Iraq War - CostIraq War notes

• Cause given by U.S. – Iraq had weapons of mass destruction

Cost

• $727 billion – estimated at 1.7 billion

• Cost of deploying one soldier for one year in Iraq - $390,000

• Next generation gets to pay for the war

Iraq War - Casualties

U.S. Soldiers

4,401 dead,

31,822 wounded (20% serious head or spinal cord injuries)

30% of returning soldiers develop serious mental health problems

Trained to Kill• 15% of soldiers shot back during WWII• Army wanted more• Replace bull’s eyes with human heads as targets• Make training more realistic• Vietnam – 95% of soldiers shot back• “The more soldiers ignore their emotions and

behave like trained machines rather than thinking people, the more you invite PTSD,” says Dr. David Spiegel of the Stanford University School of Medicine.

• Almost 1/6 of troops returning from Iraq have symptoms of PTSD

• Fear of stigma in military against seeking help

Some Don’t Mind

• "I enjoy killing Iraqis," says Staff Sgt. William Deaton, 30, who had killed a hostile fighter the night before. Deaton has lost a good friend in Iraq. "I just feel rage, hate when I'm out there. I feel like I carry it all the time. We talk about it. We all feel the same way."

Iraq War Soldiers

1. Read the letters/email messages home.

2. What are they about?

3. Who are they written to?

4. Come up with a title for this collection of letters

Iraqi Casualties• About 100,000 documented deaths• Other estimates as high as 1,000,000 violent

deaths since invasion• Iraq Population = almost 30 million

Iraq Videos

• After invading U.S. sets up Coalition Provisional Authority to run Iraq

• Many people appointed had no experience in the Middle East – qualifications – loyalty to Republican party

• U.S. fires all former members of the ruling Ba’ath party and army

• Country spins out of control – into civil war between Sunni and Shi’a Muslims