Numbers

FORWARD OPERATING BASE NORMANDY, Iraq, Jan. 10 -- The explosion of a booby-trapped house killed six American soldiers on Wednesday during an offensive against Sunni insurgents in Diyala province, making it the deadliest day for U.S. troops in Iraq since November

A new survey estimates that 151,000 Iraqis died from violence in the three years following the U.S.-led invasion of the country. Roughly 9 out of 10 of those deaths were a consequence of U.S. military operations, insurgent attacks and sectarian warfare.

BAGHDAD-(AP) -- U.S. bombers and jet fighters unleashed 40,000 pounds of explosives during a 10-minute airstrike Thursday, flattening what the military called al-Qaida in Iraq safe havens on the southern outskirts of the capital.

Coming home!

It was easy to ignore the mainstream media for the past nine days. But, reality hit me early on arriving in National Airport. While waiting for my luggage I noticed an old woman with hearing aids and a middle aged woman possibly her daughter being escorted into the baggage claim area by three armed military police escorts. I thought that these woman might be here to attend the funeral of a family member killed in Iraq at Arlington. I wanted to go up to them and somehow express my condolences. But, before I could the three military escorts had picked up the woman's luggage and were whisked out of the area. My only hope that is that I was wrong. That possibly the funeral these woman would be attending was for some elderly World War II vet who had managed to have a long and wonderful life after his service. But, I feel with the Iraq war still going on the chances of that were slim.