Mission Accomplished By The Numbers

May 1, 2007 9:36 am
ThinkProgress

On May 1, 2003, President Bush stood underneath a “Mission Accomplished” banner and announced that “Major combat operations have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed.”

Here’s a by-the-numbers look at the situation then, compared to the situation now:

Classification ----------- May 1, 2003 ----------- Today

U.S. Troops Wounded (542) & (24, 912)

U.S. Troops Killed (139) ----------- (3,351)

Contractors Killed (69) & (916)

Journalists and Media Assistants Killed (11) & (167)

U.S. Forces in Iraq (150, 000) & (146,000)

Size of Iraqi Security Forces (7,000 - 9,000) & (334,300)

Number of Insurgents (less than 5,000) & (~70,000, Sunni Only)

Insurgent Attacks Per Day (8) & (148.9)

Cost to U.S. Taxpayers ($79 billion) ($421 billion)

Approval of Bush’s Handling of Iraq (75%) & (24%)

Percentage of Americans who Believe The Iraq War Was “Worth Fighting” (70%) & (34%)

Bush’s Overall Job Approval (71%) & (32%)