New York ? An understated ceremony in Baghdad marks the end of a mission that lasted nearly nine years, claimed the lives over 4,000 U.S. soldiers, and divided our nation
America's long, contentious war in Iraq came to a "quiet" end Thursday. In a "muted ceremony" in Baghdad, U.S. troops lowered the flag of command that flew over the headquarters of the U.S. mission for a final time. "After a lot of blood spilled by Iraqis and Americans, the mission of an Iraq that could govern and secure itself has become real," Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said at the ceremony. Here's a by-the-numbers look at the bloodshed and monetary toll:
8
Number of years the Iraq War lasted ? the official tally is eight years, eight months, and 25 days. As a start date, The Washington Post points to March 20, 2003, when an airstrike was launched in southern Baghdad where Saddam Hussein was presumed to be hiding.
SEE MORE: Is America getting 'kicked out' of Iraq?
?
More than 1 million
Number of U.S. troops who have served in Iraq since 2003
4,483
Number of troops who were killed during the Iraq War, according to Mark Leon Goldberg at UN Dispatch
33,183
Number who were wounded
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?
104,080 to 113,728
Estimated number of Iraqi civilians killed during the mission, according to Iraq Body Count
6.5
Number of deaths per day from suicide attack and vehicle bombs in 2011, says Goldberg
$800 billion
Cost of the war to the U.S. treasury, says Lolita C. Baldor at the Associated Press
4,000
Number of troops who will remain in Iraq over the coming months, "despite President Barack Obama's earlier contention that all American troops would be home for Christmas," says Baldor
170,000
Number of troops in the country during the 2007 surge ordered by President George W. Bush
500
Number of bases and outposts established in Iraq during that surge
2
Number of bases that remain
61
Percent of Americans who favored the withdrawal of all troops of Iraq by the end of the year, according to a CNN/ORC Internation poll conducted last month. That's despite the fact that "only half of Americans think their nation achieved its goals in Iraq," says Richard Allen Greene and Moni Basu at CNN.
Sources: AP, CNN, Iraq Body Count, UN Dispatch, Wash. Post
View this article on TheWeek.com
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