Six months straight of 80+ US KIAs

[alcibiades_mystery]

With the deaths of nine US troops yesterday, the death toll for May, 2007 officially reached 80.

This is then the 6th straight month of 80+ US KIAs in Iraq.

Just for comparative purposes, prior to the beginning of this stretch, there had been 45 months of the war. In those 45 months, the 80 barrier had only been breached 11 times, total, or 24% 80+ KIA months. For the last six months, the percentage is 100%. For the last 12 months, it is 66%. During the 45 months preceding, no three consecutive months reached 80 KIAs, and the number was reached in two consecutive months only twice (April-May 2004, October-November2005). So, not only have we seen the first occurrence of three-consecutive month 80+ KIAs during the last six months, but we've seen that unprecedented rate happen twice!

Considering May to be over (and it is far from over), the KIA's for the last six months number 540. The only other six month period to come close to these numbers is August 2004-January 2005, during which 526 US service members were killed. And May isn't over by a long shot.

Just some context...

[Louis Cipher]

1. kick!