4,000

Well. I know that I have written and spoken ill of the government and the causes to go to war and the war itself, but when you have a "news" story about 4,000 lives being lost ... move on Jack. I agree, ultimately, you don't want your military to die, but face it -- military personnel die. It has been now six years now ... 4,000 lives lost. As a whole, that isn't significant considering the muslim sympathizer in the military who grenaded his own platoon. Take out these lives and we haven't reached 4,000. I would suggest that he demonstrated what protesters don't accept. There are people who are militant and crazy and will kill without regard.

I don't support the position of WMD and Hussein's ties to Osama, but ... we are there and the government isn't stable yet. In fact, the local areas are either more militant and stable or in chaos now. Withdrawing forces would not "embolden" the enemy as stated, but rather either solidify the resistance or crush it. Once crushed ... it wouldn't resurface for a long, long time -- too late to save people.

The 4,000 number tragedy might be hailed by those who believe that 300 like the movie could have done the job in Afghanistan and Iraq. I guess they didn't remember history in that the Nazi blitzkreig worked, but they fell. Normandy stayed at a terrible price, but ... it was with time and people that made it happen. Sad to write, but we have to stay in some areas to make it work.

4,000 is just a number and a small one statistically for the number deployed, stayed, engaged and the time being there. It is a low number.