A recent FAIR action alert (8/20/03) pointed out that National Public Radio and television network news broadcasts were often reporting a tally of U.S. deaths in Iraq that included only “hostile-fire” or combat deaths, which at present number roughly 64 since May 1, but account for less than half of the total fatalities. In segments that have aired since that alert, networks are reporting the higher totals for U.S. casualties in Iraq.
On ABC World News Tonight (8/24/03), reporter Geoff Morrell said that “two more American soldiers lost their lives in Iraq this weekend, 137 since May 1st.” CBS Evening News anchor John Roberts began the August 25 broadcast by noting that “as many US soldiers have now died since President Bush declared major combat operations over as died during the fighting. That number, by the way, is 138.”
The following night (8/26/03), all three network newscasts aired reports highlighting the fact that more soldiers have died in Iraq since Bush’s May 1 speech declaring an end to “major combat operations” than had died up to that point in the course of the war. ABC’s Charles Gibson announced that “138 Americans were killed as the US invaded and took over Iraq, 140 have died since.” Similar reports aired on NBC Nightly News and CBS Evening News.
Recent NPR reports have also used casualty figures that more accurately describe American deaths in Iraq. As NPR’s Renee Montagne put it (8/26/03), “The number of US troops killed in postwar Iraq has now surpassed the number killed before President Bush declared an end to major combat. Today a soldier died when a bomb hit a support convoy outside of Baghdad. That means 139 US forces have been killed in Iraq since May 1st, one more than died in the fighting beforehand.” Later that day, NPR’s Alex Chadwick reported that “more US troops– 139– have now been killed since the end of the major hostilities than during the war itself.”
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