq. On this blog, I'll be keeping a track of the latest number, and trying to predict when we are likely to see it click over to 2000. (scroll down below this post for the latest details)

For current purposes, i'll be using the death-rate of 2 american soldiers per day - which is the approximate rate we saw for the 100 deaths between 1700 on or about June 13, and the 1800th death on or about August 2.

As it happens, at the current rate, we can expect to cross the 2000 milestone in early September - about the same time the president finishes his 5 week holiday.

Given the media attention that Cindy Sheehan's campaign is getting, hopefully we can bring attention to the fact that the 2000th family will soon be suffering the same grief. The juxtapostion of 2000 families grieving while Bush gets in touch with his inner rancher is intentional, and entirely of his own making.

And that is why this campaign is called Operation Milestone Millstone.

Bush fiddles, while hearts burn at home

(I'm going to keep this post on top - scroll down below this post for updates)
(you can also come visit my main blog - WotIsItGood4)

1999

2005-09-04T18:26:00.000+10:00

the killing continues

dead americans so far = 1886 soldiers + 113 contractors = 1999
no of dead americans before the 2000 milestone = 1

1999 dead american soldiers and workers in iraq

1995

2005-09-01T13:26:00.000+10:00

the killing continues

dead americans so far = 1882 soldiers + 113 contractors = 1995
no of dead americans before the 2000 milestone = 5

1995 dead american soldiers and workers in iraq

countdown - just a few days to go

2005-08-31T17:40:00.000+10:00

the killing continues

dead americans so far = 1880 soldiers + 113 contractors = 1993
no of dead americans before the 2000 milestone = 7
approximate # of days till the 2000 milestone = 4

approximate date of the 2000 milestone = SOON - we are just a 'successful' attack or two away.

countdown - 12 to go

2005-08-27T19:19:00.000+10:00

there have been more american soldiers deaded - going along at the daily rate of 2 per day

dead americans so far = 1875 soldiers + 113 contractors = 1988
no of dead americans before the 2000 milestone = 12
approximate # of days till the 2000 milestone = 6

approximate date of the 2000 milestone = Sep 2nd

countdown: 18

2005-08-23T21:18:00.000+10:00

there have been more american soldiers deaded - going along at the daily rate of 2 per day

dead americans so far = 1869 + 113 = 1982
no of dead americans before the 2000 milestone = 18
approximate # of days till the 2000 milestone = 9

approximate date of the 2000 milestone = Sep 1st

Countdown: 34

2005-08-15T15:04:00.000+10:00

more dead american soldiers

dead americans so far = 1853 + 113 = 1966
no of dead americans before the 2000 milestone = 34
approximate # of days till the 2000 milestone = 17

approximate date of the 2000 milestone = Sep 1st

Countdown: 44

2005-08-11T20:45:00.000+10:00

more dead american soldiers

dead americans so far = 1843 + 113 = 1956
no of dead americans before the 2000 milestone = 44
approximate # of days till the 2000 milestone = 22

approximate date of the 2000 milestone = Sep 2nd

holiday deaths

2005-08-11T20:13:00.000+10:00

* from James Wolcott:

"Tbogg is keeping a running count of how many American troops are dying in Iraq while Bush is on vacation in Crawford, kicking back at the ranch and hiding from Cindy Sheehan.
Current tally: 43."

Countdown: 49

2005-08-10T16:43:00.000+10:00

as of today, Aug10, the calculation is:

dead americans so far = 1838+113 = 1951
no of dead americans before the 2000 milestone = 49
approximate # of days till the 2000 milestone = 25
approximate date of the 2000 milestone = september 4th

(my original post for today was over at my main blog. it was that post which triggered me into setting up this separate blog)

2 wars, 2000 dead american servicefolk

2005-08-09T17:11:00.000+10:00

on august 6, Seeing the Forest pointed to another 2000 milestone - 2,000 American Soldiers Dead combined in Iraq and Afghanistan:

Military Folk Killed in Afghanistan: 217 (source: CNN/Pentagon)

Military Folk Killed in Iraq, 1,825 (source: CNN/Pentagon)

for a total of 2,042 dead american military folk, so far, in Iraq and Afghanistan.

war, war, everywhere. won't someone stop and think?

2005-08-09T16:20:00.000+10:00

William Rivers Pitt at Truthout noticed another 2000 milestone last week.

" On Tuesday (Aug6) , some took solemn note of the fact that the total number of "Coalition" fatalities from the invasion and occupation of Iraq had reached 2,000."

war, war, everywhere. won't someone stop and think?

Countdown: 66

2005-08-05T16:38:00.000+10:00

here was my August 5 update, again, from my main blog

dead americans so far = 1821+113 = 1934
no of dead americans before the 2000 milestone = 66
approximate # of days till the 2000 milestone = 33
approximate date of the 2000 milestone = september 4

(again, this post has been backdated)

Countdown: 87

2005-08-02T16:32:00.000+10:00

on August 2, i tried launching this mini-campaign over on my blog - you can go read the original entry if you like, but here are the calculations from that day

"dead americans so far = 1913
no of dead americans before the 2000 milestone = 87
approximate # of days till the 2000 milestone = 44
approximate date of the 2000 milestone = september 15."

(ive backdated this post)