U.S. death toll in Iraq, Afghanistan surpasses Sept. 11 death toll

The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, killed 2,976 people. It is noteworthy that as we approach the five-year anniversary of the attacks, the number of members of the U.S. military who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan has now surpassed the number of deaths in the original tragedy.

Americans killed in Iraq: 2,666
Americans killed in Afghanistan: 331

With U.S. deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan at 2,997, we've lapped 9/11.

But just as U.S. citizens weren't the only ones killed on Sept. 11, American soldiers aren't the only ones dying in Iraq and Afghanistan. The coalition death total in Iraq is now 2,896, while the coalition death total in Afghanistan is 469.

Total coalition deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan as of today: 3,365.

This is to say nothing of the thousands of Iraqis killed.

Meanwhile, the Senate Intelligence Committee releases a report yesterday declaring that there was no relationship between al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein. Furthermore, Hussein saw al Qaeda as a threat.

Note: I do honestly believe it's debatable whether or not the Iraq war is justified. There is a greater context here, of course. But the numbers, as I say, are noteworthy.