Wolfowitz' Fuzzy Math

At hearing, Wolfowitz falls short
By Associated Press  |  April 30, 2004

WASHINGTON -- Asked how many American troops have died in Iraq, the Pentagon's No. 2 civilian estimated yesterday the total was about 500 -- more than 200 soldiers short.

Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz was asked about the toll at a hearing of a House Appropriations subcommittee. "It's approximately 500, of which . . . approximately 350 are combat deaths," he responded.

"He misspoke," spokesman Charley Cooper said later. "That's all."

Since the invasion of Iraq last year, 722 US troops have died there, 521 of them in combat. 
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The guy doesn't give a damn about your sausage... I mean your kids. My biggest surprise of this story is that it was reported at all. That thing growing in the back of American news organizations is a spine.

Oh yeah... something tells me this wasn't so much ignorance as a deliberate lie. The second in command at the Pentagon knows how many soldiers are dead. He just dialed it down so he could get his appropriation through. Which, of course, is worse than ignorance. It's evil.