[Owen]

I've seen this coming for weeks. Note that even these folks are signing onto calling accidents casualties. That is shaky. Any time there is increased activity there are deaths. Only combat deaths should particularly matter for this measurement -- despite the reality that all deaths are tragic.

By that criterion, the plummet in US KIA is even greater.

[optimistically_conservative]

I challenged a local reporter on the 500+ killed since Bush declared an end to major combat meme that was being repeated in every article.

I asked how someone who died from illness was killed? His response, he was killed by the illness.

I asked how many other US soldiers worldwide have been killed by illness since May 1st. He didn't know.

I asked if sleep killed SPC Kinchen in Iraq on August 09, 2003.

We finally agreed that it was a media spin tactic to reach a benchmark and spin a story.