A "parallel" war is being fought in Iraq--by private security contractors, who get killed just like soldiers do, but for some years the Bush Administration has hidden the statistics (Washington Post).
Death estimates vary. According to the Iraq Coalition Casualties Organization, at least 400 contractors had died in Iraq by June 14, 2007. According to USA Today, 467 contractors had died by April 2006.
Another facet of the parallel war is the high cost of relying on contractors (partly because we don't have enough troops). Some contractors get $135,000 a year to guard supply convoys, twice+ what military guards get (WaPo)....
The war's costs have now exceeded $435 billion. The Iraq-war death toll is now around 4,000 (counting only soldiers and contractors).
Why all this bad news? Because four years ago, President Bush decided to unnecessarily invade a country (without enough troops or equipment):
1) Iraq had not attacked us
2) Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction
3) Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11 (Bush admitted this after invading).
How many more lives and dollars will this Administration throw at the war? See also:
- Retired General Says We Can't Win in Iraq
- Contractors Driving up War's Costs?
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