3,973 and $3,845 Per Second

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Monday March 03, 2008 · 5:21 PM PST

2008/03/03 · 17:21

Twenty-nine American lives were lost last month in Iraq. At least 270 more troops have been wounded in February.

Meanwhile, the carnage remains steady on the Iraqi side as well. Indeed, in a sad turn of events, Iraqi casualties have jumped in the last month:

NEW YORK The number of Iraqis killed in February rose by 33 percent over January, reversing a six-month trend of reduced violence, in a setback to the U.S. military plan to curb the bloodshed ravaging the country, Agence France Press reports.

The combined figures obtained by AFP from the interior, defence and health ministries showed that the total number of Iraqis killed in February was 721, including 636 civilians, compared with 541 dead in January.

The Associated Press count was very similar. AP emphasized that this was considered a "minimum" number with the toll likely higher.

Aside from the unending flow of lives lost, our continued presence in Iraq is costing Americans an untold amount of taxpayer money.

When you break down the costs, our Iraq presence is costing Americans an astonishing $3,845 per second.

Nearly 4,000 Americans dead, nearly 30,000 wounded, and nearly $4,000 per second. Five years later, this is the cost of waging a war that should have never been initiated, and the cost of continuing a blunder that should have ended a long time ago.

The names of those Americans who died last month in Iraq:

Chad A. Barrett, 35, Army Staff Sergeant, Feb 02, 2008
Christopher J. West, 26, Army Specialist, Feb 04, 2008
Nathan H. Hardy, 29, Navy Chief Petty Officer, Feb 04, 2008
Michael E. Koch, 29, Navy Chief Petty Officer, Feb 04, 2008
Rafael Alicearivera, 30, Army Sergeant, Feb 05, 2008
Miguel A. Baez, 32, Army Specialist, Feb 05, 2008
John C. Osmolski, 23, Army Sergeant, Feb 05, 2008
Timothy R. Van Orman, 24, Army Sergeant, Feb 05, 2008
Bradley J. Skelton, 40, Army National Guard Sergeant, Feb 06, 2008
Luis A. Souffront, 25, Navy Petty Officer 1st Class, Feb 07, 2008
Michael T. Manibog, 31, Army Specialist, Feb 08, 2008
Timothy P. Martin, 27, Army Sergeant, Feb 08, 2008
Jack T. Sweet, 19, Army Private 1st Class, Feb 08, 2008
Jerald A. Whisenhunt, 32, Army Staff Sergeant, Feb 08, 2008
Gary D. Willett, 34, Army Sergeant, Feb 08, 2008
Corey E. Spates, 21, Army Sergeant, Feb 10, 2008
Javares J. Washington, 27, Army Staff Sergeant, Feb 14, 2008
Chad D. Groepper, 21, Army Specialist, Feb 17, 2008
Luke S. Runyan, 21, Army Specialist, Feb 17, 2008
Conrad Alvarez, 22, Army Sergeant, Feb 20, 2008
Albert Bitton, 20, Army Corporal, Feb 20, 2008
Bryant W. Mackey, 30, Army Staff Sergeant, Feb 20, 2008
Jr., Micheal B. Matlock, 21, Army Specialist, Feb 20, 2008
Nathan R. Raudenbush, 25, Army Captain, Feb 20, 2008
Drew W. Weaver, 20, Marine Lance Corporal, Feb 21, 2008
Keisha M. Morgan, 25, Army Specialist, Feb 22, 2008
Orlando A. Perez, 23, Army Specialist, Feb 24, 2008
Micheal E. Phillips, 19, Army Private 1st Class, Feb 24, 2008
Kevin S. Mowl, 22, Army Specialist, Feb 25, 2008

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