Columbus Dispatch (Ohio) March 19, 2004
Iraq: A Year of War; Gaugin The Overall Impact
President Bush made it clear in his "axis of evil" speech in January 2002 that he considered Iraq, along with Iran and Korea, the three most-dangerous regimes in the world because of their attempts to acquire weapons of mass destruction.
Unsatisfied with Iraq's response to U.N. weapons inspectors, Bush approved deployment of U.S. troops to the Persian Gulf region in December 2002. On March 17, Bush issued an ultimatum to Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein to leave the country within 48 hours. Saddam did not leave, and two days later, with more than 200,000 troops in the region, the U.S. launched the second war against Iraq in a decade.
Here is how the war has affected people's lives in big and small ways:
OPERATION WASHBOARD
* The homegrown effort to help troops wash their clothing began during the buildup of U.S. forces in Kuwait in February 2003. Operation Washboard since has sent 1,400 washboards and 40,000 clothespins to soldiers serving in Iraq. Capt. Philip Wolford of Marysville started the campaign with an e-mail request to the Columbus Washboard Co. in Logan. Most are shipped as a package, including a washtub, foot powder, soap, clothesline and a bag of 50 clothespins. The handmade soap represents the only change, from a floral scent to musk.
STARS AND STRIPES
* Written for the military about the military, the Stars and Stripes newspaper circulates as many as 25,000 papers to troops stationed in the Middle East. About 15,000 papers are printed in Baghdad and 8,000 more in Kuwait. The demand, however, calls for something closer to 55,000, Managing Editor Doug Clawson said.
* Circulation, however, is costly. The paper has asked the federal government to increase its annual subsidy by $3 million to $14 million, Clawson said.
THE MAILBAG
* A priority letter will travel an average of 11 to 13 days from a local post office anywhere in the United States to a military postal unit in Iraq. It takes 7 to 9 days for a letter to reach a military postal unit in Germany.
* A package takes 20 to 24 days to reach Iraq.
* Typical postage to send a letter to a service member in Iraq is 80 cents. Postage for most service members to send a letter home is free.
* Some things won't make it to Iraq: pornography, religious materials contrary to the Islamic faith, nonauthorized political items, pork or pork byproducts.
ONLINE GRATITUDE
* More than 12.4 million people have signed the Department of Defense's online "Thank you" note to all branches of the U.S. military.
* On defendamerica.mil visitors may sign in and register their home states and country before sending the greeting: "Dear member of the U.S. Military: Thank you for defending our freedom."
* The online card was launched in May, during National Military Appreciation Month.
FREE AIRLINE FLIGHTS
* Individuals and airlines have donated 534 million frequent-flier miles for the Operation Hero Miles program, which helps soldiers on leave afford a commercial flight home from Germany or one of three U.S. airports. The program also helps family members reach the bedside of wounded soldiers.
DESERT WHEELS
* An unarmored Humvee -- the modern version of a Jeep on steroids -- costs $75,000.
* A fortified Humvee costs $150,000.
* Included in Congress' $87 billion Iraq spending bill was $177 million specifically earmarked for Humvees.
* The AM General plant near South Bend, Ind., increased Humvee production from 25 to 30 a day in February. The factory employs 1,200 and expects to produce 7,000 Humvees this year.
* The Army says there are 2,109 armored Humvees being used in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and it expects to have 4,149 in Iraq by October. In December, the Army said it had 12,500 unarmored Humvees in service there.
* The O'Gara-Hess & Eisenhardt factory near Dayton adds the 3,800 pounds of steel plating and bulletproof windshields that fortify the Humvee.
* Humvees -- otherwise known as High Mobility, Multi-Purpose, Wheeled Vehicles -- get less than 10 miles per gallon.
They replaced the Jeep as the Army's basic vehicle in 1985.
PAINFUL DISEASE
* The bite of a sand fly spreads leishmaniasis, a disease that causes sores on the skin. It has struck 400 troops in Iraq since the war started.
* March through October is the peak season for sand flies, which measure less than one-sixteenth of an inch long. The disease initially appears as bumps on the skin, and the sores that develop usually won't heal for several weeks. If left untreated, the sores can last for years and scar.
* The cutaneous form of the disease is not fatal nor is it contagious.
* The visceral form attacks internal organs and can be fatal.
Peak U.S. strength
From March 19 to April 18, the heaviest days of fighting, the number of troops deployed was equivalent to the population of Alburquerque, N.M.
Air Force 54,955
Army 233,342
Marine Corps 74,405
Navy 61,296
Coalition total 42,987
Total deployed 466,985
Coalition forces
Contributions from 49 coalition countries range from military, intelligence and logistical help to humanitarian and reconstruction aid.
Current troop levels:
Australia 850
Britain 8,220
Denmark 410
Italy 3,000
Netherlands 1,307
Poland 2,500
Romania 500
Spain* 1,300
Thailand 460
Ukraine 1,650
United States 120,000**
Others 3,722
* Has said it will withdraw its troops by June 30 unless U.N. takes over.
** Includes 6,591 Ohio reservists, excluding Marines and Coast Guard
Troops killed
Britain 58
Bulgaria 5
Denmark 1
Estonia 1
Iraq 6,370
Italy 17
Poland 1
Spain 8
Thailand 2
Ukraine 1
United States 570
Total 7,034
Sources: Associated Press; Center for Strategic and International Studies; CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll; Coalition Provisional Authority; Department of Defense; KRT; Office of Management and Budget; Pentagon; Stars and Stripes ; U.S. Air Force; United Nations; U.S. Armed Forces News Service; U.S. Army Department of Public Affairs; U.S. Postal Service; U.S. State Department; U.S. Agency for International Development; White House; www.encyclopedia.com; www.lunaville.org; www.infoplease.com; www.pollingreport.com; www.iraqbodycount.net; www.periscope.ucg.com; www.globalsecurity.org
TOM BAKER, MOLLY SEDLACKO, STEVE SPENCER, RANDY WALK, NANCY WYGLE, HOLLY ZACHARIAH
GRAPHIC: Graphic , Map, (1) A year at war: significant events, shifts in opinion/, (2) Human tragedy/, (3) Coalition deaths/, (4) U.S. deaths by state/, (5) U.S. wounded/, (6) Billions more for the war on terror/, (7) Humanitarian and reconstruction/, (8) Map
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