Iraq as deadly as it seemsfi

There's no doubt just about every American is discouraged and upset by the casualties in Iraq. Are the casualties mind boggling as the media would have us believe or "reasonable" considering the duration and intensity of the warfi Are casualties in Iraq upfi

From the first to the second Gulf War the Baath party admitted to 1,500,000 dead -- mostly Shiites and Kurds. That is 150,000 a year. In Iraq, prior to the first Gulf, Iraqi deaths were at a similar rate. The Iraq-Iran war took 1.6 million; 180,000 Kurds were killed in a few months by Saddam. Civilian casualties in Iraq, according to Iraq Body Count, are about 70,000 in four-plus years.

As Body Count is an anti-Bush liberal group, their numbers are credible. Casualties in Iraq have plummeted since we invaded. Our overall casualties are amazingly small. On D-day alone we lost 7,000.

I am happy to leave Iraq if this is best. Al Qaeda would love to see us go. It seems there may be some progress in Iraq. Perhaps we should give Gen. Petraeus a little more time.

Robert J. Petersen,

Provo

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page A6.