The Costs of War

The U.S. has been involved in Iraq for 17 months. The fifth most deadly month for U.S. soldiers just ended. But as we've noted many times on ASZ, the individual costs are much higher than the nearly 1000 soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen who have died, or the 6,500 who have been wounded.

Without comment, here's another example of the cost of this lousy, unnecessary war:

COLUMBUS (AP) -- An Army reservist who tends to critically wounded soldiers in Iraq is desperately trying to keep a mortgage company from taking her house away while she's gone.

Sgt. Yyvette Nicole Curry was working with the 629th Forward Surgical Team last spring when she began receiving worrisome reports from friends.

When she returned home on 10-day emergency leave in May, she found a life in disarray -- her husband had left her, family members were taking care of her four children, ages 10-16, and a mortgage company was foreclosing on her home...

I have little doubt that this story is being repeated hundreds of times around the country.

Laura Bush can stick tonight's bullshit platitudes in her ear (or any other bodily orifice that's convenient).